Mike Mansfield

Michael Joseph "Mike" Mansfield (March 16, 1903 – October 5, 2001) was an American politician. He was a member of the Democratic Party. He served as a U.S. Representative (1943–1953) and a U.S. Senator (1953–1977) from Montana. He was the longest-serving Senate Majority Leader, serving from 1961 to 1977.

During his time, he led Great Society programs through the Senate and strongly opposed the Vietnam War.

After retiring from the Senate, Mansfield served as U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 1977 to 1988. On retiring as ambassador, he was awarded the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1989). He won this in part for his role in the resignation of Republican President Richard Nixon. Mansfield is the longest-serving American ambassador to Japan in history.

After his ambassadorship, Mansfield served for a time as a senior adviser on East Asian affairs to Goldman Sachs, the Wall Street investment banking company.

Mansfield died of congestive heart failure in Washington, D.C. on October 5, 2001. He was aged 98.

References

Category:1903 births
Category:2001 deaths
Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Japan
Category:American historians
Category:American military personnel of World War I
Category:American Roman Catholics
Category:Majority leaders of the United States Senate
Category:Politicians from New York City
Category:United States representatives from Montana
Category:United States senators from Montana
Category:Democratic Party (United States) politicians
Category:Academics from Montana
Category:Military people from New York (state)