Phil Crane
This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2014) |
Phil Crane | |
---|---|
Chair of the Republican Study Committee | |
In office 1973–1989 | |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Dan Burton |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois | |
In office November 25, 1969 – January 3, 2005 | |
Preceded by | Donald Rumsfeld |
Succeeded by | Melissa Bean |
Constituency | 13th district (1969–1973) 12th district (1973–1993) 8th district (1993–2005) |
Personal details | |
Born | Philip Miller Crane November 3, 1930 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Died | November 8, 2014 Jefferson, Maryland, U.S. | (aged 84)
Cause of death | Lung cancer |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Arlene Johnson |
Children | 7 |
Relatives | Dan Crane (brother) |
Education | DePauw University University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Hillsdale College (BA) Indiana University, Bloomington (MA, PhD) |
Philip Miller Crane (November 3, 1930 – November 8, 2014) was an American politician. He was a
Early life
Crane was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Cora Ellen (née Miller) and George Washington Crane III, a physician and college professor.[1][2]
He was educated at Hillsdale College,[3] the University of Vienna, and Indiana University, where he received a PhD in history in 1961.[4] Crane served in the United States Army.[5] He also attended DePauw University[6] and the University of Michigan.[7]
Crane was a faculty member at Indiana University and at
Political career
This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2016) |
Crane was first elected to the
He soon established himself as one of the House's most
Soon after being elected to his first full term in 1970, he was tapped by several conservative activists, including Paul Weyrich, to form a group of conservative congressmen to keep watch on the Republican leadership, which at the time was seen as too moderate. This new group was known as the Republican Study Committee,[11] and Crane served as its first chairman.[12] He remained a member of the group for the remainder of his time in Congress.
In 1970, Crane visited the South Vietnamese prison at Côn Sơn Island, and stated that the "tiger cages" were "cleaner than the average Vietnamese home."[13][14]
In 1974, Crane helped initiate the only public and filmed audit of the United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox in Kentucky. This experience was shared by 12 congressmen and 100 journalists,[15] and hosted by Mary Brooks, then director of the United States Mint.
In 1976, he was appointed Chairman of the Illinois Citizens for Reagan,[16] in which capacity he made numerous speaking engagements throughout the midwest on behalf of the conservative California governor's unsuccessful GOP primary bid for the Presidential nomination.
From 1977 to 1979, Crane was the chairman of the
1980 presidential campaign
In 1978, shortly before the
Political eclipse
After the 1980 campaign, Crane's influence rapidly declined. Newt Gingrich, who had been elected to Congress soon after Crane announced his candidacy for president, soon surpassed him as the leading conservative firebrand in the House. By the time the Republicans took control of the House in 1994, Crane was widely seen as a "foot soldier" for Republican causes.
Crane did have some influence as a member of the
Crane is also noted for the role he played in ending the
Political defeat
In 2002, Crane's Democratic opponent, business consultant Melissa Bean, accused Crane of being out of touch with his constituents. Indeed, even some Republican voters claimed they had not seen him in decades. He was one of the few congressmen whose Washington office lacked a public email address. Despite being dramatically outspent (she received almost no funding from the national party), Bean surprised both parties by garnering 43 percent of the vote.[23] It was only the second time that Crane had been held below 60 percent of the vote.
Bean sought a rematch in the
The Almanac of American Politics described Crane as "an unusually bitter loser, refusing to speak to Bean or to arrange for the usually routine post-election transfer of district cases and other office files."[24]
Death
Crane died of lung cancer at the home of his daughter, Rebekah, in Jefferson, Maryland, on November 8, 2014, five days after his 84th birthday.[18][25][26]
In popular culture
Crane is portrayed by actor James Marsden in the 2020 television miniseries Mrs. America, which aired on the Hulu Network.[27]
References
- ^ "Crusader Crane He Was Conservative Before It Was Popular. Now The Message Is Hot, But The Congressman Isn't". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. July 2, 1995. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
- ^ "Cora E.M. Crane obituary". NYTimes.com. November 1, 1981. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
- ^ "Hillsdale College Remembers Phillip M. Crane - Hillsdale College". www.hillsdale.edu. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ^ a b c "DAVID KEENE: Phil Crane, a positive force of modern conservatism". The Washington Times. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ^ a b Clymer, Adam (November 9, 2014). "Philip M. Crane, Former Illinois Congressman and Conservative Leader, Dies at 84". The New York Times. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
- ^ "Phil Crane – U.S. Congress Votes Database – The Washington Post". Projects.washingtonpost.com. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
- ^ "CRANE, Philip Miller – Biographical Information". Bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
- Washington Times. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- ^ a b Langer, Emily (November 10, 2014). "Philip M. Crane, Stalwart Illinois Republican and 1980 Presidential Candidate, Dies at 84". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 20, 2016.
- ^ Loven, Jennifer (August 15, 2000). "Friends helped U.S. Rep. Crane tackle alcoholism". Associated Press. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
- ^ a b "Bitter end to 35-year career". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- ^ Zawislak, Mick. "Crane remembered as conservative pioneer". Daily Herald. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- ISBN 978-1-4516-0626-3.
- ^ "Raps Viet Prison Critics". Chicago Tribune. July 24, 1970. Retrieved October 7, 2016.
- ^ "Right to own gold due to Phil Crane | Numismatic News". www.numismaticnews.net. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ^ ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
- ^ "Remembering Former ACU Chairman Phil Crane | American Conservative Union". American Conservative Union. American Conservative Union. November 12, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ a b Adam Clymer (November 9, 2014). "Philip M. Crane, Former Illinois Congressman and Conservative Leader, Dies at 84". New York Times. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ^ Abramson, Jill (October 26, 1998). "POLITICAL PARTIES CHANNEL MILLIONS TO 'ISSUE' ATTACKS". The New York Times. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
- ^ "Congressional Record". www.congress.gov. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
- ^ "Crane Rehabilitation May Help Gavel Bid". Morerevealed.com. March 23, 2000. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
- ^ "Singapore to partly lift gum ban". BBC News. March 15, 2004. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
- ^ "GOP fears party woes may be getting to Crane". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved July 29, 2018.
- ^ Michael Barone and Richard E. Cohen, The Almanac of American Politics, 2006 Edition, Washington, D.C.: National Journal, 2005, pp. 580–81[ISBN missing]
- ^ George Slefo (November 9, 2014). "Former Congressman Phil Crane dies at 84". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
- ^ Shafer, Jack (November 9, 2014). "Longtime Rep. Phil Crane dies at 84 – Associated Press". Politico.com. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
- ^ "Who is Phil Crane, the Republican representative played by James Marsden in Mrs. America?". April 19, 2020.
External links
- United States Congress. "Phil Crane (id: C000873)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Phillip Miller Crane at Find a Grave