Scranton Alumnus Serves as U.S. Representative

University of Scranton graduate U.S. Rep. Robert P. Bresnahan Jr. ’12 was sworn in as a member of the 119^th U.S. Congress, becoming the second Scranton alumnus to serve in the House of Representatives. He represents Pennsylvania’s 8^th Congressional District.

Rep. Bresnahan, Dallas Township, earned a degree in business administration from Scranton and was a four-year member of Scranton’s golf team.

“The University of Scranton was instrumental in shaping who I am today. I am incredibly grateful to the people I met along the way and my experiences at school. As The University of Scranton’s second Member of Congress, I am honored to represent the University and all of NEPA in Washington, D.C.,” said Rep. Bresnahan.

A native of Kingston, Rep. Bresnahan was CEO of Kuharchik Construction, a third-generation family-owned electrical contracting company, and founder of RPB Ventures, both located in Luzerne County.

He is the second Scranton alumnus to serve as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. U.S. Rep. Patrick Joseph Boland, who attended St. Thomas College (now The University of Scranton), served six terms as a United States Representative for Pennsylvania’s 11th District. Rep. Boland was elected to the House of Representatives in 1930 and served until his death in 1942.

According to a Scranton Times-Tribune article about “150 people who made Scranton great” by Chris Kelly, “in 1935, after just four years in Congress, Rep. Boland became the first Pennsylvanian to be appointed House Minority Whip. It was his job to line up votes for (President) Roosevelt’s programs. Fewer than four months later, the House voted 372 to 33 to adopt the Social Security Act of 1935. Rep. Boland had a hand in every New Deal bill that became law. He died of a heart attack in 1942 at age 62. His second wife, Veronica Grace, won a special election to serve out the rest of his term, becoming Pennsylvania’s first congresswoman.”