Robinson, Joseph Taylor, 1872-1937

Joseph T. Robinson
The "Fightingest" Man in the U.S. Senate

He never lost a battle. From schoolyard fights to clashes in the Senate, Joseph T. Robinson defeated all challengers. In the end, it was not a person, but a bill that struck down the first Democratic Senate majority leader Robinson had a fatal heart attack during his campaign to pass President Franklin Roosevelt's controversial "court packing" plan in 1937. Colleagues from both parties mourned his passing, while newspaper editorials recalled two distinctive men: the respected senator, who swayed recalcitrant members with intelligence and good humor, and the effective autocrat, who bossed the Senate through sheer intimidation.

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