Education
After that, he went to study law at New Jersey Law School in Newark, New Jersey and later at The George Washington University Law School, where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1926.
United States representative politician
After that, he went to study law at New Jersey Law School in Newark, New Jersey and later at The George Washington University Law School, where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1926.
Canfield, a Republican, was first a secretary under the United States Representative for New Jersey"s 8th District, George North. Seger, but he later succeeded Seger and represented New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives for twenty years, lasting from 1941 until 1961. Canfield is most remembered as the "Father of the United States Coast Guard Reserve", as he spearheaded the effort to pass the legislation that started the reserve in 1941. After graduating through the Binghamton, New York public school system, Canfield was drafted, and served as a private in the Signal Corps during 1917 and 1918, the last two years of World War I. After the war, Canfield went to Passaic, New Jersey and became a reporter.
He became a reporter for the next four years, until 1923.
The following year he was admitted into the Washington, District of Columbia bar association. Canfield had been working under New Jersey"s Eight District Representative, George North. Seger, since 1923, and he continued to do so until 1940.
Seger died on August 26, 1940, and Canfield ran under the Republican ticket for the November 1940 elections. One of the first things Canfield did in Congress was introduce legislation for the creation of the United States Coast Guard Reserve.
The legislation passed, and the reserve component for the United States Coast Guard was formed on February 18, 1941.
Foreign his efforts to pass this legislation, Canfield is frequently referred to as "the Father of the Coast Guard Reserve." During the Congressional recess in 1944, Canfield went to help his fellow man in World World War World War II On April 22, 1945, Canfield was among the first Congressmen to visit the Holocaust concentration camps at Buchenwald. In 1948, Canfield had a close race with his future Democratic successor, Charles South. Joelson. Canfield was challenged again by Joelson in 1954, but he defeated Joelson by a 54.8%-45.1% margin.
Canfield was re-elected to represent New Jersey"s Eight District for a total of nine terms, until finally when he was not a candidate for renomination in 1960 to the 87th United States Congress.
After serving in Congress, Canfield retired to his home in Paterson, New Jersey. He served as the Director of the National Housing Conference, a public policy and affordable housing advocacy organization, and also as the Public Relations Director for the First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Paterson.
Canfield remained active in civic affairs in his community until his death on June 20, 1972 in Hawthorne, New Jersey at the age of 74. He was interred and buried at Laurel Grove Memorial Park in Totowa, New Jersey.
Canfield, a member of the Freemasons and the Rotary Club, was sworn into the 77th United States Congress on January 3, 1941.