Born in Marysville, Washington in 1927, Jack Metcalf served in the US military and as a boat skipper with the Fish and Wildlife Service during the 1940s. He graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a BA and BEd. in 1951, and later pursued graduate studies in history and economics, earning an MA at the University of Washington in 1966. Metcalf worked as a high school math and history teacher in Everett, Washington for nearly thirty years.

Metcalf began his political career in state government, serving as a Republican member of the Washington State House of Representatives (1961-1964) and later the Washington State Senate (1967-1975 and 1981-1993), where he chaired the Senate Environmental and Natural Resources Committee between 1988 and 1992. In 1994, as the Republican Party gained control of the U.S. House of Representatives, Metcalf was elected representative for Washington State's 2nd Congressional District.

Often described as a political conservative, Metcalf was concerned with a wide range of legislative issues. He served as a member of the House Banking, Transportation and Infrastructure, and Science Committees, and on subcommittees for Ground Transportation, Aviation, Financial Institutions and International Monetary Policy. As a politician and legislator, Metcalf focused much of his attention on regionally significant issues including Puget Sound transportation development, natural resource and fisheries management, and environmental protection. In 1997, Metcalf and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-Washington) established the Northwest Straits Advisory Commission, a bipartisan body intended to conserve marine life in Northwest Washington. Metcalf also led an unsuccessful challenge to the resumption of whaling by the Makah Indian Tribe in Neah Bay, Washington.

A long-time advocate for the US military and military personnel, Metcalf pursued investigations into the origins of Gulf War Illnesses, sought funding to assist military families in Washington State, and in 1997 introduced the Robert Stodola Veterans Assistance Act to increase funding for homeless veterans’ programs. As chair of the Republican Housing Opportunity Caucus, Metcalf supported the Low Income Housing Tax credit program to encourage development of affordable homes.

An outspoken supporter of congressional term limits, Metcalf retired from the House of Representatives in 2000 after serving three terms. He resided in Langley on Whidbey Island, Washington until his death in March of 2007.