Henry Dworshak (original) (raw)

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Member of US Congress (1894–1962)

Henry Dworshak
Dworshak in 1950
United States Senatorfrom Idaho
In officeOctober 14, 1949 – July 23, 1962
Preceded by Bert Miller
Succeeded by Len Jordan
In officeNovember 6, 1946 – January 3, 1949
Preceded by Charles Gossett
Succeeded by Bert Miller
Member of the U.S. House of Representativesfrom Idaho's 2nd district
In officeJanuary 3, 1939 – November 6, 1946
Preceded by D. Worth Clark
Succeeded by John C. Sanborn
Personal details
Born Henry Clarence Dworshak Jr.(1894-08-29)August 29, 1894Duluth, Minnesota, U.S.
Died July 23, 1962(1962-07-23) (aged 67)Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting place Arlington National Cemetery
Political party Republican
Spouse Georgia B. Lowe ​(m. 1917)​
Children 4
Residence Burley, Idaho
Occupation Publisher
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service U.S. Army
Rank Sergeant
Unit 4th AntiaircraftMachine Gun Battalion
Battles/wars World War I

Henry Clarence Dworshak Jr. (August 29, 1894 – July 23, 1962) was a United States senator and congressman from Idaho. Originally from Minnesota, he was a Republican from Burley, and served over 22 years in the House and Senate.

Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Dworshak attended its local public schools and learned the printer's trade. During the First World War, he served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army Fourth Antiaircraft Machine Gun Battalion in the American Expeditionary Forces. After the war, Dworshak managed a printing supply business in Duluth.

He moved west in 1924 to Burley, Idaho, to become the publisher and editor of the Burley Bulletin, a semi-weekly newspaper in Cassia County.[1][2] Dworshak became a public figure when he was elected president of the Idaho Editorial Association in 1931, and he was a prominent member of the American Legion and Rotary International. He was also a member of the Elks and a freemason.[2][3][4]

Dworshak ran for Congress in 1936 in Idaho's 2nd district,[4] but lost to incumbent D. Worth Clark. Two years later, in 1938, Clark ran for U.S. senator and won, and Dworshak won the open House seat. He was re-elected in 1940, 1942, and 1944.[1]

U.S. House elections (Idaho's 2nd district): Results 1936–1944 | Year | | Democrat | Votes | Pct | | Republican | Votes | Pct | | ---- | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------ | ----- | | ------------------------- | ------ | ----- | | 1936 | | D. Worth Clark (inc.) | 67,238 | 60.5% | | Henry Dworshak | 43,834 | 39.5% | | 1938 | | Bert H. Miller | 47,199 | 46.4% | | Henry Dworshak | 54,527 | 53.6% | | 1940 | | Ira Masters | 61,726 | 46.9% | | Henry Dworshak (inc.) | 69,804 | 53.1% | | 1942 | | Ira Masters | 37,815 | 45.2% | | Henry Dworshak (inc.) | 45,805 | 54.8% | | 1944 | | Phil J. Evans | 56,249 | 47.7% | | Henry Dworshak (inc.) | 61,751 | 52.3% |

Republican senator John Thomas died in office in November 1945, and Democratic governor Charles C. Gossett resigned to accept an appointment (by his successor) to fill the seat. Gossett failed to secure the nomination for the special election; Dworshak defeated state senator George Donart in the November 1946 election to complete the term. Two years later, Dworshak was defeated for a full term in the 1948 general election by state supreme court justice Bert H. Miller, a former state attorney general; he had defeated Miller ten years earlier.

Miller died of a heart attack in October 1949 after only nine months in office, and Dworshak was appointed his successor by Republican governor C. A. Robins.[3] Dworshak won a special election in 1950, and was elected to full Senate terms in 1954 and 1960. A staunch isolationist like William Borah, Dworshak stood unwavering against overseas intervention, especially in U.S. affairs.[1] Dworshak voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,[5][6][7] but did not vote on the Civil Rights Act of 1960.[8]

U.S. Senate elections in Idaho (Class II): Results 1946–1960 | Year | | Democrat | Votes | Pct | | Republican | Votes | Pct | | ---- | | --------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- | ----- | | -------------------------- | ------- | ----- | | 1946 | | George Donart | 74,629 | 41.4% | | Henry Dworshak | 105,523 | 58.6% | | 1948 | | Bert H. Miller | 107,000 | 50.7% | | Henry Dworshak (inc.) | 103,868 | 49.3% | | 1950 | | Claude J. Burtenshaw | 97,092 | 48.1% | | Henry Dworshak (inc.^) | 104,608 | 51.9% | | 1954 | | Glen H. Taylor | 84,139 | 37.2% | | Henry Dworshak (inc.) | 142,269 | 62.8% | | 1960 | | R.L. "Bob" McLaughlin | 139,448 | 47.7% | | Henry Dworshak (inc.) | 152,648 | 52.3% |

Source:[9] ^Dworshak was appointed to the vacant seat in November 1946 and October 1949

Dworshak died in office of a heart attack on July 23, 1962, at his home in Washington, D.C.,[1] and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery.[2][10] His obituary described him as "...a staunchly conservative voice on Capitol Hill..."[2][11] He was succeeded by former governor Len B. Jordan, who served until January 1973.

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

  1. ^ a b c d "Idaho's Dworshak claimed by death". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. July 24, 1962. p. 2.
  2. ^ a b c d Witti, Fritz (July 27, 1962). "Sen. Dworshak buried at National Cemetery". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Associated Press. p. 1.
  3. ^ a b "Dworshak is selected new Idaho senator". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. October 14, 1949. p. 1.
  4. ^ a b "Clark-Dworshak in race for Congress". Lewiston Morning Tribune. October 21, 1936. p. 8.
  5. ^ "Senate – August 7, 1957" (PDF). Congressional Record. 103 (10). U.S. Government Printing Office: 13900. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  6. ^ "Senate – August 29, 1957" (PDF). Congressional Record. 103 (12). U.S. Government Printing Office: 16478. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  7. ^ "Senate – March 27, 1962" (PDF). Congressional Record. 108 (4). U.S. Government Printing Office: 5105. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  8. ^ "Senate – April 8, 1960" (PDF). Congressional Record. 106 (6). U.S. Government Printing Office: 7810–7811. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  9. ^ "Office of the Clerk: Election statistics". U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved March 9, 2013.
  10. ^ Burial Detail: Dworshak, Henry C – ANC Explorer
  11. ^ "Senator Dworshak Dies in Capital". Virgin Islands Daily News. July 26, 1962.
  12. ^ "Dworshak Elementary School". Cassia County School District #151. Archived from the original on December 8, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded byD. Worth Clark United States House of Representatives, Idaho Second Congressional District January 3, 1939–November 6, 1946 Succeeded byJohn C. Sanborn
Party political offices
Preceded byJohn Thomas Republican Party nominee, U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Idaho 1946 special (won), 1948 (lost), 1950 special (won), 1954 (won), 1960 (won) Succeeded byLen Jordan
U.S. Senate
Preceded byCharles C. Gossett U.S. senator (Class 2) from Idaho November 6, 1946–January 3, 1949 Served alongside: Glen H. Taylor Succeeded byBert H. Miller
Preceded byBert Miller U.S. senator (Class 2) from Idaho October 14, 1949–July 23, 1962 Served alongside: Glen Taylor, Herman Welker, Frank Church Succeeded byLen Jordan