Representative Simon Walter Stauffer

Simon Walter Stauffer (August 13, 1888 – September 26, 1975) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania who served two nonconsecutive terms in Congress from 1953 to 1959. Over the course of his career he was a prominent businessman in the lime and stone industry, a civic leader in York, Pennsylvania, and a long‑serving trustee of his alma mater, Dickinson College.

Stauffer was born in Walkersville, Frederick County, Maryland, on August 13, 1888. Details of his early family life are sparse in the public record, but his formative years were spent in Maryland before he moved north for his education. He attended Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a historic liberal arts institution, from which he graduated in 1912. His later service as a trustee of the college suggests an enduring connection to the school and its community.

After completing his education, Stauffer relocated to York, Pennsylvania, in 1915, a move that marked the beginning of his long association with that city and with Pennsylvania public life. Beginning in 1916, he entered the field of heavy industry, engaging in the manufacture of lime, crushed stone, and refractory dolomite. He remained active in this business from 1916 to 1936, a period in which the lime and stone industries were closely tied to construction, steelmaking, and infrastructure development. His success in this sector brought him into national industry circles, and from 1930 until his death he served as a trustee of Dickinson College, reflecting both his professional stature and his commitment to higher education.

Stauffer’s industrial experience led to leadership roles beyond Pennsylvania. From 1936 to 1946 he served as president of the National Lime Association in Washington, D.C., representing and coordinating the interests of lime producers across the country during a decade that spanned the Great Depression’s aftermath and the Second World War. Returning his focus more directly to York in the postwar years, he became chairman of the York City Housing Authority from 1949 to 1952, participating in local efforts to address housing needs in a period of urban growth and change. Concurrently, he broadened his business interests: from 1950 to 1960 he was vice president and chairman of the executive committee of the York County Gas Company, and from 1947 to 1960 he owned a large tract of woodland and engaged in timbering operations, underscoring his continued involvement in resource‑based enterprises.

Building on his record in business and local public service, Stauffer entered national politics as a member of the Republican Party. He was elected to the Eighty‑third Congress as a Republican Representative from Pennsylvania, serving from January 3, 1953, to January 3, 1955, after defeating incumbent Democratic Congressman James F. Lind. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, encompassing the early years of the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration, the intensification of the Cold War, and the beginnings of the modern civil rights movement. As a member of the House of Representatives, Simon Walter Stauffer participated in the democratic process, contributed to the legislative work of the chamber, and represented the interests of his Pennsylvania constituents.

Stauffer was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1954, losing to Democrat James M. Quigley. In 1956 he sought to return to Congress and, in a rematch against Quigley, was elected to the Eighty‑fifth Congress, serving a second term from January 3, 1957, to January 3, 1959. During this second term he cast a notable vote in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first federal civil rights legislation enacted since Reconstruction, which aimed to protect voting rights for African Americans. Despite this return to office, he was again an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1958, once more losing to Quigley. In total, Simon Walter Stauffer served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives between 1953 and 1959, contributing to the legislative process during a time of significant domestic and international developments.

After leaving Congress, Stauffer appears to have resumed his business and civic activities in York and continued his longstanding role as a trustee of Dickinson College until his death, maintaining his influence in educational and local affairs. He remained associated with the enterprises he had helped shape, including energy, natural resources, and housing, and retained his standing as a respected figure in York’s business and political community.

Simon Walter Stauffer died in York, Pennsylvania, on September 26, 1975. He was interred in Prospect Hill Cemetery in York. His life reflected a combination of industrial leadership, educational stewardship, local public service, and national legislative experience, rooted in his early ties to Maryland and Pennsylvania and culminating in his representation of Pennsylvania in the United States Congress.