Remember When: Congressman John Dent served 10 terms as an agent of change

At one time, Westmoreland County was, basically, its own U.S. Congressional District.

And the most well-known person to hold the federal office in that era was John Dent.

Dent served in Congress from 1958 to 1979, stepping down after 10 terms. He won a special election on Jan. 21, 1958, following the death of U.S. Rep. Augustine Kelley.

For most of the time, including the 1970s, Pennsylvania’s 21st Congressional District included all of Westmoreland County and the Allegheny County municipalities of Plum, Oakmont, Verona and Penn Hills.

John Herman Dent was born in the small town of Johnetta, Armstrong County, on March 10, 1908. He was educated in public schools of Armstrong and Westmoreland counties until sixth grade. The young Dent then procured a diploma through International Correspondence Courses.

Dent graduated from the Great Lakes Naval Aviation Academy and served in the Marine Air Corps from 1924 to 1928.

Upon discharge, Dent worked as a mechanic, a salesman and was president of Local 18759 of the United Rubber Workers Union. He entered politics in 1933 by serving on Jeannette City Council.

Dent moved up to the state level with the House of Representatives and, for 21 years, in the state Senate, 17 as a floor leader.

Upon Kelley’s death and his ascent to Congress, Dent quickly became known for his fiery oratory. During his first few months in Washington, Westinghouse Corp. lost a turbine contract to a foreign competitor.

Dent convened a meeting of Pennsylvania congressmen (there were no women at the time), state U.S. senators and then-Gov. David L. Lawrence to discuss the threat of foreign competition.

In 1962, he held hearings warning of cheap imports resulting in loss of jobs for American workers. He fought for black lung benefits for coal miners. But he was like a lone wolf in the wilderness warning of foreign imports, and the coal companies denied there was such a thing as black lung disease.

But Dent soldiered on, getting six minimum wage increases and becoming a key sponsor of most federal aid to education. Finally in 1969, he helped get the Coal Mine Health & Safety Act over the finish line.

Dent also was a champion of pension reform. When companies would go out of business, workers’ pensions were often raided, leaving the workers with no jobs and no retirement income.

Dent was most proud of the 1972 Employment Retirement Income Security Act. The bill was enacted in reaction to the closing of the Studebaker auto works. From then, workers would be guaranteed pensions in the event of a plant or business closing.

By then, both the mine owners and the workers were throwing their support behind him.

During his tenure, Dent spent considerable time in Arnold and New Kensington. He often attended the Italo-American picnic at the former Falcons Park in New Kensington and made it a point to attend the annual Arnold Chamber of Commerce awards banquet.

In 1978, Dent announced he wouldn’t run for reelection after 10 terms. At 70, he began to experience severe health problems, not the least of which was losing his left eye.

Twelve candidates ran to replace Dent, and he ultimately was succeeded in Congress by Donald Bailey, D-Greensburg.

When Dent was elected to Congress in 1958, Pennsylvania had 30 Congressional Districts. In 2022, there are but 17 — only four based in Western Pennsylvania.

Dent died on April 10, 1988, at age 80.