William M. McCulloch

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William M. “Bill” McCulloch
William Moore McCulloch.jpg
U.S. Representative from Ohio's 4th Congressional District
From: November 4, 1947 – January 3, 1973
Predecessor Robert F. Jones
Successor Tennyson Guyer
Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives
From: 1939–1944
Predecessor ???
Successor ???
State Representative from Ohio
From: 1933–1944
Predecessor ???
Successor ???
Information
Party Republican
Spouse(s) Mabel Harris

William Moore “Bill”[1][2] McCulloch (November 24, 1901 – February 22, 1980) was an Ohio Republican congressman from the rural fourth congressional district who represented the area in the United States House of Representatives from 1947 until his retirement in 1973. He was an adamant conservative and known for his strong advocacy of civil rights,[3][4] having been shaped by his early experiences of witnessing the injustices of Southern Jim Crow segregation.[5] He was known since 1959 as "Mr. Civil Rights of the GOP".[6]

McCulloch previously served in the state House of Representatives, of which he became speaker for five years.[5]

Political career

During his tenure as Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives, McCulloch worked with the strongly conservative then-governor (and later U.S. senator) John W. Bricker in eliminating the state deficit and replacing it with a surplus,[5] a significant achievement during a time of financial struggle from the Great Depression.[7]

U.S. House of Representatives

Following the resignation of incumbent congressman Robert F. Jones, McCulloch ran in the 1947 special election and defeated Democrat opponent Joseph B. Quatman by eleven percentage points.[8] He won re-election to a full term in 1948 by a similar margin,[9] Most of his following re-election bids faced no serious challenges, though the coattails of Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964 amidst the concurrent presidential race that aided his opponent reduced his margin of victory significantly that year.[10]

1955 picture of McCulloch.

Mostly a staunch conservative similar to Ohio senator Robert A. Taft,[5] McCulloch supported fiscal responsibility, school prayer, gun rights, and opposed foreign aid.[3] He was largely a restrictionist on immigration,[5] though voted for the Hart-Celler Act. During the 1960s, his conservatism began to moderate; although he scored 100% from the American Conservative Union in 1961, it waned to only 61% by 1968.[5] However, he was one of the few members of Congress to vote against the liberal Equal Rights Amendment,[11] which ultimately was defeated by a grassroots coalition under the leadership of activist Phyllis Schlafly.

McCulloch was a member of the Patman Committee which investigated tax-exempt foundations to determine whether they exploited their tax-exempt status.[12]

Civil rights

McCulloch, like Taft, favored a "conservative" approach to ensuring equality for blacks, opposing a mandatory Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC) though supporting a voluntary one that would not take forceful actions on businesses.[5] He gave support to "Powell Amendments" that would oppose the construction of segregated VA hospitals. McCulloch also voted for the Civil Rights Acts of 1957[13] and 1960,[14] though was frustrated over the weakening of the legislation masterminded by Southern Democrats in the Senate.[5] In 1962, he, along with the vast majority of congressional Republicans, voted for the 24th Amendment to prohibit the use of the poll tax in all federal-level elections.[15]

McCulloch played an important role in the congressional process of crafting and passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In talks with President John F. Kennedy, he got the president to ensure that the strongest provisions which were removed in the previous bills would stay intact in order for Republicans to support final passage, in addition for the GOP to be given sufficient credit for the legislation.[2] However, he came into odds with the House Judiciary Committee chair Emanuel Celler, a liberal Democrat from New York. After Celler pushed through changes to the landmark legislation which effectively would dramatically increase the size and role of the federal government, McCulloch became irritated, remarking to the Wall Street Journal: "It’s a pail of garbage."[2] This gave frustrations to Kennedy, who initially was seen as the main Republican ally of the bill and would be crucial in rallying enough GOP support for passage. McCulloch's fellow Indiana conservative colleague Charles A. Halleck ultimately reached a half-way compromise with the House Democrats, and eventually enough votes were secured to pass through the committee. McCulloch ultimately voted for both the initial House passage[16] as well as the final passage.[17]

McCulloch similarly voted for the Voting Rights Act of 1965[18] and the Civil Rights Act of 1968.[19]

Legacy

In December 2014, a bronze bust of McCulloch was unveiled at the Ohio Statehouse, with the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board chairman announcing:[20]

On civil rights issues, William McCulloch was a leader in Ohio and on the national stage. This bust will be utilized as a teaching tool to educate the tens of thousands of school children that visit the Statehouse annually.

See also

References

  1. Thomas, Jeffrey W (2013). William M. McCullochPapers. The Ohio State University. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Purdam, Todd S. (July 24, 2021). The Republican Who Saved Civil Rights. Politico. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Keller, Bill (January 19, 2014). An Unsung Hero of Civil Rights. The New York Times. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  4. Suddes, Thomas (December 28, 2014). William McCulloch knew the art of political compromise served the people: Thomas Suddes. Cleveland.com. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 FascinatingPolitics (January 8, 2020). William McCulloch: The Civil Rights Engine of Congress. Mad Politics: The Bizarre, Fascinating, and Unknown of American Political History. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  6. Smith, J. Y. (February 23, 1980). Former Rep. William McCulloch Dies. The Washington Post. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  7. McCulloch, William M.. SNAC. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  8. OH District 04 - Special Election Race - Nov 04, 1947. Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  9. OH - District 04 Race - No 02, 1948. Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  10. Candidate - William M. McCulloch. Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  11. TO PASS H.J. RES. 208.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  12. TAX-EXEMPT FOUNDATIONS AND CHARITABLE TRUSTS: THEIR IMPACT ON OUR ECONOMY — CHAIRMAN'S REPORT TO THE SELECT COMMITTEE ON SMALL BUSINESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 87TH CONGRESS. American Deception. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  13. HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  14. HR 8601. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1960. APPROVAL BY THE HOUSE OF THE SENATE'S AMENDMENTS.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  15. S.J. RES. 29. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN THE USE OF POLL TAX AS A REQUIREMENT FOR VOTING IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  16. H.R. 7152. PASSAGE.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved July 24, 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 July 24, 2021.
  18. TO PASS H.R. 6400, THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  19. 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 July 24, 2021.
  20. December 17, 2014. Ohio Statehouse unveils bronze bust of William M. McCulloch. Ohio Statehouse. Retrieved July 24, 2021.

External links

  • Profile at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
  • Profile at Find a Grave
  • Biography at Ohio History Central