Adlai Stevenson II
Adlai Ewing Stevenson II (February 5, 1900 – July 14, 1965) was an American politician. He ran against Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1952 and 1956 elections, but he lost both times. He was the grandson of Vice President Adlai E. Stevenson. He was also the 31st Governor of Illinois from 1949 to 1953. He became United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 1961 until his death in 1965.
Adlai E. Stevenson | |
|---|---|
 Stevenson in 1961 | |
| 31st Governor of Illinois | |
| In office January 10, 1949 – January 12, 1953 | |
| Lieutenant | Sherwood Dixon |
| Preceded by | Dwight H. Green |
| Succeeded by | William Stratton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Adlai Ewing Stevenson II February 5, 1900 Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Died | July 14, 1965 (aged 65) London, England, United Kingdom |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Ellen Borden (married 1928, divorced 1949) |
| Alma mater | Princeton University Northwestern University Law School |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Rank | Seaman Apprentice |
Early life
Stevenson was born in Los Angeles, California [1] to Lewis Stevenson and Helen Davis Stevenson. His maternal great-grandfather Jesse W. Fell was a close friend and campaign manager for Abraham Lincoln. His oldest son Adlai Stevenson III became a United States Senator from Illinois from 1970 until 1981. He grew up in Bloomington, Illinois. He studied at Bloomington High School until his junior year. After that he went at University High School in Normal, Illinois. Then he studied at Princeton University and Northwestern University Law School.
Political career
He ran for president six times, in 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, and 1960, losing the Democrat primaries to Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman and John F. Kennedy. He also lost the 1952 and 1956 elections to Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower. Stevenson was Governor of Illinois from January 10, 1949-January 12, 1953.
Personal life
He married Ellen Borden in 1928 and divorced in 1949. Stevenson is a second cousin, once removed of actor McLean Stevenson.[2] His son is former Illinois Senator Adlai Stevenson III.
After the 1952 and 1956 elections
In 1953, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[3]
In 1957 he went back to law practice. He was employed part-time by Encyclopædia Britannica.
1960 election
Stevenson tried to run for the nomination in the 1960 election. He lost to Senator John F. Kennedy. Stevenson refused to give the nomination address to John F. Kennedy. After Kennedy won the nomination, Stevenson campaigned for him.
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
| 5th United States Ambassador to the United Nations | |
| In office | |
|---|---|
| 1961-1965 | |
| President | |
| John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson | |
| Secretary-General | |
| Dag Hammarskjöld U Thant | |
| Predecessor | |
| James J. Wadsworth | |
| Successor | |
| Arthur Goldberg |
He was appointed Ambassador to the United Nations in 1961.
Stevenson's most well-known moments happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis when he gave a presentation at an emergency session of the Security Council on October 25, 1962.
Death and funeral
Stevenson suffered a heart attack on the afternoon and died later on July 14, 1965 in London of heart failure. The funeral in Bloomington, Illinois Unitarian Church was attended by President Lyndon B. Johnson and Vice President Hubert Humphrey and Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren.
Adlai Stevenson II Media
Stevenson's boyhood home in Bloomington, Illinois
Photo of Adlai E. Stevenson II, American politician, lawyer and diplomat from Illinois.
President Harry S. Truman, vice presidential nominee Alabama senator John J. Sparkman and presidential nominee Illinois governor Adlai Stevenson in the Oval Office, 1952
A poster from the 1952 campaign
Stevenson in March 1953 at U.S. Air Force 17th Bomb Wing base in Korea, joined by US ambassador to Korea Ellis O. Briggs (left), acting foreign minister of the Republic of Korea Cho Chong-Hwan (second from right) and acting prime minister Paik Too-chin (far right)
Stevenson and supporter Joe Smith leave Chicago's O'Hare Airport for four days of campaigning in the Pacific Northwest and California
Stevenson shows aerial photos of Cuban missiles to the United Nations
U.S. postage stamp in honor of Stevenson
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References
- ↑ "Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) List, City Declared Monuments" (PDF). Retrieved December 15, 2012.
- ↑ "'MASH' star McLean Stevenson dies". CNN. February 16, 1996. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
- ↑ "Book of Members, 1780–2010: Chapter S" (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
Other websites
- Adlai Stevenson Archived 2012-10-23 at the Wayback Machine at Spartacus Educational