Mike Mansfield
Mike Mansfield | |
---|---|
Lyndon Johnson | |
Succeeded by | Robert Byrd |
Senate Majority Whip | |
In office January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1961 | |
Leader | Lyndon Johnson |
Preceded by | Earle Clements |
Succeeded by | Hubert Humphrey |
United States Senator from Montana | |
In office January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1977 | |
Preceded by | Zales Ecton |
Succeeded by | John Melcher |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Montana's 1st district | |
In office January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1953 | |
Preceded by | Jeannette Rankin |
Succeeded by | Lee Metcalf |
Personal details | |
Born | Michael Joseph Mansfield March 16, 1903 New York City, New York, U.S. |
Died | October 5, 2001 Washington, D.C., U.S. | (aged 98)
Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse |
Maureen Hayes
(m. 1932; died 2000) |
Children | 1 |
Education | University of Montana (BA, MA) University of California, Los Angeles |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | |
Years of service |
|
Rank |
|
Battles/wars | World War I |
Michael Joseph Mansfield (March 16, 1903 – October 5, 2001) was an American Democratic Party politician and diplomat who represented Montana in the United States House of Representatives from 1943 to 1953 and United States Senate from 1953 to 1977. As the leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus from 1961 to 1977, Mansfield was the second longest-serving party leader Senate history, after Mitch McConnell. During his tenure, he shepherded Great Society programs through the Senate.
Born in Brooklyn, Mansfield grew up in Great Falls, Montana. He lied about his age to serve in the United States Navy during World War I. After the war, he became a professor of history and political science at the University of Montana. He won election to the House of Representatives and served on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs during World War II.
In 1952, he defeated incumbent Republican Senator Zales Ecton to take a seat in the Senate. Mansfield served as Senate Majority Whip from 1957 to 1961. Mansfield ascended to Senate Majority Leader after Lyndon B. Johnson resigned from the Senate to become vice president. In the later years of the Vietnam War, he opposed escalation of American involvement and supported President Richard Nixon's plans for Vietnamization.
After retiring from the Senate, Mansfield served as
Early childhood
Mansfield was born on March 1, 1903, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. He was the son of Irish immigrants Patrick J. Mansfield and Josephine (née O'Brien) Mansfield.[2] His father struggled to support the family, having to work several different jobs, ranging from a construction worker, hotel porter, and maintenance man.[3] After Mansfield's mother died of pneumonia in 1906, his father sent Mansfield and his two sisters to live with his great-aunt and uncle in Great Falls, Montana.[4][5]
He attended local public schools, and worked in his relatives' grocery store.[2] He turned into a habitual runaway, even living at a state orphanage in Twin Bridges for half a year.[6]
Military service
At 14, Mansfield dropped out of school and lied about his age in order to enlist in the
Mansfield was a
That August, Mansfield returned to Cavite in preparation for his return to the United States and eventual discharge. On November 9, 1922, Marine Private Michael J. Mansfield was released on the completion of his enlistment. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, his character being described as "excellent" during his two years as a Marine.[citation needed]
Education
Following his return to Montana in 1922, Mansfield worked as a "mucker" and shoveled ore and other waste in the
U.S. Representative
In 1940, Mansfield ran for the Democratic nomination for the House of Representatives in Montana's 1st congressional district but was defeated by Jerry J. O'Connell, a former holder of the seat, in the primary. The general election was won by Republican Jeannette Rankin, who had previously won what was formerly an at-large seat in the House in 1916 and served until her defeat in 1920.[7] Mansfield decided to run for the seat again in the following election and won it by defeating the businessman Howard K. Hazelbaker after Rankin, who had voted against the entry of the United States into World War II, decided not to run for what would have been her third term.[9]
A new-comer to the House, who is reportedly internationalist-minded, having been professor of history and political science at Montana State University for ten years. Though a supporter of the Administration's foreign policy, he is likely to be strongly critical of the smallness of China's share of Lend-Lease, and of what he fears is the Administration's tendency to regard the Atlantic as more important than the Pacific, and of its apparent reluctance to regard the Chinese as an ally on equal footing. His strongly pro-Chinese sentiments may tend to make him somewhat anti-British on this score.
Mansfield served five terms in the House, being re-elected in 1944, 1946, 1948, and 1950. His military service and academic experience landed him a seat on the
U.S. Senator
In 1952, Mansfield was elected to the
External videos | |
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Presentation by Mansfield in the Old Senate Chamber, reflecting on his experiences in and observations about the Senate, March 24, 1998, C-SPAN |
Mansfield was critical of US involvement in Laos. On December 28, 1960, he opined that US aid to Laos had produced nothing but "chaos, discontent, armies on the loose, and a large mission of hundreds of officials in Vientiane."[10]
An early supporter of Ngo Dinh Diem, Mansfield altered his opinion on the Vietnam War after a visit to Vietnam in 1962. He reported to John F. Kennedy on December 2, 1962, that US money given to Diem's government was being squandered and that the US should avoid further involvement in Vietnam. He was thus the first American official to comment even mildly negatively on the war's condition.[11]
On September 25, 1963, Mansfield introduced Kennedy during a joint appearance with him at the Yellowstone County Fairgrounds, Kennedy expressing his appreciation afterward and adding, "I know that those of you who live in Montana know something of his character and his high standard of public service, but I am not sure that you are completely aware of what a significant role he has played in the last 3 years in passing through the United States Senate measure after measure which strengthens this country at home and abroad."[12]
Mansfield delivered a eulogy on November 24, 1963, as President Kennedy's casket lay in state in the Capitol rotunda, saying, "He gave that we might give of ourselves, that we might give to one another until there would be no room, no room at all, for the bigotry, the hatred, prejudice, and the arrogance which converged in that moment of horror to strike him down."[13]
During the Johnson administration, Mansfield, convinced that it was a blunder based on just aims, became a skeptic of US involvement in the Vietnam War. In February 1965, he lobbied against escalating aerial bombardment of North Vietnam in the aftermath of Pleiku, arguing in a letter to the president that Operation Rolling Thunder would lead to a need for "vastly strengthened... American forces."[14]
In 1964, Mansfield, as Senate Majority Leader, filed a procedural motion to have the
He hailed the new Richard Nixon administration, especially the "Nixon Doctrine" announced at Guam in 1969 that the US would honor all treaty commitments, provide a nuclear umbrella for its allies, and supply weapons and technical assistance to countries where warranted without committing American forces to local conflicts.
In turn, Nixon turned to Mansfield for advice and as his liaison with the Senate on Vietnam. Nixon began a steady withdrawal and replacement of US troops shortly after he took office in January 1969, a policy supported by Mansfield. During his first term, Nixon reduced American forces by 95%, leaving only 24,200 in late 1972; the last ones left in March 1973.
During the economic crisis of 1971, Mansfield was not afraid to reach across the aisle to help the economy:
What we're in is not a Republican recession or a Democratic recession; both parties had much to do with bringing us where we are today. But we're facing a national situation which calls for the best which all of us can produce, because we know the results will be something which we will regret.[25]
Mansfield attended the November 17, 1976, meeting between President-elect Jimmy Carter and Democratic congressional leaders in which Carter sought out support for a proposal to have the president's power to reorganize the government reinstated with potential to be vetoed by Congress.[26]
Mansfield Amendments
Two controversial amendments by Mansfield limiting military funding of research were passed by Congress.
- The Mansfield Amendment of 1969, passed as part of the fiscal year 1970 Military Authorization Act (Public Law 91-121), prohibited military funding of research that lacked a direct or apparent relationship to specific military function. Through subsequent modification the Mansfield amendment moved the Department of Defense toward the support of more short-term applied research in universities.[27] The amendment affected the military, such as research funding by the Office of Naval Research (ONR).[28]
- The Mansfield Amendment of 1973 expressly limited appropriations for defense research through the Xerox PARC. However, for that very reason, the amendment is also credited with giving birth to the contemporary computer technology industry.[30]
An earlier Mansfield Amendment, offered in 1971, called for the number of US troops stationed in Europe to be halved. On May 19, 1971, however, the Senate defeated the resolution 61–36.
U.S. ambassador to Japan
Mansfield retired from the Senate in 1976 and was appointed ambassador to
Honors
The
The Montana Democratic Party holds an annual Mansfield-Metcalf Dinner named partially in his honor.
In 1977, Mansfield received the US Senator John Heinz Award for Greatest Public Service by an Elected or Appointed Official, an award given out annually by Jefferson Awards.[36]
In 1977, he was awarded the
On January 19, 1989, Mansfield and Secretary of State
In 1999, Missoula's daily newspaper, the Missoulian, chose Mansfield as The Most Influential Montanan of the 20th Century.[40]
Death
Mansfield died at the age of 98 on October 5, 2001.[39] He was survived by his daughter, Anne Fairclough Mansfield (1939–2013),[41] and one granddaughter.
The
See also
- List of United States political appointments that crossed party lines
- Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation
Citations
- Wall Street JournalJapan Real Time. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 0-8048-1257-8.
- ^ Oberdorfer, p. 16
- ^ a b "Biography". The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation.
- ^ Oberdorfer, p. 18
- ^ a b c d "125 Montana Newsmakers: Mike Mansfield". Great Falls Tribune.
- ^ a b c d e f "Senate Leaders: Mike Mansfield, Quiet Leadership in Troubled Times". United States Senate.
- ^ a b c d e "MANSFIELD, Michael Joseph (Mike), (1903–2001)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- ^ ISBN 9780816045365.
- ^ "March 11-18, 1961". Keesing's Contemporary Archives 1961-1962. Vol. XIII. Bristol: Keesing's Publications Limited. p. 17979.
- ^ Glass, Andrew (December 2, 2013). "Mike Mansfield delivers assessment of Vietnam, Dec. 2, 1962". Politico. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
- ^ "382 - Remarks at the Yellowstone County Fairgrounds, Billings, Montana". American Presidency Project. September 25, 1963.
- ^ "Eulogies to the Late President Kennedy". John F. Kennedy Fast Facts: Eulogies for President Kennedy. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ^ Andrew J. Bacevich, Washington Rules: America's Path to Permanent War (New York: Metropolitan Books, 2010), 103.
- ^ "Recess Reading: An Occasional Feature From The Judiciary Committee: The Civil Rights Act of 1964". United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
- ^ "Senate – June 19, 1964" (PDF). Congressional Record. 110 (11). U.S. Government Printing Office: 14511. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ "Senate – March 11, 1968" (PDF). Congressional Record. 114 (5). U.S. Government Printing Office: 5992. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ "Senate – March 27, 1962" (PDF). Congressional Record. 108 (4). U.S. Government Printing Office: 5105. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ "Senate – May 26, 1965" (PDF). Congressional Record. 111 (2). U.S. Government Printing Office: 11752. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ "Senate – August 4, 1965" (PDF). Congressional Record. 111 (14). U.S. Government Printing Office: 19378. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ "Senate – August 7, 1957" (PDF). Congressional Record. 103 (10). U.S. Government Printing Office: 13900. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ "Senate – August 29, 1957" (PDF). Congressional Record. 103 (12). U.S. Government Printing Office: 16478. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ "Senate – April 8, 1960" (PDF). Congressional Record. 106 (6). U.S. Government Printing Office: 7810–7811. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
- ^ "Senate – August 30, 1967" (PDF). Congressional Record. 113 (18). U.S. Government Printing Office: 24656. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
- ^ "Economic Crisis: 1971 Year in Review, UPI.com" Archived 2009-05-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Weaver, Warren Jr. (November 18, 1976). "CARTER ASKS LEADERS OF CONGRESS TO HELP IN A REORGANIZATION". New York Times.
- ^ "Federally funded research, decisions for a decade" (PDF). Office of Technology Assessment report. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Science of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Second Congress, first session, March 20, 1991.by the United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Subcommittee on Science. Pub: Washington: U.S. G.P.O.: For sale by the Supt. of Docs., Congressional Sales Office, U.S. G.P.O., 1991. Chapter 2: The Value of Science and the Changing Research Economy, p. 61.
- .
- ^ "DARPA History". See "Mansfield Amendment of 1973" about halfway down the page.
- ISBN 9781317260790.
- ^ "United States Ambassador to Japan - Nomination of Michael J. Mansfield". American Presidency Project. April 7, 1977.
- ^ "Testimony of Ambassador to Japan-designate John V. Roos before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, July 23, 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 13, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2009.
- ^ "Mike Mansfield Quiet Leadership in Troubled Times". United States Senate. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
- ^ "The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library". Course Catalog 2006–2007. The University of Montana. Archived from the original on February 9, 2007. Retrieved March 22, 2007.
- ^ General Service Administration page on the Mike Mansfield Federal Building and United States Courthouse[permanent dead link].
- ^ National Winners | public service awards Archived November 24, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Jefferson Awards.org. Retrieved on August 16, 2013.
- ^ "Recipients | The Laetare Medal". University of Notre Dame. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ "Remarks at the Presentation Ceremony for the Presidential Medal of Freedom: January 19, 1989". The American Presidency Project. January 19, 1989. Archived from the original on November 16, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2017.
- ^ Mansfield Foundation. May 17, 2007.
- ^ Doherty, Steve (1999). "Special for Missoulian Online - The 100 Most Influential Montanans of the Century". Missoulian. Archived from the original on March 3, 2001. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
- ^ ANNE F. MANSFIELD Obituary: View ANNE MANSFIELD's Obituary by The Washington Post. Legacy.com (April 24, 2013). Retrieved on 2013-08-16.
General references
- Oberdorfer, Don (2003). Senator Mansfield: The Extraordinary Life of a Great American Statesman and Diplomat. Soho Press. ISBN 1-58834-166-6.
- Olson, Gregory A. (1995). 'Mansfield and Vietnam, a Study in Rhetorical Adaptation. Michigan State University Press. online
- Valeo, Francis R. (1999). Mike Mansfield, Majority Leader: A Different Kind of Senate, 1961–1976. New York: M. E. Sharpe. ISBN 0-7656-0450-7. online
- Whalen, Charles and Barbara (1985). The Longest Debate: A Legislative History of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Cabin John, Maryland: Seven Locks Press. ISBN 9780932020345.
Web
- "The Honorable Michael J. Mansfield". Who's Who in Marine Corps History. History Division, United States Marine Corps. Archived from the original on April 29, 2007. Retrieved April 22, 2006.
- Thorne, Christopher (October 11, 2001). "Laid to Rest, A Tribute to Mike Mansfield". Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 14, 2004. Retrieved July 19, 2006.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Marine Corps.
External links
- Arlington National Cemetery
- The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation, US-Asia relations
- The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center at the University of Montana
- United States Congress. "Mike Mansfield (id: m000113)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Legislative Summary: Statement by Senator Mike Mansfield Archived December 24, 2013, at the John F. Kennedy Library, 1964
- Remarks at the Presentation Ceremony for the Presidential Medal of Freedom – January 19, 1989 Archived November 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- Mike Mansfield Papers (University of Montana Archives)
- Mansfield's America Oral History Project (University of Montana Archives)
- Don Oberdorfer Interviews with Mike Mansfield Oral History Project (University of Montana Archives)
- A film clip "Longines Chronoscope with Michael Mike Mansfield" is available for viewing at the Internet Archive
- Appearances on C-SPAN