Representative Richard Bernard Vail

Richard Bernard Vail (August 31, 1895 – July 29, 1955) was an American businessman, Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, and Republican U.S. Representative from Illinois who served in the United States Congress from 1947 to 1949 and from 1951 to 1953. His congressional service spanned a significant period in American history, encompassing the early Cold War era and the immediate post–World War II years, during which he participated in the legislative process and represented the interests of his Illinois constituents.

Vail was born on August 31, 1895, in Chicago, Illinois. He was educated in the Chicago public schools and pursued further studies at the School of Commerce, the Chicago Technical College, and the John Marshall Law School. This combination of commercial, technical, and legal education provided him with a broad foundation that would later inform both his business career and his work in public service.

During World War I, Vail served in the United States Army as a lieutenant of infantry. His wartime service coincided with the nation’s mobilization for the conflict in Europe and reflected the experience of many young American men of his generation who entered military service during the First World War. After the war, he returned to civilian life and entered the private sector, engaging in the manufacture of steel products in the Chicago area, an industrial center that was then a key hub of American manufacturing.

Vail subsequently joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where he worked prior to seeking elective office. His experience with the FBI, at a time when federal law enforcement and internal security were gaining increasing national attention, added to his background in matters of public safety and national security. He later became chairman of the board of directors of the Vail Manufacturing Company of Chicago, a firm that produced staplers, paper clips, and fasteners. Under his leadership, the company became a notable manufacturer of office supplies; Vail Manufacturing was eventually acquired by Acco International in 1966, more than a decade after his death.

Entering electoral politics as a Republican, Vail was elected to the Eightieth Congress and served as a Representative from Illinois from January 3, 1947, to January 3, 1949. During this first term, he contributed to the legislative process at a time marked by the beginning of the Cold War and the early stages of domestic anticommunist investigations. He served on the House Un-American Activities Committee, which played a prominent role in congressional inquiries into alleged subversive activities. Despite his active participation in the House, he was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1948 to the Eighty-first Congress.

Vail returned to Congress after winning election to the Eighty-second Congress, serving a second term from January 3, 1951, to January 3, 1953. Once again representing his Illinois district as a member of the Republican Party, he took part in the debates and legislative decisions of the early 1950s, a period characterized by the Korean War and heightened concerns over national security and internal subversion. He sought to continue his congressional career but was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1952 to the Eighty-third Congress and later an unsuccessful candidate for election in 1954 to the Eighty-fourth Congress.

After his congressional service, Vail remained associated with his business interests in Chicago and continued his role in the Vail Manufacturing Company. He died at the age of 59 on July 29, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. Richard Bernard Vail was interred in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Alsip, Illinois, closing a life that combined military service, federal law enforcement, business leadership, and two nonconsecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.