Eldon Rudd
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2013) |
Eldon Rudd | |
|---|---|
John Bertrand Conlan | |
| Succeeded by | Jon Kyl |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 15, 1920 Camp Verde, Arizona |
| Died | February 8, 2002 (aged 81) Scottsdale, Arizona |
| Resting place | National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Arizona State College (BA) University of Arizona (JD) |
| Profession | lawyer, politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1942–1946 |
Eldon Dean Rudd (July 15, 1920 – February 8, 2002) was a U.S. Republican politician.
Early life
Rudd was born in Camp Verde, Arizona. A 1939 graduate of Clarkdale High School in Clarkdale, Arizona, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1942 and served as a fighter pilot during World War II. After his discharge in 1946, he attended Arizona State College, from which he graduated in 1947, and the University of Arizona Law School in Tucson.
Years in FBI
After a brief period in private practice, Rudd became a
When
Political career
After leaving the FBI in 1970, Rudd moved to
He defeated
Rudd was a fiscal conservative, and a member of the important Appropriations Committee for five years; he opposed the expenditure of federal taxpayer dollars for abortions.
A staunch anticommunist, Rudd was a tireless supporter of US anticommunist efforts in Central and South America, and he was the last American to visit with Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza Debayle, who was killed by Sandinista forces.
During the 1980 presidential election, Rudd, with help from FBI colleagues with access to security officials at the White House, allegedly obtained debate preparation documents prepared for President Jimmy Carter for his election debates against Republican nominee Ronald Reagan and provided the so-called "Carter debate papers" to the Reagan presidential campaign in the Debategate scandal.
Later years
Rudd retired from Congress in 1987 and took a position with the Salt River Project. Remaining active in Republican politics, he served as campaign manager for Doug Wead during Wead's unsuccessful 1992 run for Arizona's 6th congressional district.[1] Rudd died in Scottsdale, Arizona; his remains were cremated, with the ashes interred in the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona.
References
- ^ "The District Sixthis Congressional Match Was Made in Heaven". 2 September 1992.
External links
- United States Congress. "Eldon Rudd (id: R000495)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2009-02-12
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Eldon Rudd at Find a Grave
