Alumnus profile: Congressman John Murtha

Pitt students worried about not graduating in four years may find reassurance in the story… Pitt students worried about not graduating in four years may find reassurance in the story of state representative John Murtha, D-Johnstown, who took 12 years to earn his undergraduate degree in economics here.

But his distractions were not just Oakland parties – he also joined the Marine Corps, volunteered to serve in Vietnam, worked full time at a gas station and took over his father’s carwash during his undergraduate years.

Born in the Johnstown area in 1932, Murtha went to Washington and Jefferson University for his first year of college. When he later went to Pitt, he was working full time in Johnstown during the day and commuting in the evening to attend night classes.

Murtha, who is the chairman of the defense appropriations subcommittee, said his most important accomplishment in politics has probably been making sure the United States has secure defense.

“I’m trying to change the direction of the defense department,” Murtha said. “As it is we’re occupying Iraq, but the war is occupying us.”

“Militarily, it cannot be won and we need to extract our troops as quickly as possible,” he said.

Murtha is also one of two congressmen who voted for a bill to reinstate a military draft.

“The president’s war in Iraq has severely strained our military. I don’t believe that the same families should have to continually shoulder the burden of war,” Murtha said in an e-mail.

Kristin Kanthak, who teaches American political process at Pitt, said New York representative Charlie Rangel proposed this bill in support of the draft. She said part of Rangel’s reasoning was that people who join the army are disproportionately poor and from minority groups.

“The point is that if this country were really faced with the option of reinstating the draft or ending the war in Iraq, the war would end,” Kanthak said. “It’s not legislation that he introduced with any realistic intention of getting it passed. It was to make a point.”

Kanthak said Murtha is probably one of the six to eight most powerful members of Congress because of both his tremendous seniority and his close relationship with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

“He has really helped her out and worked with her since the time she first got to Congress,” Kanthak said.

Kanthak said Murtha is widely considered to be an expert in military affairs among the Democrats in Congress.

“He’s been working on military issues since before any of us were born,” she said.

A political science minor, Murtha said he also took several Russian language classes at Pitt because he felt Russia was the superpower challenging the United States at the time.

“I always knew I wanted to enter politics,” Murtha said. “I always believed that was the place where I could do the most good.”

Murtha encouraged college students to become involved by using methods such as joining grassroots campaigns, holding rallies and supporting local candidates.

“My great-grandmother lived to be 96, and she died when I was 6 years old,” Murtha said. “I remember her saying to me, ‘You are put on this earth to make a difference.’ I have tried to make a difference in both my community and country.”