Ralph Flanders
| Ralph E. Flanders | |
|---|---|
| Former U.S. Senator from Vermont From: November 1, 1946 – January 3, 1959 | |
| Predecessor | Warren Austin |
| Successor | Winston L. Prouty |
| Former President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston From: May 1, 1944 – February 28, 1946 | |
| Predecessor | William Paddock |
| Successor | Laurence Whittemore |
| Information | |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Edith Hartness |
| Religion | Congregationalist[1] |
Ralph Edward Flanders (September 28, 1880 – February 19, 1970) was an industrialist and engineer from Vermont. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the state's U.S. senator from the mid-1940s to the late 1950s, previously being the president of the Boston Federal Reserve Bank.
U.S. Senate
Flanders was mostly known for having been the leading Republican opponent of Joseph McCarthy, who exposed communist infiltration of the State Department and the United States Army. The Vermont senator led the motion to censure McCarthy and made absurd statements (namely comparing him to Adolf Hitler) as well as the following sarcastic remark:[2]
| To what party does [McCarthy] belong? Is he a hidden satellite of the Democratic Party, to which he is furnishing so much material for quiet mirth? |
McCarthy was ultimately censured by the Senate, with nearly every Democrat supporting the measure while the Senate GOP was split;[2] Flanders and his more moderately liberal colleague George Aiken voted in favor of it. He later reflected on his efforts:
| The conviction grew that something must be done about this, even if I had to do it myself. |
Flanders missed nearly 20% of all roll call votes throughout his Senate career.[3]
References
- ↑ Hart, D.G. (June 9, 2015). The World Ike Wrought. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Glass, Andres (March 9, 2011). Vermont Senator Confronts Sen. Joseph McCarthy, March 9, 1954. Politico. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
- ↑ Sen. Ralph Flanders. GovTrack.us. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
External links
- Profile at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Profile via United States Senate
- Profile at Find a Grave
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