University of Oregon (M.S., 1977)

Peter Anthony DeFazio (born May 27, 1947) is an American politician. He serves as a Democratic U.S. Representative from Oregon, representing the 4th Congressional District since 1987. The district includes Eugene, Springfield, Roseburg and part of Corvallis. DeFazio is Oregon's most senior member of Congress, which makes him the dean of Oregon's House of Representatives delegation. A native of Massachusetts and a veteran of the United States Air Force, he previously served as a county commissioner in Lane County, Oregon.

From 1977 to 1982, DeFazio worked as an aide for U.S. Representative Jim Weaver. DeFazio was elected as a Lane County commissioner in 1983 and served as chairman from 1985 to 1986. In 1986, DeFazio was elected to Weaver's House seat when Weaver did not seek reelection to the House. DeFazio narrowly won in a competitive three-way primary against State Senators Bill Bradbury and Margie Hendrikson, and then won the General Election with 54 percent of the vote. He has never faced another contest nearly that close, and has been re-elected eleven times. He was most recently reelected in 2008, winning 82% of the vote over two minor party candidates.