Chester A. Chesney

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Chester A. Chesney

|image = Chester A. Chesney (Illinois Congressman).jpg

|caption = 1950 photo by Harris & Ewing (Washington, D.C.)

|state = Illinois

|district = {{ushr|IL|11|11th}}

|term_start = January 3, 1949

|term_end = January 3, 1951

|predecessor = Chauncey W. Reed

|successor = Timothy P. Sheehan

|birth_name = Chester Anton Chesney

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1916|3|9|mf=y}}

|birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, US

|death_date = {{Death date and age|1986|9|20|1916|3|9|mf=y}}

|death_place = Marco Island, Florida, US

|party = Democratic

|spouse =

|alma_mater = DePaul University

|allegiance = {{flag|United States}}

|branch = {{flag|United States Army}}

|serviceyears = 1941–1946

|rank = Major

|unit = Air Corps

|module = {{Infobox NFL biography

| embed = yes

| number = 56

| position = Center

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 2

| weight_lbs = 227

| high_school =

| college = DePaul University

| undraftedyear =

| teams = Chicago Bears ({{NFL Year|1939}}–{{NFL Year|1940}})

| highlights = * NFL champion (1940)

| statlabel1 =

| statvalue1 =

| statlabel2 =

| statvalue2 =

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| statvalue3 =

}}

Chester Anton Chesney (March 9, 1916 – September 20, 1986) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.

Early life and education

Chesney was born in Chicago, Illinois, of Polish descent.Pula, James. "Chesney, Chester Anton". Polish American Encyclopedia. p. 59. He attended St. Hyacinth and Lane Technical High School. He graduated from the DePaul University, Chicago, Illinois, in 1938.

Early career

Chesney later played professional football with the Chicago Bears in 1939 and 1940.

He entered the United States Air Force in June 1941 as a private and was discharged as a major in 1946 with service in the Pacific and European Theaters. He served as assistant chief of special service, Veterans Administration, Hines, Illinois, in 1946 and 1947.

After the war, he took graduate work at Northwestern University Graduate Commerce School in 1947. He became an Executive with Montgomery Ward & Co., in 1948 and 1949. He later served as vice-president and director of Avondale Savings & Loan Association.

Political career

Chesney was elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-first Congress (January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1951). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1950 to the Eighty-second Congress, though served as delegate to the 1968 Democratic National Convention.