Former Rep. Charles Whalen (R-Ohio), who represented the Dayton area from 1967 to 1979, died Monday, the Dayton Daily News reported Tuesday.

Whalen, 90, died in Bethesda, Md., where he lived, according to former administrative assistant Dick DeLon.

“If there were more men and women in Congress today like Chuck Whalen, political debate would be far more civil and fact oriented and the public’s perception of Congress far more trusting and positive,” DeLon told the Dayton newspaper. “I think he has given us a legacy worthy of his 90 plus years.”

Whalen served in the Army during World War II and graduated from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Business in 1946. He later worked as an economics professor and served as chairman of the economics department of the University of Dayton.

He was an Ohio state Representative for three terms and a state Senator for two terms before he ran for Congress. He did not seek re-election to the House in 1978.

Whalen is survived by his wife, Barbara Gleason Whalen; four sons; two daughters; and seven grandchildren, according to the newspaper.