# Henry Dworshak

Henry Clarence Dworshak Jr. (August 29, 1894 – July 23, 1962) was a United States senator and congressman from Idaho. Originally from Minnesota, he was a Republican from Burley, and served over 22 years in the House and Senate.

## Early years

Born in Duluth, Minnesota, Dworshak attended its local public schools and learned the printer's trade. During the First World War, he served as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army Fourth Antiaircraft Machine Gun Battalion in the American Expeditionary Forces. After the war, Dworshak managed a printing supply business in Duluth.
He moved west in 1924 to Burley, Idaho, to become the publisher and editor of the Burley Bulletin, a semi-weekly newspaper in Cassia County. Dworshak became a public figure when he was elected president of the Idaho Editorial Association in 1931, and he was a prominent member of the American Legion and Rotary International. He was also a member of the Elks and a freemason.

## Congress
### House

Dworshak ran for Congress in 1936 in Idaho's 2nd district, but lost to incumbent D. Worth Clark. Two years later, in 1938, Clark ran for U.S. senator and won, and Dworshak won the open House seat. He was re-elected in 1940, 1942, and 1944.
U.S. House elections (Idaho's 2nd district): Results 1936–1944 :
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct |
| 1936 | D. Worth Clark (inc.) | 67,238 | 60.5% | Henry Dworshak | 43,834 | 39.5% |
| 1938 | Bert H. Miller | 47,199 | 46.4% | Henry Dworshak | 54,527 | 53.6% |
| 1940 | Ira Masters | 61,726 | 46.9% | Henry Dworshak (inc.) | 69,804 | 53.1% |
| 1942 | Ira Masters | 37,815 | 45.2% | Henry Dworshak (inc.) | 45,805 | 54.8% |
| 1944 | Phil J. Evans | 56,249 | 47.7% | Henry Dworshak (inc.) | 61,751 | 52.3% |

### Senate

Republican senator John Thomas died in office in November 1945, and Democratic governor Charles C. Gossett resigned to accept an appointment (by his successor) to fill the seat. Gossett failed to secure the nomination for the special election; Dworshak defeated state senator George Donart in the November 1946 election to complete the term. Two years later, Dworshak was defeated for a full term in the 1948 general election by state supreme court justice and former state attorney general Bert H. Miller, he had defeated Miller ten years earlier.
Miller died of a heart attack in October 1949 after only nine months in office, and Dworshak was appointed his successor by Republican governor C. A. Robins. Dworshak won a special election in 1950, and was elected to full Senate terms in 1954 and 1960. A staunch isolationist like William Borah, Dworshak stood unwavering against overseas intervention, especially in U.S. affairs. Dworshak voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but did not vote on the Civil Rights Act of 1960.
U.S. Senate elections in Idaho (Class II): Results 1946–1960 :
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct |
| 1946 (Special) | George Donart | 74,629 | 41.4% | Henry Dworshak | 105,523 | 58.6% |
| 1948 | Bert H. Miller | 107,000 | 50.0% | Henry Dworshak (inc.) | 103,868 | 48.5% |
| 1950 (Special) | Claude J. Burtenshaw | 97,092 | 48.1% | Henry Dworshak (inc.^) | 104,608 | 51.9% |
| 1954 | Glen H. Taylor | 84,139 | 37.2% | Henry Dworshak (inc.) | 142,269 | 62.8% |
| 1960 | R.L. "Bob" McLaughlin | 139,448 | 47.7% | Henry Dworshak (inc.) | 152,648 | 52.3% |
Source: ^Dworshak was appointed to the vacant seat in November 1946 and October 1949

## Death

Dworshak died in office of a heart attack on July 23, 1962, at his home in Washington, D.C., and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. His obituary described him as "...a staunchly conservative voice on Capitol Hill..." He was succeeded by former governor Len B. Jordan, who served until January 1973.

### Legacy

* Dworshak Dam on the North Fork of the Clearwater River, near Orofino in northern Idaho
* Dworshak Elementary School in Burley