John C. Doerfer
{{Short description|Former FCC commissioner and chairman}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = John Doerfer
| office = Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission
| predecessor = George McConnaughey
| president = Dwight D. Eisenhower
| successor = Frederick Ford
| party = Republican
| birth_date = {{birth date|1904|11|30}}
| birth_place = Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| death_date = {{death date and age|1992|06|5|1904|11|30}}
| death_place = Boston, Massachusetts
| termstart = July 1, 1957
| termend = March 10, 1960
}}
John C. Doerfer (November 30, 1904 – June 5, 1992) served as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission from July 1, 1957 to March 10, 1960 as a Republican.{{Cite news|url=https://www.fcc.gov/general/commissioners-1934-present|title=Commissioners from 1934 to Present|date=2013-06-05|work=Federal Communications Commission|access-date=2017-05-24|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.bookrags.com/highbeam/john-c-doerfer-87-lawyer-former-fcc-hb/|title=John Doerfer's Obituary|access-date=May 23, 2017}}
Early life
Prior to his chairmanship of the FCC, Doerfer was the city attorney for West Allis, Wisconsin. He served on Milwaukee Mayor Frank P. Zeidler's Metropolitan Transportation Committee. In 1950, he became chairman of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, the state agency that oversees public utilities.
In 1957, Doerfer was appointed to head the Federal Communications Commission by President Dwight Eisenhower. A short time into his term he came under suspicion for accepting trips and other gifts from the broadcasters he was supposed to regulate.{{cite news | work = The New York Times | date = March 11, 1960 | title = DOERFER RESIGNS AS F.C.C. CHAIRMAN AT PRESIDENT'S BID | author = William M. Blair | url = https://www.nytimes.com/1960/03/11/archives/doerfer-resigns-as-fcc-chairman-at-presidents-bid-quits-while-under.html}} The eruption of the 1950s quiz show scandals concerning the rigging of T.V. game show answers that brought widespread criticism for Doerfer and the F.C.C. for their failure to properly police these programs.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}}
In March 1960, an investigation revealed that Doerfer had been a guest on the luxury yacht of George B. Storer, president of Storer Communications.{{Cite web|url=https://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/FL/trouble.html|title=The Political Graveyard: Politicians in Trouble or Disgrace: Florida|website=politicalgraveyard.com}} In the wake of these revelations he was asked to resign, which he did on March 14, 1960.https://www.nytimes.com, John Charles Doerfer, 87, Is Dead; Headed F.C.C. in Era of Scandals By BRUCE LAMBERT Published: June 8, 1992, [https://www.nytimes.com/1992/06/08/us/john-charles-doerfer-87-is-dead-headed-fcc-in-era-of-scandals.html]{{cite news | publisher = worldradiohistory.com | date = March 14, 1960 | title = HOW DOERFER'S HOPES DIED .. . | url = https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/60-OCR/BC-1960-03-14-OCR-Page-0032.pdf}}
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{{succession box
| title = Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission
| years = July 1957 – March 1960
| before = George McConnaughey
| after = Frederick W. Ford
}}
{{s-end}}
References
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Category:Chairmen of the Federal Communications Commission