Quakers in Washington: Meet the four Penn grads who serve in Congress

Although President Donald Trump is the highest-ranking Penn graduate in the federal government, other notable graduates of the University serve in Washington as well. Here are the four current members of the U.S. House of Representatives that hold Penn degrees.

Congressman Matthew Cartwright (D-Pa.), 1986 Law School graduate

Cartwright has been a representative for Pennsylvania’s 17th district since 2013, after a 25-year career working at Munley, Munley & Cartwright, a litigation firm based in Scranton. He wrote for the Penn Law Review, the oldest law journal in the United States, while in University City. Cartwright serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Appropriations. Although the Democrat Cartwright won his district handily, President Trump defeated Hillary Clinton there by 10 percent. Many Republican lawmakers are reportedly eyeing Cartwright’s district in the 2018 midterm elections.

Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), 1997 College graduate

Since January, Gottheimer has represented New Jersey’s 5th district in the House of Representatives after unseating Republican Scott Garrett in 2016. He graduated summa cum laude from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1997 with a degree in American history. While at Penn, Gottheimer was the president of the Interfraternity Council and a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity. Per his LinkedIn profile, he was also involved in the Undergraduate Assembly with the Committee on Undergraduate Education. Gottheimer is a vocal critic of many of several Trump policies, notably his attempted travel ban. “You can’t just turn your back on what made America great,” Gottheimer said, per NJ.com. “[Immigrants are] so core to who we are.”

Congressman Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.), 2004 Wharton graduate

Like Gottheimer, Hollingsworth assumed his position in the House of Representatives at the beginning of 2017 after winning the fall 2016 election for Indiana’s 9th district. Hollingsworth graduated from the Wharton School in 2004 with concentrations in both legal studies and business ethics and real estate. A native of Tennessee, Hollingsworth only moved to Indiana a year before running for Congress. During his campaign, he told the The Indianapolis Star that he is “a businessman by trade. ... It’s my experience as a businessperson that has shaped me into who I am.” With a reported net worth of $58.5 million, Hollingsworth is among the wealthiest members of Congress. During his campaign, Hollingsworth supported his fellow Wharton alumnus’ presidential candidacy, saying he “firmly [believed] that [Trump] is a better choice than Hillary Clinton,” according to the National Review.

Congressman David Scott (D-Ga.), 1969 Wharton MBA graduate

Since 2003, David Scott has represented Georgia’s 13th congressional district. As a 1969 Wharton MBA graduate, Scott was only the third African American to graduate from the school and was on campus at the same time as 1968 Wharton graduate Trump. Serving a district in the Atlanta suburbs, Scott is the third-most-senior member of Georgia’s congressional delegation and serves on the Agriculture and Financial Services Committees.