Everett Dirksen
Everett McKinley Dirksen (January 4, 1896 – September 7, 1969) was an American politician. He represented Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives (1933–1949) and U.S. Senate (1951–1969).
Everett Dirksen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator from Illinois | |
| In office January 3, 1951 – September 7, 1969 | |
| Preceded by | Scott W. Lucas |
| Succeeded by | Ralph Tyler Smith |
| Senate Minority Leader | |
| In office January 3, 1959 – September 7, 1969 | |
| Deputy | Thomas Kuchel Hugh D. Scott, Jr. (whips) |
| Preceded by | William F. Knowland |
| Succeeded by | Hugh D. Scott, Jr. |
| Senate Minority Whip | |
| In office January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1959 | |
| Leader | William F. Knowland |
| Preceded by | Leverett Saltonstall |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Kuchel |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 16th district | |
| In office March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1949 | |
| Preceded by | William E. Hull |
| Succeeded by | Leo E. Allen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Everett McKinley Dirksen January 4, 1896 Pekin, Illinois |
| Died | September 7, 1969 (aged 73) Walter Reed General Hospital Washington, D.C. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Louella Carver Dirksen |
| Alma mater | University of Minnesota Law School |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1918-1919 |
| Rank | Second Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
As Senate Minority Leader for ten years, he was very important in the politics during the 1960s. Some things he did was to help passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Open Housing Act of 1968, both landmarks of civil rights legislation.
He was also one of the Senate's strongest supporters of the Vietnam War and was known as "The Wizard of Ooze" for his oratorical style. Dirksen was a freemason.[1]
Dirksen died on September 7, 1969 in Washington, D.C. from cardiopulmonary arrest caused by lung cancer-related bronchopneumonia, aged 73.
Everett Dirksen Media
Senators Mike Mansfield (left) and Dirksen conversing in 1967.
Dirksen with President Richard Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew on January 20, 1969.
Statue of Senator Dirksen on the grounds of the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. A duplicate is located in Mineral Springs Park in his hometown of Pekin, Illinois.
President Richard Nixon paying his last tributes to Senator Dirksen in 1969.
References
- ↑ Famous Masons. MWGLNY. January 2014. http://www.nymasons.org/about-freemasonry/famous-masons-i.html. Retrieved 2014-02-01.
Other websites
Media related to Everett Dirksen at Wikimedia Commons
Quotations related to Everett Dirksen at Wikiquote
- Stan Mendenhall, "Everett Dirksen and the 1964 Civil Rights Act." Archived 2006-09-03 at the Wayback Machine
- Abstract of Byron C. Hulsey, Everett Dirksen and His Presidents: how a Senate giant shaped American politics U. Kansas, 2000. Archived 2003-08-16 at the Wayback Machine
- The Dirksen Congressional Research Center
- IMDB profile
- "Everett Dirksen". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- Dirksen Primary School, Pekin, IL Archived 2009-06-17 at the Wayback Machine
- Dirksen Junior High School, Joliet, IL Archived 2004-12-12 at the Wayback Machine
- Complete transcript and audio of Everett Dirksen's RNC Nomination of Barry Goldwater
- Oral History Interviews with Everett Dirksen, from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library Archived 2010-06-11 at the Wayback Machine
Template:US Senate Minority Whips
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