117th Delaware General Assembly

Governor J. Caleb Boggs
117th General Assembly
In office January 6, 1953 – January 4, 1955
Preceded by	116th Assembly
Succeeded by	118th Assembly

The 117th Delaware General Assembly was a meeting of the legislative branch of the state government, consisting of the Delaware Senate and the Delaware House of Representatives. Elections were held the first Tuesday after November 1 and terms began in Dover on the first Tuesday in January. This date was January 6, 1953, which was two weeks before the beginning of the first administrative year of Governor J. Caleb Boggs and John W. Rollins as Lieutenant Governor.

Currently the distribution of the Senate Assembly seats was made to seven senators for New Castle County and for five senators to each Kent and Sussex counties. Likewise the current distribution of the House Assembly seats was made to fifteen representatives for New Castle County and for ten representatives each to Kent and Sussex counties. The actual population changes of the county did not directly affect the number of senators or representatives at this time.

In the 117th Delaware General Assembly session both chambers had a Republican majority.

Leadership

Senate

• Thomas L. Johnson, Sussex County, Republican

House of Representatives

• Frank A. Jones, New Castle County, Republican

Members

Senate

About half of the State Senators were elected every two years for a four-year term. They were from a district in a specific county, with the number of districts determined by the state constitution, not the size of the population.

New Castle County 1. Thomas Peeney 2. John B. Reilly, Sr. 3. Ernest B Benger 4. Wilmer F. Williams 5. George E. Pedrick 6. John R. Butler 7. J. Fred Doby

Kent County 1. Walter A. Hansberry 2. Charles G. Moore 3. Ezekiel C. Barnard 4. Jehu H. Camper 5. John M. Longbotham

Sussex County 1. John W. Burris 2. William O. Covey, Jr. 3. Curtis W. Steen 4. Robert E. Wilgus 5. Thomas L. Johnson

House of Representatives

All the State Representatives were elected every two years for a two-year term. They were from a district in a specific county, with the number of districts determined by the state constitution, not the size of the population.

New Castle County 1. Paul F. Livingston 2. James B. Tucker, Jr. 3. Stephen E. Hamilton 4. Paul E. Shockley 5. Walter J. Scott 6. Frank A. Jones 7. Robert P. Maclary 8. Benjamin E. HIcks 9. Norman E. Battersby 10. James R. Quigley 11. William L. Press 12. William E. Lester 13. Harvey E. Moore 14. John L. Dickinson 15. Thomas C. Rowan

Kent County 1. Ernest V. Blendt 2. George J. Pyott 3. Carlton Davis 4. Roger A. Davis 5. Vera G. Davis 6. S. Tilden Hughes 7. John D. Keller 8. Charles W. Bostick 9. Leon E. Donovan 10. Clarence L. Hudson

Sussex County 1. Walter J. Hoey 2. David C. Speicher 3. Dale E. Wheatley 4. Glen W. Lowe 5. William S. Marvel, III 6. Raymond V. West 7. George W. Mitchell 8. Joseph W. Prettyman 9. Carey D. Sapp 10. James A. Campbell

References

• Hoffecker, Carol E. (2004). Democracy in Delaware. Wilmington, Delaware: Cedar Tree Books. ISBN 1-892142-23-6.
• Martin, Roger A. (1995). Memoirs of the Senate. Newark, Delaware: Roger A. Martin.

Places with more information

• Delaware Historical Society; website; 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161
• University of Delaware; Library website; 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; (302) 831-2965