Tydings, Millard E. (Millard Evelyn), 1890-1961

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United States Senator, military officer, lawyer, and state legislator.

Senator Tydings was best known for his efforts to counter Joseph McCarthy and for his involvement in the rehabilitation and independence of the Philippine Islands.

From the description of Papers of Millard E. Tydings, 1881-1962. (University of Maryland Libraries). WorldCat record id: 19783805

Millard Evelyn Tydings was born in Havre de Grace, Maryland, on April 6, 1890, the son of Millard F. and Mary B. (O'Neill) Tydings. He graduated early from high school and went on to the Maryland Agricultural College (later the University of Maryland) where he was well known for his debating skills. He earned his B. S. in Engineering in 1910, and then received his law degree from the University of Maryland law school in 1913. He was again affiliated with the university years later, as a member of the Board of Regents from 1946 to 1951.

Tydings was admitted to the Maryland bar immediately after receiving his law degree in 1913 and practiced for two years before his election to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1915. In 1916, Tydings enlisted as a private in the Army and served overseas in the 29th Division, later commanding the 111th Machine Gun Battalion. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal and a 29th Division Citation for Gallantry. Tydings returned from the war with the rank of lieutenant colonel and was named Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates. He served in that capacity from 1919 to 1921. He then served in the Maryland Senate until 1923, when he was elected to the U. S. House of Representatives. Four years later Tydings was elected to the U. S. Senate, where he served continuously until 1951.

During these twenty-four years, he became a so-called "Titan" in the Senate. As a conservative Democrat, Tydings achieved prominence through his willingness to engage major figures on the national scene, from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Joseph McCarthy, in debate and controversy.

Tydings' years in the Senate were also marked by strong opinions, controversy, and confrontations with several powerful figures. In the wake of war he sponsored a bill calling for world disarmament. In 1930, he published Before and After Prohibition, an account of the failure of prohibition and his recommendations for liquor control. Counter-Attack, in which Tydings enumerated his views on the Depression, its international causes and curses, was published three years later. In strong opposition to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's economic strategy and deficit spending, Tydings proposed a constitutional amendment mandating a balanced budget. He also opposed Roosevelt's attempts at court-packing (reorganization of the federal judiciary) in 1937 and 1938. Tydings' most valuable and remembered contributions, however, came out of his participation on and chairmanship of various committees, including the committees on Foreign Affairs and Relations, Armed Services, and Territorial and Insular Possessions. As a member of the latter committee, Tydings was intimately involved in Philippine affairs and co-authored the 1934 Tydings-McDuffie Act that called for Philippine independence. And when Senator Joseph McCarthy's charges of Communist infiltration of the State Department became the responsibility of the Committee on Foreign Relations, Tydings chaired the investigating subcommittee. His behavior and position as a member of this committee both proved Tydings' worth as a leader and conscientious politician and cost him his Senate seat in the 1950 election.

Even before McCarthy arrived on the scene, Maryland had a long history of anti-Communism and had the strongest loyalty oath in the nation on its law books. Tydings' moderate approach to the McCarthy hearings and his refusal to give in to popular hysteria alienated him from many of his Maryland constituents. The 1950 Senatorial election in Maryland involved a smear campaign against Tydings. A post-election investigation revealed that McCarthy had played a role in funding opposition to Tydings and had helped to lead to his defeat.

After his retirement from the Senate, Tydings returned to membership and practice in a law firm. He ran once more for political office in 1956 but was forced to withdraw from the race due to ill health. On February 9, 1961, he died at his home, "Oakington," near Havre de Grace, Maryland. He was survived by his wife, Eleanor Davies Cheesborough Tydings, whom he married in 1935, and his adopted son, the future Senator Joseph D. Tydings.

From the guide to the Millard E. Tydings papers, 1881-1962, 1918-1956, (State of Maryland and Historical Collections)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Byrd, Harry Clifton, 1889-1970. Papers of Harry Clifton Byrd, 1895-1970. University of Maryland (College Park, Md.). Libraries
referencedIn Parsons, Charles, 1889-. Charles Parsons papers, 1880-1965 (inclusive). Yale University Library
creatorOf Johnson, Louis Arthur, 1891-1966. Papers of Louis Arthur Johnson [manuscript] 1930-64. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Oswald Garrison Villard papers Houghton Library
referencedIn Scott Millross Buchanan papers, 1911-1972. Houghton Library
referencedIn John S. Service papers, 1925-1999 Bancroft Library
referencedIn Hench, Philip S., 1896-1965. Philip S. Hench Walter Reed Yellow Fever Collection, 1806-1995, bulk 1863-1974 Historical Collections, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia
referencedIn Morris S. Lazaron papers, 1851-1979 (bulk 1930-1950) The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives
referencedIn University of Maryland Print File photographs, 1888-1976 and undated (majority circa 1890-1969) University of Maryland (College Park, Md.). Libraries
referencedIn Murphy, Frank, 1890-1949. Papers, 1908-1949 Bentley Historical Library
creatorOf Tydings, Millard E. (Millard Evelyn), 1890-1961. Papers of Millard E. Tydings, 1881-1962. University of Maryland (College Park, Md.). Libraries
referencedIn Bamford, Ronald, 1901-1981. Ronald Bamford Papers, 1926-1967 (bulk 1927-1930) University of Maryland (College Park, Md.). Libraries
referencedIn Raskob, John J. (John Jakob), 1879-1950. Democratic National Committee papers, 1928-1938. Hagley Museum & Library
referencedIn Arthur E. Scott photograph collection George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections & Archives
referencedIn Evjue, William Theodore, 1882-1970. Papers, ca. 1880-1969. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
creatorOf Byrd, Harry Flood, 1887-1966. Papers of Harry Flood Byrd [manuscript] 1911-65. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Parsons, Charles, 1889-. Charles Parsons papers, 1880-1965 (inclusive). Yale University Library
referencedIn Joseph Edward Davies Papers, 1860-1958, (bulk 1912-1958) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Stewart, Mary W., 1857-1946. Papers of Mary W. Stewart, 1902-1941. University of Maryland (College Park, Md.). Libraries
referencedIn Key Pittman Papers, 1898-1951, (bulk 1912-1940) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Rayburn, Sam, 1882-1961, Papers, 1822, 1831, 1845, 1903-2007 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn Du Pont, Irénée, 1876-1963. Papers, 1784-1957. Hagley Museum & Library
referencedIn Lewis, David J. (David John), 1869-1952. Papers, 1905-1949. Duke University Libraries, Duke University Library; Perkins Library
referencedIn Lovejoy, Arthur O. (Arthur Oncken), 1873-1962. Arthur O. Lovejoy papers, 1872-1963. Johns Hopkins University, Sheridan Libraries and the Milton S. Eisenhower Library
referencedIn Gannett, Lewis, 1891-1966. Papers, 1681-1966 (bulk 1900-1960) Houghton Library
creatorOf Byrd, Harry Clifton, 1889-1970. Papers of Harry Clifton Byrd, 1895-1970. University of Maryland (College Park, Md.). Libraries
referencedIn Papers of Drew Pearson. Files from the Merry-Go-Round Farm, 1919-1969 Lyndon Baines Johnson Library
referencedIn John S. Service papers, 1925-1999 Bancroft Library
referencedIn Philippine independence, 1933-1946. Arizona State University Libraries
referencedIn Charles Parsons papers, 1880-1965 Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
creatorOf Naomi Duff Smith papers, 1928-1859, null University of Maryland (College Park, Md.). Libraries
referencedIn Stewart, Mary W., 1857-1946. Papers of Mary W. Stewart, 1902-1941. University of Maryland (College Park, Md.). Libraries
creatorOf Tydings, Millard E. (Millard Evelyn), 1890-1961. Papers of Millard E. Tydings, 1881-1962. University of Maryland (College Park, Md.). Libraries
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Papers of Drew Pearson. 1915 - 1969. Files from the Georgetown Office and Residence Lyndon Baines Johnson Library
Relation Name
associatedWith Acheson, Dean, 1893-1971. person
associatedWith Arthur E. Scott, 1917-1976 person
associatedWith Bamford, Ronald, 1901- person
associatedWith Benton, William, 1900-1973. person
associatedWith Buchanan, Scott Millross, 1895-1968 person
associatedWith Byrd, Harry Clifton, 1889-1970. person
associatedWith Byrd, Harry Flood, 1887-1966. person
associatedWith Carter, Henry Rose, 1852-1925 person
correspondedWith Davies, Joseph Edward. person
associatedWith Du Pont, Irénée, 1876-1963. person
associatedWith Evjue, William Theodore, 1882-1970. person
correspondedWith Gannett, Lewis, 1891-1966 person
associatedWith Hench, Philip S. (Philip Showalter), 1896-1965 person
associatedWith Hoover, J. Edgar (John Edgar), 1895-1972. person
associatedWith Hull, Cordell, 1871-1955. person
associatedWith Johnson, Louis Arthur, 1891-1966. person
associatedWith Kean, Jefferson Randolph, 1860-1950 person
associatedWith Kefauver, Estes, 1903-1963. person
correspondedWith Lazaron, Morris Samuel person
associatedWith Lazear, Jesse William, 1866-1900 person
associatedWith Lewis, David J. (David John), 1869-1952. person
associatedWith Lewis, Fulton, 1903-1966. person
associatedWith Lovejoy, Arthur O. (Arthur Oncken), 1873-1962. person
associatedWith McCarthy, Joseph, 1908-1957. person
associatedWith Murphy, Frank, 1890-1949 person
associatedWith Parsons, Charles, 1889- person
associatedWith Pittman, Key, 1872-1940. person
associatedWith Raskob, John J. (John Jakob), 1879-1950. person
associatedWith Rayburn, Sam, 1882-1961 person
associatedWith Reed, Walter, 1851-1902 person
associatedWith Scott, Arthur E., 1917-1976. person
associatedWith Service, John S. (John Stewart), 1909-1999. person
associatedWith Smith, Naomi Duff. person
associatedWith Stevenson, Adlai E. (Adlai Ewing), 1835-1914. person
correspondedWith Stewart, Mary W., 1857-1946. person
associatedWith Symington, Stuart, 1901-1988. person
associatedWith Truman, Harry S., 1884-1972. person
associatedWith United States. Army corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Congress. Senate corporateBody
correspondedWith Villard, Oswald Garrison, 1872-1949 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Philippines
Maryland
Maryland
Philippines
Subject
Occupation
Activity

Person

Birth 1890-04-06

Death 1961-02-09

English

Information

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