 everett mckinley dirksen (january 4, 1896 â september 7, 1969) was an american politician of the republican party. he represented illinois in the u.s. house of representatives (1933â1949) and u.s. senate (1951â1969). as senate minority leader for a decade, he played a highly visible and key role in the politics of the 1960s, including helping to write and pass the civil rights act of 1964 and the open housing act of 1968, both landmarks of civil rights legislation. he was also one of the senate's strongest supporters of the vietnam war and was known as "the wizard of ooze" for his oratorical style. ==early life== dirksen was born to johann friedrich dirksen and his wife antje conrady, german immigrants who lived in pekin, illinois, a small city near peoria, illinois. everett had a fraternal twin, thomas dirksen, and also had a brother named benjamin harrison, a nod to the republican leanings of his father, who died when everett was nine years old. dirksen grew up on a farm on pekin's outskirts, in a section called "beantown" because immigrants grew beans instead of flowers. he attended the local schools and then entered the university of minnesota law school, but dropped out during world war i to enlist in
1896_births 1969_deaths American_Freemasons American_anti-communists American_military_personnel_of_World_War_I American_people_of_German_descent Cancer_deaths_in_Washington,_D.C. Deaths_from_lung_cancer Grammy_Award-winning_artists Illinois_Republicans Members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives_from_Illinois New_Right_(United_States) People_from_Tazewell_County,_Illinois Reformed_Church_in_America_Christians Republican_Party_United_States_Senators Republican_Party_members_of_the_United_States_House_of_Representatives United_States_Army_officers United_States_Senators_from_Illinois United_States_presidential_candidates,_1944 University_of_Minnesota_Law_School_alumni University_of_Minnesota_alumni