Representative Daniel Knabb Hoch - Contact Information

Daniel Knabb Hoch (January 31, 1866 – October 11, 1960) was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania who served two terms in Congress from 1943 to 1947. Over a long public career that spanned local, state, and national office, he represented the interests of his constituents and contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history.

Hoch was born on January 31, 1866, on a farm near Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania. Raised in a rural environment, he developed early ties to the agricultural and local communities that he would later represent in public office. His upbringing near Reading placed him within the economic and social orbit of that growing industrial city, shaping his familiarity with both farm and urban concerns in southeastern Pennsylvania.

After his early years on the family farm, Hoch entered the printing trade, serving a printing apprenticeship on a newspaper in Reading. He worked in various departments of the newspaper, gaining experience in the mechanics of printing as well as exposure to public affairs, political debate, and community issues. This background in journalism and printing helped cultivate his understanding of public opinion and the workings of government, and it provided a foundation for his later involvement in politics and civic life.

Hoch began his formal political career at the state level. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, serving from 1899 to 1901. His tenure in the state legislature marked his emergence as a public figure in Berks County and the broader region. He remained active in party affairs and was chosen as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1908, reflecting his growing prominence within the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania and his engagement with national political issues.

In addition to his legislative service, Hoch held important local office in Berks County. He served as controller of Berks County, Pennsylvania, from 1912 to 1916, overseeing fiscal and administrative matters for the county government. His work as controller underscored his reputation for public service and administrative competence. Beyond his governmental roles, he was active in religious and community life; beginning in 1937, he served as a trustee of St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, demonstrating his long-standing involvement in local civic and religious institutions.

Hoch’s national career came late in life. He was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-eighth and Seventy-ninth Congresses, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania from 1943 to 1947. His service in Congress coincided with World War II and the immediate postwar period, a time of major legislative activity related to wartime mobilization, veterans’ affairs, and the transition to a peacetime economy. As a member of the House of Representatives during these years, he participated in the democratic process at the federal level and represented the interests of his Pennsylvania constituents in national deliberations. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1946, concluding his congressional service at the end of the Seventy-ninth Congress.

After leaving Congress in 1947, Hoch returned to private life in Pennsylvania. Having spent decades in public office and community service, he remained a respected figure in Berks County and within the Democratic Party. He continued his association with local institutions, including his church, and lived to see profound changes in American political and social life over nearly a century.

Daniel Knabb Hoch died on October 11, 1960. His long life encompassed service at multiple levels of government—local, state, and federal—and reflected the trajectory of a public servant who rose from a farm near Reading and a printing apprenticeship to represent Pennsylvania in the United States Congress during one of the most consequential eras in American history.