Charles A. Halleck

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Charles Abraham Halleck
Halleck.PNG
Former House Minority Leader
From: January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1965
Predecessor Joseph W. Martin
Successor Gerald Ford
Former House Majority Leader
From: January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1955
Predecessor John W. McCormack
Successor John W. McCormack
Former House Majority Leader
From: January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949
Predecessor John W. McCormack
Successor John W. McCormack
Former U.S. Representative from Indiana's 2nd Congressional District
From: January 29, 1935 – January 3, 1969
Predecessor George R. Durgan
Successor Earl F. Landgrebe
Information
Party Republican
Spouse(s) Blanche Annette White
Religion Methodist[1]
Military Service
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Army
Battles/wars World War I

Charles Abraham Halleck (August 22, 1900 – March 3, 1986) was the Republican U.S. representative from Indiana's 2nd congressional district from 1935 to 1969. He was the House Majority Leader from 1947 to 1949 and the House Minority Leader from 1959 to 1965. A conservative, Halleck described himself as "100 percent Republican"[2] and was known for being a strong figure in his party during the 1960s especially when his party had been the minority in both Houses of Congress.

Early life and career

Charles Abraham Halleck was born on August 22, 1900, in DeMotte, Indiana (located in Jasper County). He served in the United States Army during World War I, and would enter law school after being discharged from the military to proceed in becoming the prosecuting attorney for the thirteenth district.[3]

U.S. House of Representatives

Following the death of Rep. Frederick Landis, Halleck ran for and won a special election to fill the vacancy, and would be re-elected sixteen times.[4] He was initially an isolationist on foreign policy matters until World War II,[2] Halleck voting against the Lend-Lease Act[5] though later supporting the Marshall Plan.[3]

Rep. Halleck voted for the Anti-Lynching Bill of 1937,[6] the Anti-Lynching Bill of 1940,[7] and a 1942 measure to outlaw the poll tax in federal elections.[8] He was a member of the Conservative Coalition during the presidency of FDR and later opposed much of Lyndon Johnson's domestic policies. While he cooperated with the Boll Weevils including Virginia Democrat segregationist Howard W. Smith to oppose most liberal legislation,[9] Halleck sharply broke with them over civil rights.[3]

Halleck in 1940.

In regards to government power during the time, Halleck said that Americans should live

“ "as God meant us to live and not as some bureaucrat in Washington … would like us to live."[3] ”

In late July 1963, Halleck was among the majority of Republicans in the new GOP-led House of Representatives who voted for the resolution which re-enacted the Select Committee to Investigate Tax-Exempt Foundations and Comparable Organizations.[10] Chaired by Tennessee congressman B. Carroll Reece to investigate subversion among major foundations, it would be known as the Reece Committee.

In 1959, Halleck successfully ousted Joseph W. Martin to replace him as the House Minority Leader.[2] Martin was also a member of the Conservative Coalition though become more moderate over time.[11] Six years later, Halleck would be ousted during the 1964-1965 GOP establishment revolt by Moderate Republican and future U.S. president Gerald Ford, who used the same maneuver he did.[9] Ford then gave support to New Jersey Moderate Republican Peter Frelinghuysen, Jr. in the latter's attempt to replace House Republican Whip Leslie C. Arends, though it failed due to Arends' well-established connections to colleagues.[12] Interestingly enough, Halleck previously predicted his own leadership position ousting during the 1964 Civil Rights Act fight:[13]

Halleck in his later years.
“ I got a little trouble on my side, a lot of guys b****ing … and so I ain’t sure they’ll make me leader again but … I don’t give a d***. ”

Along with then-Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen, Halleck supported the nomination of Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election.[14]

Halleck voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957,[15] 1960,[16] 1964,[17] 1968,[18] and the Voting Rights Act of 1965,[19] in addition to the 24th Amendment which outlawed the poll tax in all federal-level elections.[20] He especially had strongly supported the 1964 bill along with Dirksen; they were well known on television during the 1960s, particularly after Republicans were outnumbered in both the Senate and the House. The Republican Congressional Leadership Statement, known by its nickname, "The Ev and Charlie Show". was named after the two.[21]

Halleck decided in 1968 against seeking re-election to another House term and was succeeded by Earl Landgrebe, who was later a staunch defender of Richard Nixon during Watergate.[22] Then-House Minority Leader Gerald Ford, who would later become president, said:[2]

Charlie has had his hours of greatness, glory and triumph. Charlie has had his hours of disappointment. In both he has always been a gentleman.
— Then-representative Gerald Ford

Throughout his long tenure, Halleck missed 7.3% of all roll call votes, as reported by GovTrack.[23]

Family

Halleck was married to the former Blanche Annette White until her death in 1973[24] and had two children, Mrs. Patricia Ann Halleck Carroll (1929–1994)[25] and Charles White Halleck (1929–2017),[26] who was a U.S. federal judge appointed by President Lyndon Johnson. Although Charles W. Halleck's earlier tenure appeared to strongly echo the conservative views of his father, he later became a "progressive," according to an obituary by The Washington Post.[27]

Legacy

Halleck has the Charles A. Halleck Federal Building named after him.[28] He was also inducted into the Law School's Academy of Law Alumni Fellows in 2010.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Halla to Halseth. The Political Graveyard. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Franklin, Ben A. (March 4, 1986). CHARLES HALLECK, A G.O.P. HOUSE LEADER, DIES. The New York Times. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Crass, Scott (July 10, 2013). Ford Unseated Halleck As Republican Whip In 1965. The Moderate Voice.
  4. ↑ Halleck, Charles A.. Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  5. ↑ TO PASS H.R. 1776, A BILL TO PROMOTE THE DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES (LEND-LEASE BILL).. GovTrack.us. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
  6. ↑ TO PASS H. R. 1507, AN ANTI-LYNCHING BILL.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  7. ↑ TO PASS H.R. 801, A BILL TO MAKE LYNCHING A FEDERAL CRIME.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  8. ↑ TO PASS H.R. 1024 WHICH DECLARES ILLEGAL THE REQUIREMENT OF A POLL TAX AS A PREREQUISITE FOR VOTING OR REGISTERING TO VOTE FOR PRESIDENT, VICE-PRESIDENT, OR U.S. REPRESENTATIVE.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Barnes, Bart (March 4, 1986). Ex-House Majority Leader Charles Halleck Dies at 85. Washington Post. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  10. ↑ H RES 217. RESOLUTION CREATING A SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO CON- DUCT A FULL AND COMPLETE INVESTIGATION AND STUDY OF EDUCA- TIONAL AND PHILANTHROPIC FOUNDATIONS AND OTHER COMPARABLE ORGANIZATIONS WHICH ARE EXEMPT FROM FED. INCOME TAXATION.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  11. ↑ FascinatingPolitics (November 5, 2019). When Conservatives Go Liberal, And Vice-Versa. Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  12. ↑ Pearson, Richard (July 17, 1985). Leslie C. Arends, 89, Dies. The Washington Post. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  13. ↑ Purdam, Todd S. (March 31, 2014). The Republican Who Saved Civil Rights. Politico. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  14. ↑ Rep. Halleck Agrees To Second Goldwater. The New York Times. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  15. ↑ HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  16. ↑ HR 8601. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1960. APPROVAL BY THE HOUSE OF THE SENATE'S AMENDMENTS.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  17. ↑ H.R. 7152. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964. ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION (H. RES. 789) PROVIDING FOR HOUSE APPROVAL OF THE BILL AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  18. ↑ TO PASS H.R. 2516, A BILL TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR INTERFERENCE WITH CIVIL RIGHTS. INTERFERENCE WITH A PERSON ENGAGED IN ONE OF THE 8 ACTIVITIES PROTECTED UNDER THIS BILL MUST BE RACIALLY MOTIVATED TO INCUR THE BILL'S PENALTIES.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  19. ↑ TO PASS H.R. 6400, THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  20. ↑ S.J. RES. 29. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN THE USE OF POLL TAX AS A REQUIREMENT FOR VOTING IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  21. ↑ U.S. Senate: "The Ev and Charlie Show". United States Senate.
  22. ↑ FascinatingPolitics (August 14, 2021). Earl Landgrebe: Nixon’s Last Republican Defender. Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
  23. ↑ Charles Halleck - GovTrack.us. GovTrack.
  24. ↑ Blanche Annette White Halleck. Find a Grave. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  25. ↑ Patricia Ann Halleck Carroll. Find a Grave. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  26. ↑ Charles White Halleck. Find a Grave. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  27. ↑ Smith, Harrison (November 2, 2017). Charles Halleck, conservative D.C. judge turned progressive firebrand, dies at 88. The Washington Post.
  28. ↑ Charles A. Halleck Federal Building. U.S. General Services Administration.

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