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:''Not to be confused with [[John Ashcroft]], former [[Attorney General]] under [[George W. Bush]]''

:''Not to be confused with [[John Ashcroft]], former [[Attorney General]] under [[George W. Bush]]''

'''John Milan Ashbrook''' (September 21, 1928 – April 24, 1982) was a leading [[movement conservative]] in the 1960s and 1970s as a member of the [[House of Representatives]].  He challenged and ran against [[President]] [[Richard Nixon]] in the 1972 presidential primary, paving the way for fellow [[conservative]] [[Ronald Reagan]]'s more successful challenge of incumbent President [[Gerald Ford]] in the 1976 primary.

'''John Milan Ashbrook''' (September 21, 1928 – April 24, 1982) was a leading [[movement conservative]] in the 1960s and 1970s as a member of the [[United States House of Representatives]].  He challenged and ran against [[President]] [[Richard Nixon]] in the 1972 presidential primary, paving the way for fellow [[conservative]] [[Ronald Reagan]]'s more successful challenge of incumbent President [[Gerald Ford]] in the 1976 primary.

A veteran of the [[U.S.]] [[Navy]], he graduated from [[Harvard University]] and then Ohio State law school.<ref>https://ashbrook.org/about/john-ashbrook/ '''Note:''' link is dead.</ref>  He worked upon graduation of law school for the Johnstown Independent, a weekly newspaper that he father, also a [[Congressman]], had founded in 1884.  That gave him publicity to be elected in 1956 as a Republican to the [[Ohio]] General Assembly. He served it for two years before being elected to [[Congress]] in 1960, where he served 22 years without interruption. He was one of the founders of the [[American Conservative Union]] and served as its chairman from 1966 to 1971.  He was also one of the founders of the draft [[Barry Goldwater]] movement in 1963.<ref>http://www.ashbrook.org/about/ashbrook.html '''Note:''' link is dead.</ref>

A veteran of the [[U.S.]] [[Navy]], he graduated from [[Harvard University]] and then Ohio State law school.<ref>https://ashbrook.org/about/john-ashbrook/ '''Note:''' link is dead.</ref>  He worked upon graduation of law school for the Johnstown Independent, a weekly newspaper that he father, also a [[Congressman]], had founded in 1884.  That gave him publicity to be elected in 1956 as a Republican to the [[Ohio]] General Assembly. He served it for two years before being elected to [[Congress]] in 1960, where he served 22 years without interruption.

 

He was one of the founders of the [[American Conservative Union]] and served as its chairman from 1966 to 1971.  He was also one of the founders of the draft [[Barry Goldwater]] movement in 1963.<ref>http://www.ashbrook.org/about/ashbrook.html '''Note:''' link is dead.</ref>

John Ashbrook is best known for challenging [[Richard Nixon]] in the 1972 presidential primary.  In Ashbrook's announcement of his candidacy for president, he listed how Nixon had betrayed his campaign promises in 1968 and was governing like a [[liberal]] rather than like a [[conservative]]:<ref>[http://www.4president.org/speeches/johnashbrook1972announcement.htm John Ashbrook 1972 Announcement Speech]. ''4president.org''.</ref>

John Ashbrook is best known for challenging [[Richard Nixon]] in the 1972 presidential primary.  In Ashbrook's announcement of his candidacy for president, he listed how Nixon had betrayed his campaign promises in 1968 and was governing like a [[liberal]] rather than like a [[conservative]]:<ref>[http://www.4president.org/speeches/johnashbrook1972announcement.htm John Ashbrook 1972 Announcement Speech]. ''4president.org''.</ref>

Ashbrook received 9.6% of the vote in [[New Hampshire]], less than 9% in [[Florida]], and then 10% in [[Nixon]]'s home state of [[California]], before pulling out. Later, when the Watergate scandal hit, he was among the first Republicans to call for Nixon's resignation. Ashbrook was preparing for a Senate run in 1982 when he died suddenly at the age of only 53, after eating in a restaurant.  

Ashbrook received 9.6% of the vote in [[New Hampshire]], less than 9% in [[Florida]], and then 10% in [[Nixon]]'s home state of [[California]], before pulling out. Later, when the Watergate scandal hit, he was among the first Republicans to call for Nixon's resignation. Ashbrook was preparing for a Senate run in 1982 when he died suddenly at the age of only 53, after eating in a restaurant.  

==Suspicious death==

===Suspicious death===

Ashbrook's death was considered suspicious at the time. He had announced his candidacy for the [[U.S. Senate]] and was ahead in the polls.  He was a leading anti-[[communist]] in the [[House of Representatives]].  He was terrific health and vigorous.

Ashbrook's death was considered suspicious at the time. He had announced his candidacy for the [[U.S. Senate]] and was ahead in the polls.  He was a leading anti-[[communist]] in the [[House of Representatives]].  He was terrific health and vigorous.

He ate a meal at a restaurant, and then fell sick soon thereafter.  He was promptly taken to the hospital and died soon thereafter.  The hospital claimed that he had died of a heart attack, but that was false.  Another obituary says he died from a peptic ulcer.<ref>[https://hyperleap.com/topic/John_M._Ashbrook John M. Ashbrook]. ''Hyperleap''.</ref>  But as reported in his obituary in the New York Times, the county coroner gave a different analysis:

He ate a meal at a restaurant, and then fell sick soon thereafter.  He was promptly taken to the hospital and died soon thereafter.  The hospital claimed that he had died of a heart attack, but that was false.  Another obituary says he died from a peptic ulcer.<ref>[https://hyperleap.com/topic/John_M._Ashbrook John M. Ashbrook]. ''Hyperleap''.</ref>  But as reported in his obituary in the New York Times, the county coroner gave a different analysis:

[[Wikipedia]] ignores and omits the suspicious nature of his death.

[[Wikipedia]] ignores and omits the suspicious nature of his death.

== Legacy ==

==Legacy==

 

Shortly after his death, the [https://ashbrook.org/ Ashbrook Center was established at Ashland University] in his home state of Ohio, which remains a major part of the university. It has hosted prominent conservatives as guest speakers including President [[Ronald Reagan]], British Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]], and Massachusetts Governor (and 2012 presidential candidate) [[Mitt Romney]]. Ashbrook's papers are maintained at the center, consisting of 309 feet of documents (mostly congressional papers) and personal documents spanning 1950 to 1982.

Shortly after his death, the [https://ashbrook.org/ Ashbrook Center was established at Ashland University] in his home state of Ohio, which remains a major part of the university. It has hosted prominent conservatives as guest speakers including President [[Ronald Reagan]], British Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]], and Massachusetts Governor (and 2012 presidential candidate) [[Mitt Romney]]. Ashbrook's papers are maintained at the center, consisting of 309 feet of documents (mostly congressional papers) and personal documents spanning 1950 to 1982.

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== Sources ==

==Sources==

 

* American National Biography, Volume I, ed. John A. Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (Oxford University Press, 1999)

* American National Biography, Volume I, ed. John A. Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (Oxford University Press, 1999)

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[[Category:Former United States Representatives]]

[[Category:Former United States Representatives]]

[[Category:Republican Party]]

[[Category:Republican Party]]

[[Category:Conservatives]]

[[Category:Conservatives]]