Dieleman, William W. (1931-) | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

William W.  Dieleman, (b. in Oskaloosa, Iowa, in 1931) served in the Iowa legislature for twenty years.  After serving five years as a Pella city councilman he was elected to the Iowa State House of Representatives in 1974.  After serving four terms in the House he moved to the Senate in 1982 where he served three four-year terms until he retired in 1994.

Because the Iowa legislature only runs from January through May, he had to supplement this part-time salary. He worked as an insurance underwriter and he also owned a small newspaper in Sully, Iowa, entitled, The Diamond Trail News.

As a conservative Democrat, he occupied key positions in the legislature.  He was chairman of the Ways and Means Committee in the Iowa Senate.  He also headed the Committee on Natural Resources.  In addition, he was a member of four other committees:  Education, State Government, Transportation, and the Administration Appropriations Subcommittee, of which he was vice-chairman.

Dieleman and his wife Emily Langstraat together raised three children:  Wendell, Cyndi (Dennis DeYoung), and Kristen (Gandrow).  Before attending Calvin College he served in the military during the Korean conflict.  After receiving his AB degree in political science from Calvin College in 1959 he taught history and political science for fifteen years-four years at Calvin Christian School in South Holland, Illinois, and eleven years at Pella Christian High School.  During these years he was able to do graduate work at the University of Iowa, receiving his MA in political science in 1966.  He did further post- graduate work at the University of South Dakota.

Dieleman is retired and is currently living in Bella Vista, Arkansas.