Daniel Schaefer

For those of a similar name, see Daniel Schafer (disambiguation).

Daniel Schaefer
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado's 6th district
In office March 29, 1983 – January 3, 1999
Preceded by	Jack Swigert
Succeeded by	Tom Tancredo
Member of the Colorado Senate
In office 1979–1983
Member of the Colorado General Assembly
In office 1972–1976
Personal details
Born	January 25, 1936 Guttenberg, Clayton County, Iowa
Died	April 16, 2006(2006-04-16) (aged 70) Wheat Ridge, Colorado
Political party	Republican

Daniel "Dan" Schaefer (January 25, 1936 – April 16, 2006) was a Republican U.S. Representative from Colorado from 1983 to 1999. He represented a suburban district that stretched from Denver to the southwest.

Born in Guttenberg, Clayton County, Iowa, he attended public schools. He received his B.A. degree from Niagara University, Niagara Falls, New York, in 1961. He also attended Potsdam University, Potsdam, New York, from 1961 to 1964. He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1955 to 1957 and attained the rank of sergeant. He was a public relations consultant.

In 1976, he was elected to a two-year term in the Colorado General Assembly. Two years later, he was elected to the Colorado State Senate, where he served from 1979 to 1983. He was a delegate to Colorado State Republican conventions between 1972 and 1982.

Schaefer was elected as a Republican to the Ninety-eighth United States Congress, by special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of United States Representative-elect Jack Swigert, a former astronaut who died of cancer before he could take his seat in Congress. Schaefer polled 49,816 votes (63 percent) in the special election to 27,779 ballots (35 percent) for the Democrat Steve Hogan. No Democrat challenged Schaefer in 1984. In successive elections from 1986 to 1996, he polled more than 60 percent of the vote against each of his Democratic opponents. In his last race in 1996, he received 146,018 votes (62 percent) to 88,600 ballots (38 percent) for the Democrat Joan Fitz-Gerald.

Schaefer did not run for reelection to the 106th United States Congress in 1998. Schaefer was succeeded by Congressman Tom Tancredo, a fellow Republican and noted critic of open immigration. Former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino served as Schaefer's press secretary for a number of years.

Congressman Schaefer was a strong family man, and raised a family of two sons and a daughter with his wife Mary Schaefer who was a career long educator and elementary school principal for Jefferson County Schools. Dan and Mary helped build outstanding P-16 education opportunities, and plentiful sports and recreation programs throughout Lakewood, Golden, Wheat Ridge, Arvada and other communities. Congressman Schaefer loved a variety of sports, with his favorites being baseball and his men's Fast Pitch Softball League.

Foothills Outdoor Recreation programs named one of their finest baseball and fast-pitch facilities after Congressman Dan Schaefer. It is known as the Schaefer Sports Complex, and is located at Hampden and Kipling, in Lakewood, Colorado, near Bear Creek High School, and near the home that Dan and Mary lived in for several decades and raised their family.

He died at the age of 70, while receiving care for his health in Wheat Ridge Colorado. Fortunately he was surrounded by family and friends during this difficult time, who were able to help him celebrate his many contributions to pro-active infrastructures in his community, to Colorado, and for the United States of America.

External links

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Retrieved on 2008-07-08
• Appearances on C-SPAN