Rhodes, << rohdz, >> John Jacob (1916-2003), an Arizona Republican, was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1953 to 1983. In 1973, he succeeded Gerald R. Ford as House minority leader after Ford replaced Spiro T. Agnew as vice president. Rhodes held the position until 1981. As a legislator, Rhodes supported conservative financial policies and advocated for government-sponsored projects to increase the water supply in Arizona.
Rhodes was born on Sept. 18, 1916, in Council Grove, Kansas. He graduated from Kansas State College (now Kansas State University) and then from Harvard Law School. Rhodes served in the Army Air Forces from 1941 to 1945, during World War II. He then practiced law in Mesa, Arizona. In 1952, Rhodes became the first Republican elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona. He served as chairman of the Republican House Policy Committee from 1965 to 1973. Rhodes died on Aug. 24, 2003.
