John Ambrose Meyer

John Ambrose Meyer (May 15, 1899 – October 2, 1969) was a U.S. Representative from Maryland and a member of the Democratic Party who served one term in Congress during a significant period in American history. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Meyer was educated in the city’s grade schools and at Loyola High School, reflecting an early connection to the local Catholic educational institutions that would shape his formative years.

During the First World War, Meyer enlisted as a private in the Students’ Army Training Corps at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He served in this capacity until he was honorably discharged from the United States Army, participating in the wartime mobilization of American students and young professionals. After the war, he resumed his education and graduated from Loyola College of Baltimore in 1921. He continued his studies in law at the University of Maryland School of Law in Baltimore, from which he graduated in 1922.

Meyer was admitted to the bar in 1921, even before completing his law degree, and commenced the practice of law in Baltimore. His early legal career soon led him into public service within the city’s judicial and legal system. From 1929 to 1935, he served as an associate judge of the traffic court of Baltimore, gaining experience in the administration of local justice and municipal regulation. Later, in 1939 and 1940, he held the position of special assistant city solicitor, further solidifying his role in Baltimore’s legal affairs and municipal governance.

Building on his legal and civic experience, Meyer was elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-seventh Congress, representing Maryland in the U.S. House of Representatives. His term extended from January 3, 1941, to January 3, 1943. Serving during the early years of the Second World War, he contributed to the legislative process at a time of major national and international upheaval, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his Maryland constituents in the federal government. Despite his service, he was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1942 and thus served only a single term in Congress.

After leaving Congress, Meyer continued his involvement in wartime public service. During the Second World War, he served as district rent attorney for the Office of Price Administration, an agency responsible for controlling prices and rents to prevent inflation and economic dislocation on the home front. In this role, he helped implement federal policies designed to stabilize housing costs and protect consumers during the emergency conditions of war.

Following his wartime service, Meyer returned to private life and resumed the general practice of law in Baltimore. He maintained his legal career in the city for the remainder of his life, remaining closely identified with the community in which he had been born, educated, and had long served in both local and national capacities. John Ambrose Meyer died in Baltimore on October 2, 1969. He was interred in Holy Cross Cemetery, leaving a legacy as a Baltimore attorney, local judicial officer, wartime public servant, and one-term Democratic Representative from Maryland.