Representative Tennyson Guyer - Contact Information

Tennyson Guyer (November 29, 1912 – April 12, 1981) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio whose decade of service in Congress coincided with a significant period in American political and social history. Born in Findlay, Ohio, on November 29, either in 1912 or 1913, he was educated in the public schools of Findlay. In his youth he performed as an aerialist with the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, an early indication of his willingness to travel widely and engage with diverse audiences. His early life was marked by personal loss when his father died of a heart attack on July 22, 1926, after which he went to live with his uncle.

Guyer pursued higher education at Findlay College in Findlay, Ohio, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in 1934. Following his graduation, he became an ordained minister, a vocation that reflected his interest in public service, moral issues, and communication with the broader community. His ministerial background would later inform his public speaking style and his approach to constituent relations and public affairs.

Guyer’s political and professional career in Ohio developed steadily over several decades before his election to Congress. He served as mayor of Celina, Ohio, from 1940 to 1944, gaining early executive experience in municipal government during the World War II era. In the private sector, he became public affairs director for Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. in Findlay, a position he held from 1950 to 1972, which placed him at the intersection of business, community relations, and public policy. Within the Republican Party, he was active as a delegate to the Ohio State Republican conventions each year from 1950 to 1957 and served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1956. He was a member of the state central committee from 1954 to 1966, and he further advanced his legislative career as a member of the Ohio State Senate from 1959 to 1972.

Building on this extensive state and local experience, Guyer was elected as a Republican to the Ninety-third Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses, representing Ohio’s 4th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. His service in Congress began on January 3, 1973, and continued until his death on April 12, 1981. Over the course of these five terms in office, he contributed to the legislative process during a period marked by the end of the Vietnam War, the Watergate aftermath, economic challenges, and evolving domestic and foreign policy debates. As a member of the House of Representatives, Tennyson Guyer participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents in Ohio while aligning with the broader priorities of the Republican Party.

Guyer’s congressional tenure was notable for his involvement in issues of national concern, including drug policy. In 1979, while serving in the House, he led the Cocaine Task Force as its chairman, reflecting a commitment to curbing the use of cocaine in the United States at a time when public alarm over illicit drugs was increasing. He was also associated with the House Un-American Activities Committee, placing him within the broader context of Cold War–era congressional oversight of internal security and ideological threats. Throughout his years in Congress, he became well known for traveling extensively across the country and internationally to deliver speeches, drawing on his background as a minister and public affairs professional to communicate policy positions and engage with diverse audiences.

Tennyson Guyer’s service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, and he remained in office until his death. On April 12, 1981, while at his home in Alexandria, Virginia, he died in his sleep during his fifth term in office. A heart problem was immediately suspected as the cause, and later sources identified his death as resulting from a heart attack, echoing the heart-related loss that had marked his youth. He was interred in Maple Grove Cemetery in his hometown of Findlay, Ohio. His name is included among the members of the United States Congress who died in office between 1950 and 1999, and his career is recorded in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, reflecting a lifetime of public service at the local, state, and national levels.