Leslie C. Arends

Leslie Cornelius Arends (September 27, 1895 – July 17, 1985) was an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from Illinois from 1935 until 1974. He was a member of the Republican Party. A native and lifelong resident of Melvin, Illinois, Arends attended Oberlin College and served in the United States Navy during World War I.

He was involved in farming and banking; in addition to renting out several farms he owned, he eventually became president of the local bank his father had started. Arends was elected to the U.S. House in 1934. He served from 1935 until resigning on December 31, 1974. From 1943 until his retirement, Arends served as the Republican Whip, holding the post during periods of Republican majority (1947-1949, 1953–1955) and minority (1943-1947, 1949–1953, 1955–1974).

In addition, Arends rose by seniority to become the ranking minority member of the House Armed Services Committee. A party loyalist, Arends opposed much government spending, and provided strong support to the party's presidential candidates. He remained loyal to Richard M. Nixon during the Watergate scandal, and indicated that he would not vote to impeach Nixon.