Wayne L. Hays
| Wayne Levere Hays | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Former U.S. Representative from Ohio's 18th Congressional District From: January 3, 1949 – September 1, 1976 | |||
| Predecessor | Earl R. Lewis | ||
| Successor | Douglas Applegate | ||
| Former State Senator from Ohio From: 1941–1942 | |||
| Predecessor | ??? | ||
| Successor | ??? | ||
| Former Mayor of Flushing, Ohio From: 1939–1945 | |||
| Predecessor | ??? | ||
| Successor | ??? | ||
| Information | |||
| Party | Democrat | ||
| Spouse(s) | Martha Judkins (div.) Patricia Peak | ||
Wayne Levere Hays (May 13, 1911 – February 10, 1989), described by some as "Archie Bunker of Capitol Hill",[1] was an Ohio Democrat who represented the state's 18th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from the late 1940s until the mid-1970s, when he resigned due to a sex scandal. He was previously a member of the Ohio Senate, and the mayor of Flushing prior to that.
Hays was among the most disliked and feared members in the House due to his vile personality,[1] and was by described by California colleague Phillip Burton as:[2]
| “ | ...the meanest man in Congress. | ” |
Contents
U.S. House of Representatives
Hays is often incorrectly listed by some sources[3] as having been a member of the Cox Committee. However, his name was never present in the committee's hearings nor in the final report; indeed, the "Hays" in the Cox Committee was in actuality Brooks Hays of Arkansas.[4][5]
Reece Committee
During the 83rd Congress, Tennessee Republican Brazilla Carroll Reece successfully sought a re-enactment of the Select Committee to Investigate Tax-Exempt Foundations and Comparable Organizations due to incompetence and insufficient conclusions of the Cox Committee in the previous session.[6]
It was then known as the Reece Committee. House Minority Leader Sam Rayburn of Texas appointed Hays to the committee with hopes of sabotaging and derailing its efforts, which was also sought after by Moderate Republican President Dwight Eisenhower.[7]
Hays actively worked to obstruct the committee, at one point joining another Democrat on the task, Gracie Pfost of Idaho, in walking out when witness Aaron Sargent accused Sen. Paul Douglas of ties with socialist organizations.[6] Hays earlier had repeatedly exhibited excessively rude behavior and endlessly interrupted Sargent with the aim of damaging the committee's reputation.[7]
Despite his excessive disorderly conduct, Chairman Reece did not sufficiently discipline Hays and rule him out of order in cases of repetitive interruptions.[7] This was because Reece was previously arrested in the 1920s for homosexuality in a public bathroom, a scandal that could be used against him in retaliation had he properly reprimanded Hays.
Scandal, resignation
In 1976, it was unearthed that he engaged in a sex scandal with Elizabeth Ray, who he hired only for that purpose.[1] Ray later stated:[8]
| “ | I can’t type. I can’t file. I can’t even answer the phone. | ” |
Hays whined (see: Liberal whining) of the news media supposedly giving the scandal excessive coverage.[1] When he resigned, little sympathy was offered from congressional colleagues due to his history of causing others annoyances.
See also
- Millard E. Tydings, namesake of the Tydings Committee
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 February 12, 1989. Wayne Hays, a Scourge of Congress, Dies : Longtime Lawmaker’s Career Ruined by Affair With Staff Clerk. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ↑ Clark, Marion; Maxa, Rudy (May 23, 1976). Closed Session Romance on the Hill. The Washington Post. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ↑ Samson, Steven Alan. Charity For All: B. Carroll Reece and the Tax-Exempt Foundations. Liberty University. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
- ↑ HEARINGS BEFORE THE SELECT COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE TAX-EXEMPT FOUNDATIONS AND COMPARABLE ORGANIZATIONS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES EIGHTY-SECOND CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON H. Res. 561. American Deception. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ↑ January 1, 1953. Final Report Of The Select Committee To Investigate Foundations And Other Organizations (Pursuant to H. Res. 561, 82d Cong.), p. 1. Retrieved October 6, 2021. Final Report. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 FascinatingPolitics (December 22, 2019). The Reece Committee on Foundations: Conspiratorial Nonsense or an Expose of a Threat to the Nation?. Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Jasper, William F. (February 6, 2017). Foundations: Cutting Off the Toxic Funding Flow. The New American. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
- ↑ February 10, 2019. Wayne Hays, Former Congressman, Dead. Associated Press. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
External links
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