McCarthy, Eugene J., 1916-2005

Educator, U.S. representative from Minnesota, U.S. senator from Minnesota, and author.

From the description of Papers of Eugene J. McCarthy, 1960. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 71064286

Eugene J. McCarthy served as a U.S. Congress member (Democratic Farmer-Labor) from Minnesota's fourth district (1949-1958) and as U.S. senator from Minnesota (1959-1970).

He sought the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in 1968 against Lyndon B. Johnson on an anti-Vietnam war platform. His strong showing caused Lyndon B. Johnson to drop out, but he eventually lost the nomination to Hubert Humphrey. McCarthy ran in 1972 as a Democrat and again in 1976 as an Independent candidate, and in 1992 as a Democrat.

McCarthy was a founder of the Democratic Study Group.

McCarthy was a member, among others, of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; the Senate Committee on Finance; the Agriculture; Forestry; Public Works; Ways and Means; Standards and Conduct Committees, and the Democratic Steering Committee.

A poet and writer, Eugene J. McCarthy was the author of several literary works, poems, and books on politics.

• 1916: Born in Watkins, Meeker County, Minnesota on March 29.
• 1935: Graduated from St. John's University in Collegeville.
• 1935 - 1940 : Taught in the public high schools of Minnesota and North Dakota.
• 1938: Received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota.
• 1940 - 1943 : Professor of economics and education at St. Johns University.
• 1944: Civilian technical assistant in the Military Intelligence Division of the War Department.
• 1946 - 1949 : Instructor in sociology and economics at St. Thomas College, St. Paul, Minnesota.
• 1948: Elected to Congress, representing Minnesota's Fourth District.
• 1949 - 1951 : Member of the Post Office and Civil Service Committee.
• 1951 - 1953 : Member of the Agriculture Committee.
• 1953 - 1955 : Member of the Banking and Currency Committee.
• 1953 - 1955 : Member of the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee.
• 1955 - 1959 : Member of the Ways and Means Committee.
• 1958: Elected to United States Senate, representing Minnesota.
• 1959 - 1971 : Member of the Finance Committee.
• 1959 - 1960 : Member of the Public Works Committee.
• 1959 - 1960 : Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Unemployment Problems.
• 1961 - 1965 : Member of the Agriculture Committee.
• 1964: Meets with Che Guevara in New York City to discuss U.S. relations with Cuba.
• 1965: Co-sponsored Immigration Act of 1965 with Ted Kennedy.
• 1965 - 1969 : Member of the Foreign Relations Committee.
• 1967: Announces candidacy for Democratic nomination for President of the United States on an anti-Vietnam war platform, a direct challenge to incumbent Lyndon B. Johnson.
• 1968: Campaigns for President of the United States. A strong initial showing in the primaries causes Lyndon B. Johnson to drop out of the race, but eventually McCarthy loses the Democratic nomination.
• 1969 - 1971 : Member of the Government Operations Committee.
• 1970: Announces he will not run for reelection to the U.S. Senate.
• 1971: Ends service as a U.S. senator January 3.
• 1971: Becomes senior editor at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Publishing and a syndicated newspaper columnist.
• 1972: Becomes candidate for Democratic nomination for President of the United States but fares poorly in the New Hampshire primary and soon drops out.
• 1976: Runs for President of the United States as an Independent Candidate, helping lay the groundwork for future third party candidates.
• 1992: Unsuccessful candidate for President of the United States.
• 2005: Died on December 10.

From the guide to the Eugene J. McCarthy papers., 1943-2000., (Minnesota Historical Society)