Peter W. Rodino
American politician (1909–2005)
Peter Wallace Rodino Jr. (born Pelligrino Rodino Jr.; June 7, 1909 – May 7, 2005) was an American politician who was a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1989. A liberal Democrat, he represented parts of Newark, New Jersey and surrounding Essex and Hudson counties. He was the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives from New Jersey until passed by Chris Smith in 2021.
Rodino rose to prominence as the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, where he oversaw the 1974 impeachment hearings against President Richard Nixon that eventually led to the president's resignation.
Early life
Rodino was born Pelligrino Rodino Jr. in the North Ward of Newark, New Jersey, on June 7, 1909. His father, Pelligrino Rodino (1883–1957), was born in Atripalda, a town in the province of Avellino, in a region of southern Italy known as Campania. Rodino Sr. emigrated to the United States around 1900 and worked as a machinist in a leather factory, as a cabinet maker and carpenter, and for thirty years as a toolmaker for General Motors (Hyatt Roller Bearing).
The public source identifies “Peter W. Rodino” as american politician (1909–2005). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Peter, Rodino and American.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Peter W. Rodino”, the useful work is to connect “american politician (1909–2005)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 9, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2078864. VIAF identifies the subject as 50544688. The Library of Congress control number is n81047560. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1909, 2005, 1949 and 1989.
A concise life account rarely captures disputed attribution, private networks or the changing language used to describe a career. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.
- Establishing names and roles
- Building a first chronology
- Locating cited institutions
Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Peter W. Rodino”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Peter W. Rodino primary sources, Peter W. Rodino archive and Peter research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Peter W. Rodino”?
- How has the subject’s reputation changed across later accounts?
- Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Peter W. Rodino” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.