Roger Jepsen | |
|---|---|
 Jepsen in 1983 | |
| United States Senator from Iowa | |
| In office January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1985 | |
| Preceded by | Dick Clark |
| Succeeded by | Tom Harkin |
| 38th Lieutenant Governor of Iowa | |
| In office January 16, 1969 – January 18, 1973 | |
| Governor | Robert D. Ray |
| Preceded by | Robert D. Fulton |
| Succeeded by | Arthur Neu |
| Member of the Iowa Senate | |
| In office 1966–1968 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Roger William Jepsen December 23, 1928 Cedar Falls, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | November 13, 2020 (aged 91) Bettendorf, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) |
Dorothy Ann Lambertson
(m. 1948, divorced)Dee Ann Delaney (m. 1958) |
| Children | 5 (four from first marriage and one from second marriage) |
| Alma mater | Arizona State University |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1946–1947 1948–1960 |
Roger William Jepsen (December 23, 1928 – November 13, 2020) was an American politician from the state of Iowa. A Republican, he served in the United States Senate and as Lieutenant Governor of Iowa.
Jepsen was born on December 23, 1928, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the son of Emil and Esther (Sorensen) Jepsen. His grandparents were all Danish immigrants.[1] Jepsen attended public schools.
Jepsen attended University of Northern Iowa. Jepsen graduated from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona, in 1950 with a bachelor's degree and in 1953 with a master's degree. At ASU, Jepsen was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity.[2]
Jepsen became a paratrooper in the United States Army 1946–1947 and served in the United States Army Reserve 1948–1960, where he achieved the rank of captain. He was active in farming, insurance and health care businesses.
Jepsen served as a county supervisor of Scott County from 1962 to 1965 and was a state Senator from 1966 to 1968. He was the 39th Lieutenant Governor of Iowa from 1969 to 1973, having been elected with Governor Robert D. Ray in 1968.
In 1978, he was elected to the United States Senate, narrowly defeating incumbent Dick Clark in a major surprise, receiving strong support from National Conservative Political Action Committee (NCPAC). During the campaign, Jepsen taunted Senator Clark as "the Senator from Africa" because of Clark's work on behalf of the people in South Africa against their apartheid government.[3] He served a single term from January 3, 1979, to January 3, 1985. He served as co-chairman of the Joint Economic Committee in the 98th Congress.
Fellow Republican colleagues praised Jepsen for persuading then U.S. President Ronald Reagan to lift the agricultural ban against the Soviet Union.[4]
Jepsen was defeated by Democratic Congressman Tom Harkin in the 1984 Senate election. Jepsen later served as chairman of the National Credit Union Administration.
During part of his tenure in the Senate, Jepsen sat at the Candy Desk.
Jepsen married twice in life, he married first to Dorothy Ann Lambertson in 1948, and they had four children, Jeffrey Jepsen, Craig Jepsen, Ann Carruthers, and Debbie Geisler. The marriage ended by divorce. He then married Dee Ann Delaney in 1958, who had one daughter from her previous marriage, Linda (died 1996), and they had one son together, Coy Jepsen.
Jepsen died on November 13, 2020, at the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House in Bettendorf, Iowa, age 91.[5][6] He was interred in Davenport Memorial Park in Davenport, Iowa.
