Conyers, John James, Jr. (1929-2019), a Michigan Democrat, was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1965 to 2017. Conyers helped found the Congressional Black Caucus, an organization of African American senators and representatives. He served as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee from 2007 to 2011.
Conyers was born in Detroit on May 16, 1929. From 1950 to 1954, he served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University in 1957 and a law degree from the university’s Law School in 1958. From 1958 to 1961, he worked as a legislative assistant to Representative John D. Dingell, Jr., of Michigan. In 1961, Conyers was appointed a referee for the Michigan Workmen’s Compensation Department. In that post, which he held until 1963, he decided cases regarding work-related injuries. In 1963, President John F. Kennedy invited Conyers to serve on the newly organized National Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. The group was formed to combat racism and ease racial tensions.
In 1964, Conyers won election to his first term in the U.S. House. He took office in 1965. Conyers won reelection in 1966 and every two years through 2016. In 1998, Conyers served as one of President Bill Clinton’s strongest defenders during the House impeachment proceedings against Clinton for his activities involving an affair with a White House intern. The House voted to impeach Clinton, but the Senate acquitted him in 1999. In 2007, Conyers was awarded the Spingarn Medal for his political and civil rights achievements. In November 2017, the House Ethics Committee opened an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against Conyers. Conyers then stepped down from his position as ranking Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee. He retired from Congress in December. Conyers died on Oct. 27, 2019.
