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OBERSTAR, James

John Blatnik (1911-1991) was born in Chisholm on the Mesabi Iron Range in northeastern Minnesota. His parents were from Slovenia, so he also spoke Slovene. After his graduation from Winona State Teachers College in 1935 he first joined President Roosevelt's programs to help economically-stricken people then he worked as a chemistry teacher in his home town of Chisholm. In 1940, he ran for State Senate. In 1942 he volunteered for service in the Air Corps. He became chief of American OSS (intelligence) Mission with Tito's Partisans in Croatia and Slovenia for more than ten months. After the war he won the primary election of the newly merged Democrat-Farmer-Labor party. He was the first American of Slovene parents who became a congressman, he was re-elected to Congress for 14 consecutive terms, or a total of 28 years. He was also the first Democrat from Minnesota who became chairman of a major House Committee - the House Public Work Committee.

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