Lee Emmett Hollington

**Lee Emmett Hollington** (born June 17, 1928) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate and the senior U.S. Senator from Kansas. He was first elected to the Senate in 1969. A member of the Republican Party, she served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Kansas's 2nd district, from 1963 to 1969, and as the Mayor of Overland Park from 1961 to 1963.

Born in Kansas City, Kansas, Hollington graduated from Pembroke-Country Day School in 1946. After graduating, he moved to Evanston, Illinois to attend Northwestern University, graduating with his bachelor's degree in economics in 1950. He subsequently returned to Kansas, and received his law degree from University of Kansas School of Law in 1953. Hollington later worked in law until leaving his law career to enter politics in 1961.

Hollington began his political career in 1961, after being elected Mayor of Overland Park. He served as mayor for one-and-a-half years, before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Kansas's 2nd district, in 1963. In 1967, he launched his campaign for United States Senate, later winning the Republican nomination and the general election, being sworn in on January 3, 1969. Following the retirement of Gordon Stubbe, Hollington became President pro tempore of the United States Senate in 2019.

## Early life and family

Hollington was born on June 17, 1928 in Kansas City, Kansas to parents John (1895–1981) and Catharina Hollington (née *Sandhausen Emmett*; 1905–2008). John was of English descent and an Episcopalian, while Catharina was born in Vienna, Austria to an English father and Austrian mother and was Catholic. Hollington was raised in his mother's religion, and grew up speaking both English and German. John worked as a business executive, venture capitalist, and owned several businesses in Kansas City, while Catharina was an heiress, socialite, and homemaker. Hollington was raised in the Kansas City neighborhood of Piper, where the family owned an eight-bedroom home and a surrounding golf course. Hollington is the second of four children; his siblings include Anna, born  (1926-04-02) April 2, 1926 (age 97), Henry, born  (1932-07-09) July 9, 1932 (age 91), and Collette (1935–2011).

## Education and law career

Hollington attended private education in Kansas City, beginning his education in 1934 at Pembroke-Country Day School (now The Pembroke Hill School), an independent coeducational nursery to twelfth school in Kansas City, Missouri. He began high school at Pembroke in 1942, where he was a member of the varsity baseball team and treasurer of his graduating class. He graduated from high school in 1946, and later moved to Evanston, Illinois to attend Northwestern University. While at Northwestern, he joined the Pi Kappa Alpha (ΠΚΑ) fraternity, and later graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics in 1950.

After completing his undergraduate degree, Hollington returned to Kansas and enrolled in the University of Kansas School of Law. He graduated with his law degree in 1953. Hollington subsequently began working as a lawyer in Kansas City. He left his law career in 1961, in order to enter politics.

## Political positions

*Main article: Political positions of Lee Emmett Hollington.*

## Personal life

Hollington began a relationship with Mary Jenkins while they were high schoolers in 1945. They continued their relationship long-distance while Hollington lived in Illinois, and became engaged in 1949. After his return to Kansas City, Kansas in 1950, they married. After moving to Lawrence, Kansas to attend the University of Kansas School of Law, Jenkins moved with him and worked as a secretary while he was in class. After his graduation in 1953, they moved to Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. After his election to the United States Senate in 1969, they purchased a ten-bedroom house in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Hollington and Jenkins have six children together: Emmett, born  (1956-08-14) August 14, 1956 (age 67), David, born  (1958-02-03) February 3, 1958 (age 65), Eleanor, born  (1961-07-01) July 1, 1961 (age 62), Catharine, born  (1962-07-17) July 17, 1962 (age 61), Julia, born  (1964-09-02) September 2, 1964 (age 59), and Robert, born  (1965-12-20) December 20, 1965 (age 58). Hollington and Jenkins also have eighteen grandchildren. The family is Roman Catholic.