Profile Text
official U.S. Congress photo of Chuck Grassley c. 2017
Birth Name: Charles Ernest Grassley
Place of Birth: New Hartford, Iowa, U.S.
Date of Birth: September 17, 1933
Ethnicity: * father – German * mother – English, German, distant French and Welsh
Chuck Grassley is an American politician. A Republican, he has been a U.S. Senator from Iowa, since January 3, 1981, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, since January 3, 2025, and, previously, from January 3, 2015 to January 3, 2019; and President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, since January 3, 2025, and, previously, from January 3, 2019 to January 20, 2021. He was also a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa, from January 3, 1975 to January 3, 1981, Chair of the Senate Aging Committee, from January 3, 1997 to January 3, 2001, Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, from January 20, 2001 to June 6, 2001, again, from January 3, 2003 to January 3, 2007, and again, from January 3, 2019 to February 3, 2021; Chair of the Senate Narcotics Caucus, from January 3, 2015 to January 3, 2019; and President pro tempore emeritus of the U.S. Senate, from January 20, 2021 to January 3, 2025.
Chuck is the son of Ruth Genevieve (Corwin) and Louis Arthur Grassley. His father was born in Indiana, to German parents. His mother had English, German, and likely distant French and Welsh, ancestry. He is married to Barbara Speicher, with whom he has five children.
Chuck’s paternal grandfather was named Gottleib/Gottboldt Grassley.
Chuck’s paternal grandmother was named Bertha Wak/Wack, or Sophia Gerds.
Chuck’s maternal grandfather was George Washington Corwin (the son of George LaRue/La Rue Corwin and Lydia Wheeler). Chuck’s grandfather George was born in Iowa. George was the son of Morris Corwin and Nancy LaRue. Lydia was the daughter of Richard Chilcott Wheeler and Deborah Watkins.
Chuck’s maternal grandmother was Stalrye Italena/Italene/Italine Genevieve Moffitt/Moffet (the daughter of Frederick Edward Moffitt and Levina/Lavina Delista Mott). Stalrye was born in Iowa. Frederick was born in Massachusetts, to English parents, William Clifford Moffitt and Martha Mason, from Armley, Yorkshire. Levina was the daughter of Sylvanus Mott and Dorthea “Dolly” Searles/Searle.
Sources: Genealogy of Chuck Grassley – https://www.geni.com
Marriage record of Chuck’s parents – https://www.familysearch.org
Chuck’s parents on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org Chuck’s parents on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Death record of Chuck’s father – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Chuck Grassley (focusing on his mother’s side) – http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com
Genealogy of Chuck’s mother – https://www.wikitree.com
Genealogy of Chuck’s mother (focusing on her father’s side) – https://www.findagrave.com