Clair Engle
Clair Engle | |
---|---|
8th district | |
In office January 4, 1943 – August 31, 1943 | |
Preceded by | D. Jack Metzger |
Succeeded by | Louis G. Sutton |
District Attorney of Tehama County | |
In office 1934–1942 | |
Preceded by | M. J. Cheatham |
Succeeded by | Arthur H. Ludeman |
Personal details | |
Born | University of California Hastings College of the Law | September 21, 1911
Clair Engle (September 21, 1911 – July 30, 1964) was an American politician who served as a United States Senator from California from 1959 until his death in 1964. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best remembered for participating in the vote breaking the filibuster of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in the U.S. Senate while partially paralyzed and unable to speak, shortly before his death from a brain tumor.[1] Engle previously served in the California State Senate from January to August 1943 and in the U.S. House of Representatives from August 1943 until January 1959.
Early life
Engle was born in
Like his two brothers, he was active in outdoor activities and attended
elected him their student body president.In 1928, he enrolled at
Early career
Admitted to the California
In 1942, he won election to the
U.S. Representative
On August 31, 1943, Engle was elected as a
Engle was elected to a full term in 1944 and re-elected to the following six Congresses, serving until January 3, 1959. At that time, the district consisted of 18 counties in northern California, and only the district in Nevada was physically larger. Thus, Engle used his pilot's license to campaign and meet with constituents. He was dubbed the "flying congressman" and once flew solo to his home in California from the Hybla Valley Airport in Alexandria, Virginia.[4]
He was sometimes jokingly referred to as "Congressman Fireball" because of his activity, his colorful language, the location of the geologically active
In the
He sponsored several major expansions of the California Central Valley Project as well as the Saline Water Conversion Research Program, and a low-interest loan program relating to small irrigation projects. He also became known as a key supporter of the Taft–Hartley Act, which did not prevent him from being nominated by both parties when he sought re-election.[5]
U.S. Senator
Engle won election as a
Engle began his term on January 3, 1959. He worked with Senator Thomas Kuchel to pass the San Luis water project, the West Coast electric power intertie and the Point Reyes National Seashore. Engle also promoted federal public transit assistance and civil rights legislation to assist his urban constituents.[2]
However, on August 24, 1963, Senator Engle underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor, which left him partially paralyzed, forcing him to miss several Senate sessions, and he ultimately withdrew from his re-election campaign. On April 13, 1964, the gravity of Engle's health problems was evident as he attempted to introduce a resolution calling for a delay in constructing the Bodega Bay Nuclear Power Plant at Bodega Head, located in Sonoma County. He was given permission to speak, but was unable to do so; a colleague presented the resolution instead.
Engle officially ended his re-election campaign on April 28, 1964, just four days after undergoing his second brain operation in eight months. He chose not to endorse either of his Democratic challengers, California State Controller Alan Cranston or former presidential press secretary Pierre Salinger. That decision came because state Democratic leaders refused to endorse him unless he provided details concerning his health.[citation needed]
On June 10, 1964, during the roll call for the historic, successful effort to break the filibuster on what would become the Civil Rights Act of 1964, when the clerk reached "Mr. Engle", there was no reply. The tumor had robbed Engle of his ability to speak. Slowly lifting an arm, he pointed to his eye, thereby signaling his affirmative vote ("aye").[6] The cloture vote was 71–29, four votes more than the two thirds required to end the filibuster.[7] Nine days later, the Senate approved the Act itself.
Death and legacy
Engle died in Washington, D.C., a month and a half later, aged 52. He was survived by his parents, his wife and his daughter from his first marriage, Yvonne Engle Childs. The Senate Chaplain led the memorial service at
Trinity Lake, in California's Trinity County, was renamed for him, but the name Trinity Lake continued to be commonly used; eventually, the lake's original name was officially restored.[citation needed] The city of Shasta Lake named a park and community center after him.[8] His papers are held in the library at California State University, Chico.[9]
See also
- List of notable brain tumor patients
- List of United States Congress members who died in office (1950–99)
References
- ^ Fallows, James (July 24, 2017). "What John McCain Can Learn From Clair Engle". The Atlantic. Retrieved July 25, 2017.
- ^ a b c Bezis, Jason A. (August 7, 2014). "Death of Sen. Clair Engle: Half century later". Red Bluff Daily News. Archived from the original on February 15, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
- ^ a b c "Senator Clair Engle Of California Dies". New York Times. July 31, 1964. p. 1. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
- .
- ^ "Engle, Clair – UC Davis Department of Animal Science". Retrieved April 10, 2017.
- The NewsHour, Democratic Senator Johnson in Critical Condition Archived January 22, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, December 14, 2006. Retrieved December 29, 2006.
- ^ Associated Press account of June 10, 1964, as reported in 'The Oakland Tribune'
- ^ "Shasta Lake, CA - Official Website - Parks". Archived from the original on November 15, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
- ^ "Clair Engle Collection". Retrieved April 10, 2017.
External links
- California State University, Chico, Clair Engle Collection, MSS 177, Special Collections, Meriam Library, California State University, Chico. California State University, Chico, Claire Engle Collection, MSS 177, Special Collections, Meriam Library.[1][permanent dead link]
- University of California, Davis, Department of Animal Science, Memorial Book Listing Clair Engle's legislative accomplishments [2]
- Oral history interview [3]