Dirksen was renowned for his oratorical skills, tremendous wit, gravely voice, beloved personality, and down-to-earth appearance. He was also a very shrewd politician who in just his second term was voted by a wide margin of 20–14 over [[Kentucky]] [[Moderate Republican]] [[John Sherman Cooper]] to become the [[Minority Leader]] in the Senate.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=53648 Minority Leader Race - Jan 07, 1959]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved June 19, 2021.</ref> He was so beloved by all his colleagues that within three years of his untimely death from cancer, Democrats approved renaming a Senate building as the Dirksen Senate Office Building. | Dirksen was renowned for his oratorical skills, tremendous wit, gravely voice, beloved personality, and down-to-earth appearance. He was also a very shrewd politician who in just his second term was voted by a wide margin of 20–14 over [[Kentucky]] [[Moderate Republican]] [[John Sherman Cooper]] to become the [[Minority Leader]] in the Senate.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=53648 Minority Leader Race - Jan 07, 1959]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved June 19, 2021.</ref> He was so beloved by all his colleagues that within three years of his untimely death from cancer, Democrats approved renaming a Senate building as the Dirksen Senate Office Building. |