Calvin College
Vern Ehlers went to which school from 1951 to 1952?
Vern Ehlers Vernon James Ehlers ( February 6 , 1934 – August 15 , 2017 ) was an American physicist and politician who represented Michigan in the U.S . House of Representatives from 1993 until his retirement in 2011 . A Republican , he also served eight years in the Michigan Senate and two in the Michigan House of Representatives . Ehlers was the first research physicist to be elected to Congress ; he was later joined by Rush Holt , Jr . ( D-NJ ) and Bill Foster ( D-IL ) . Early life , education , and academic career . Born in Pipestone , Minnesota , Ehlers attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids for three years before transferring to the University of California , Berkeley , where he earned an undergraduate degree in physics and , in 1960 , a Ph.D . in nuclear physics . His doctoral dissertation , The nuclear spins and moments of several radioactive gallium isotopes , is available from University Microfilms International as document number 0227304 . After six years of teaching and research at Berkeley , he moved back to Michigan and took employment at Calvin College in 1966 , where he taught physics for 16 years and later served as chairman of the Physics Department . Ehlers died on August 15 , 2017 at the age of 83 . Early political career . Ehlers served on the Kent County Board of Commissioners from 1975 to 1982 . Ehlers served from 1983 to 1985 in the Michigan House of Representatives and then served from 1985 to 1993 in the Michigan Senate . U.S . House of Representatives . Committee assignments . - Committee on Education and Labor - Subcommittee on Early Childhood , Elementary and Secondary Education - Subcommittee on Higher Education , Lifelong Learning , and Competitiveness - Committee on House Administration ( Chairman and Ranking Member ) - Committee on Science and Technology - Subcommittee on Energy and Environment - Subcommittee on Research and Science Education ( Ranking Member ) - Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure - Subcommittee on Aviation - Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation - Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Caucus memberships . - Co-chair of the STEM ( science , technology , engineering and mathematics ) Ed Caucus - Peak Oil Caucus Ehlers served as chairman of the House Administration Committee in the 109th Congress after Bob Ney resigned from the position . A portrait of Ehlers during his service as chairman of the Administration Committee is in the House collection . Political positions . Ehlers was a moderate Republican . According to the National Journal , in 2006 his votes split 50-50 between liberal and conservative . While strongly anti-abortion and supportive of lowering taxes , he was willing to break with his party on environmental and government spending issues . He was a member of the Republican Main Street Partnership and Republicans for Environmental Protection . He was the only member of the Michigan Congressional delegation of either party to vote to raise fuel economy standards for automobiles in 2001 and 2005 . Ehlers was a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of online poker . In 2006 he cosponsored H.R . 4411 , the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act and H.R . 4777 , the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act . Owing to his votes in favor of the Federal Marriage Amendment in both 2004 and 2006 , as well as his votes against hate crimes legislation and prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation , Ehlers was given a 0% rating by the Human Rights Campaign , indicating a voting record generally opposed to gay rights . However , in December 2010 , Ehlers was one of fifteen Republican House members to vote in favor of repealing the United States militarys Dont Ask , Dont Tell ban on openly gay service members , and one of eight Republicans to vote for the DREAM Act . Political campaigns . In 1993 Ehlers won a special election for the 3rd District , which had been vacant since Congressman Paul B . Henry died six months into his fifth term . He won a full term in 1994 and was re-elected six times with little significant Democratic opposition . Ehlers retired from Congress in 2010 . External links . - Vern Ehlers for U.S . Congress official campaign site