Henry M. Jackson | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Official portrait, 1966 | |
| United States Senator from Washington | |
| In office January 3, 1953 – September 1, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Harry P. Cain |
| Succeeded by | Daniel J. Evans |
| 28th Chair of the Democratic National Committee | |
| In office July 17, 1960 – January 21, 1961 | |
| Preceded by | Paul Butler |
| Succeeded by | John Moran Bailey |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington's 2nd district | |
| In office January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1953 | |
| Preceded by | Monrad Wallgren |
| Succeeded by | Jack Westland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Henry Martin Jackson May 31, 1912 Everett, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | September 1, 1983 (aged 71) Everett, Washington, U.S. |
| Resting place | Evergreen Cemetery |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Helen Hardin (m. 1961) |
| Education | Stanford University (BA) University of Washington (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Henry Martin "Scoop" Jackson (May 31, 1912 – September 1, 1983) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a U.S. representative (1941–1953) and U.S. senator (1953–1983) from the state of Washington. A Cold War liberal and anti-Communist member of the Democratic Party, Jackson supported higher military spending and a hard line against the Soviet Union, while also supporting social welfare programs, civil rights, and labor unions.[1]
Born in Everett, Washington, to Norwegian immigrants, Jackson practiced law in Everett, after graduating from the University of Washington School of Law. He won election to Congress in 1940, and joined the Senate in 1953 after defeating incumbent Republican Party senator Harry P. Cain. Jackson supported the civil rights movement of the 1960s, and authored the National Environmental Policy Act, which helped establish the principle of publicly analyzing environmental impacts. He co-sponsored the Jackson–Vanik amendment, which denied normal trade relations to non-capitalist countries with restrictive emigration policies. Jackson served as chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources from 1963 to 1981. He was twice an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic Party nomination in the 1972 and 1976 presidential elections. While still serving in the Senate, Jackson died in 1983.
His political beliefs were characterized by support of civil rights, human rights, and safeguarding the environment, but with an equally strong commitment to oppose totalitarianism in general and — with the start of the Cold War — communist rule in particular.[2] Jackson's political philosophies and positions have been cited as an influence on a number of key figures associated with neoconservatism, including Paul Wolfowitz and Richard Perle, both of whom previously served as aides to Jackson.[1]
- ^ a b Oldham, Kit (August 19, 2003). "Jackson, Henry M. "Scoop"". History Link, The free online encyclopedia of Washington state history. Archived from the original on November 18, 2007. Retrieved June 1, 2006.
- ^ "Senator Henry M. Jackson Is Dead at 71". The New York Times. September 3, 1983. p. 10. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved March 11, 2016.