Everett Dirksen

Everett McKinley Dirksen (January 4, 1896 – September 7, 1969) was an American politician. He represented Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives (1933–1949) and U.S. Senate (1951–1969).

As Senate Minority Leader for ten years, he was very important in the politics during the 1960s. Some things he did was to help passing 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. Dirksen was a freemason.

Dirksen died on September 7, 1969 in Washington, D.C. from cardiopulmonary arrest caused by lung cancer-related bronchopneumonia, aged 73.

References

Other websites

 Stan Mendenhall, "Everett Dirksen and the 1964 Civil Rights Act." 
 Abstract of Byron C. Hulsey, Everett Dirksen and His Presidents: how a Senate giant shaped American politics U. Kansas, 2000. 
 The Dirksen Congressional Research Center
 IMDB profile

 Dirksen Primary School, Pekin, IL 
 Dirksen Junior High School, Joliet, IL 
 Complete transcript and audio of Everett Dirksen's RNC Nomination of Barry Goldwater
 Oral History Interviews with Everett Dirksen, from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library 

Category:1896 births
Category:1969 deaths
Category:Minority leaders of the United States Senate
Category:American esotericists
Category:Deaths from cardiopulmonary arrest
Category:Deaths from bronchopneumonia
Category:Deaths from lung cancer
Category:Cancer deaths in Washington, D.C.
Category:Freemasons
Category:United States representatives from Illinois
Category:United States senators from Illinois
Category:Republican Party (United States) politicians