Yates, Sidney Richard, 1909-2000

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Sidney Richard Yates (August 27, 1909 – October 5, 2000) was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the U.S. Representative from Illinois's 9th congressional district from 1949 to 1963 and again from 1965 to 1999.

A native of Chicago, he graduated from Lake View High School there in 1928. Yates received bachelor's (1931) and law (1933) degrees from the University of Chicago, was admitted to the bar, and practiced law in Chicago. In addition to working as an attorney, Yates also played semiprofessional basketball in the 1930s. He gained his initial experience in government as an attorney for the state bank receiver from 1935 to 1937 and an assistant state attorney general specializing in traction railroads for the Illinois Commerce Commission from 1937 to 1940. During World War II, Yates served in the United States Navy for two years, from 1944 to 1946, as an attorney based in Washington, D.C.

In 1948, Yates was elected to Congress from Illinois's 9th district, and he served from 1949 to 1963. After an unsuccessful run against Everett Dirksen for the United States Senate in 1962, Yates briefly served as United States Representative to the Trusteeship Council of the United Nations with the rank of Ambassador before again being elected to the House from the 9th district in 1964. He served from 1965 to 1999. He was a longtime member of the House Appropriations Committee, where he became known for staunch U.S. support of Israel, and federal funding for parks, historical conservation, and the arts. Yates was also an advocate for several liberal causes, including opposition to discrimination based on age. At the time he concluded his service, he was third oldest person to ever serve in the House (age 89) behind Charles Manly Stedman and Isaac R. Sherwood, and one of the longest-tenured members in the history of Congress.

Yates died in Washington in 2000. He was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie, Illinois.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Ellen Lanyon papers Archives of American Art
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Staff Secretary. 1976 - 1981. Presidential Files. 1977 - 1981. 7/1/77 [1] Jimmy Carter Library
creatorOf Rickover, Hyman George. TLS, 1961 May 3 : U.S.S. Thresher, At Sea, North Atlantic, to Sidney R. Yates, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
creatorOf Uptown Chicago Commission. Uptown Chicago Commission records, 1955-1977. Chicago History Museum
referencedIn Rayburn, Sam, 1882-1961, Papers, 1822, 1831, 1845, 1903-2007 Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Staff Secretary. 1976 - 1981. Presidential Files. 1977 - 1981. 2/22/78 [2] Jimmy Carter Library
referencedIn Learned Hand papers Harvard Law School Library Langdell Hall Cambridge, MA 02138
creatorOf Sidney R. Yates Papers. 1932 - 1954. Newsletters Files Harry S. Truman Library
creatorOf Rickover, Hyman George. ALS, 1959 March 10 : U.S.S. Skipjack, At Sea, to Sidney R. Yates. Copley Press, J S Copley Library
referencedIn R. Buckminster Fuller Papers Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn Sampson, Edith S. (Edith Spurlock), 1901?-1979. Papers, 1927-1979 (inclusive) 1934-1979 (bulk). Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Papers, 1927-1979 Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America‏
referencedIn Hagstrum, Jean H., 1913-1995. Jean Hagstrum Papers, 1921-1995. Northwestern University
creatorOf Yates, Sidney Richard, 1909-2000. Sidney R. Yates papers, ca. 1948-1998. Chicago History Museum
creatorOf Sidney R. Yates Papers. 1932 - 1954. Bills Introduced Files Harry S. Truman Library
creatorOf Yates, Sidney R. (Sidney Richard), 1909-. Sidney R. Yates : commercials, 1962-1984. University of Oklahoma, Political Community Archives
creatorOf Yates, Sidney Richard, 1909-. Papers, 1932-1954 (bulk 1949-1952). Harry S. Truman Library
referencedIn Records of the Office of the Staff Secretary. 1976 - 1981. Staff Scheduling Memoranda. 1977 - 1978. 1/25/78-1/31/78 Jimmy Carter Library
referencedIn William R. Ratchford Papers, undated, 1961-1986. Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Center.
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Fuller, R. Buckminster (Richard Buckminster), 1895-1983 person
associatedWith Hagstrum, Jean H., 1913-1995 person
associatedWith Hand, Learned, 1872-1961 person
associatedWith Illinois Commerce Commission corporateBody
associatedWith Lanyon, Ellen. person
associatedWith National Endowment for the Arts. corporateBody
associatedWith National Endowment for the Humanities. corporateBody
associatedWith Ratchford, William R. person
associatedWith Rayburn, Sam, 1882-1961 person
associatedWith Rickover, Hyman George. person
associatedWith Sampson, Edith S. (Edith Spurlock), 1901? -1979 person
associatedWith Sampson, Edith S. (Edith Spurlock), 1901?-1979. person
associatedWith United Nations. Trusteeship Council corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Congress 1949). House. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Congress 1950-1951). House. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Congress 1951). House. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Congress 1952). House. corporateBody
memberOf United States. Congress. House. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations. corporateBody
memberOf United States. Navy corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf University of Chicago. corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf University of Chicago. Law school corporateBody
associatedWith University of Oklahoma. Political Commercial Archive. corporateBody
associatedWith Uptown Chicago Commission. corporateBody
Place Name Admin Code Country
Chicago IL US
District of Columbia DC US
Subject
Advertising, political
Legislators
Politicians
Radio advertising
Television advertising
Occupation
Basketball players
Lawyers
Representatives, U.S. Congress
State Government Official
Activity

Person

Birth 1909-08-27

Death 2000-10-05

Male

Americans

English

Information

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