John Y. McCollister

Who was John Y. McCollister?

John Yetter McCollister was a Nebraska Republican politician.

He was born to John M. McCollister and Ruth Yetter McCollister in Iowa City, Iowa. In 1939 he graduated from Washington High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and in 1943 he graduated from the University of Iowa in Iowa City. He married Nanette Stokes on August 22, 1943. He was a lieutenant in United States Naval Reserve from 1943 to 1946. From 1960 to 1971 and again from 1979 to 1986 he was president of McCollister & Co.

For two terms from 1965 to 1970, he was the Douglas County Commissioner. He was a delegate to the Nebraska State Republican conventions from 1960 to 1970, and delegate to the 1968 Republican National Convention. He was elected as a Republican to the Ninety-second United States Congress, defeating incumbent Glenn Cunningham in the Republican primary. He was reelected to the Ninety-third United States Congress and Ninety-fourth United States Congress serving from January 3, 1971 to January 3, 1977. In 1976, he decided to run instead for U.S. Senate but was unsuccessful, losing to Omaha Mayor Edward Zorinsky by a 53% to 47% margin. He was a presidential elector for Nebraska in 2000.