Jacobs was a member of the United States House of Representatives for thirty years, beginning in the 1960s.

He served as an infantryman in the United States Marine Corps in the Korean War, and was a disabled combat veteran.

[7] In the 1972 Congressional election, future Indianapolis Mayor Bill Hudnut defeated Jacobs.

In 1985, Jacobs introduced a proposal to adopt "America the Beautiful" as the U.S. national anthem in place of "The Star-Spangled Banner".

He wrote legislation requiring physical bonds to exist representing the money Social Security had collected.

She served until her death in 2007, after which her grandson, André Carson, made a successful bid for her seat.