Ellender was a native of Terrebonne Parish in south Louisiana and a lawyer who graduated from [[Tulane University]] in [[New Orleans]]. Prior to his Senate tenure, he served from 1924 to 1936 as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He was the House [[Speaker]] from 1932 until 1936. In the U.S. Senate, he was known for his support for school segregation through the signing in 1956 of the [[Southern Manifesto]], farm subsidies, the school lunch program, and his opposition to the communist investigations conducted prior to 1954 by his [[Republican]] colleague, [[Joseph McCarthy]] of [[Wisconsin]]. He also opposed the [[Vietnam War]] but voted for the [[Gulf of Tonkin Resolution]] of 1964. During his Senate tenure he was chairman of the Agriculture Committee and then the Appropriations Committee. He was considered a mostly [[conservative]] Democrat in comparison to his party colleagues. | Ellender was a native of Terrebonne Parish in south Louisiana and a lawyer who graduated from [[Tulane University]] in [[New Orleans]]. Prior to his Senate tenure, he served from 1924 to 1936 as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He was the House [[Speaker]] from 1932 until 1936. In the U.S. Senate, he was known for his support for school segregation through the signing in 1956 of the [[Southern Manifesto]], farm subsidies, the school lunch program, and his opposition to the communist investigations conducted prior to 1954 by his [[Republican]] colleague, [[Joseph McCarthy]] of [[Wisconsin]]. He also opposed the [[Vietnam War]] but voted for the [[Gulf of Tonkin Resolution]] of 1964. During his Senate tenure he was chairman of the Agriculture Committee and then the Appropriations Committee. He was considered a mostly [[conservative]] Democrat in comparison to his party colleagues. |