Jim Leach

Jim Leach REPRepublican

American politician

Profile Photo
Jim LeachREPRepublican American politician
81
Years of Age
30
Years of Experience
IAResidence (state)

James Albert Smith Leach (born October 15, 1942) is an American academic and former politician. He served as ninth Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2009 to 2013 and was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa (1977–2007). Leach was the John L. Weinberg Visiting Professor of Public and International Affairs at the Woodrow Wilson School of Princeton University. He also served as the interim director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University from September 17, 2007, to September 1, 2008, when Bill Purcell was appointed permanent director. Previously, Leach served 30 years (1977–2007) as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Iowa's 2nd congressional district (numbered as the 1st District from 1977 to 2003). In Congress, Leach chaired the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services (1995–2001) and was a senior member of the House Committee on International Relations, serving as Chair of the committee's Subcommittee on Asian and Pacific Affairs (2001–2006). He also founded and served as co-chair of the Congressional Humanities Caucus. He lost his 2006 re-election bid to Democrat Dave Loebsack. Leach sponsored the 1999 Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act, a notable piece of banking legislation of the 20th century. In 2022, Leach broke with the Republicans and registered as a Democrat.

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Education7 - 7 of 5
Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies
London School of Economics and Political Science
1966 - 1968
Johns Hopkins University
Master of Arts
1966
Princeton University
Bachelor of Arts
1964
Davenport Central High School
Past Positions1 - 10 of 10
Representative
United States House of Representatives
1977 - 2007
Founder
Republican Mainstream Committee
1984
Republican Nominee
United States House of Representatives
1974
Chairman of the Board
Adel Wholesalers Incorporated
1973 - 1976
Director
Federal Home Loan Bank Board
1975 - 1976
President
Flamegas Companies Incorporated
1973 - 1976
Foreign Service Officer
United Nations General Assembly & Geneva Disarmament Conference
1971 - 1972
Special Assistant to Donald Rumsfeld
Director, Office of Economic Opportunity
1969 - 1970
Foreign Service Officer
Department of State
1968 - 1969
Staff
Congressman Donald Rumsfeld
1965 - 1966
Other Experience1 - 22 of 22
Co-Chair
The Constitutional Forum
1993 - 1998
President
Parliamentarians for Global Action
1991 - 1993
Vice Chair
Twentieth Century Fund
1992 - Current
Founding Board Member
Project Vote Smart
1992 - Current
Chair
Ripon Society
1981 - 1988
Board Member
Kettering Foundation
Board of Trustees
Princeton University
Member
The Cosmos Club
Member
Rotary Club
Chair
Executive Commission of China
2003 - Current
Co-Chair
Republican Education Caucus
1997 - 2000
Co-Chair
Congressional Prevention Coalition
1997 - Current
Co-Chair
United States Commission on Improving the Effectiveness of the United Nations
1991 - 1993
Arms Control and Foreign Policy Caucus
1983 - 1984
Member
United States Advisory Commission on International Education and Cultural Affairs
1975 - 1976
Co-Chair
United Nations Working Group
Co-Chair
Upper Mississippi River Congressional Task Force
Experience
Congressional Steel Caucus
Experience
Congressional Arts Caucus
Experience
Older Americans Caucus
Experience
Congressional Human Rights Caucus
Experience
Congressional Soybean Caucus