Adlai stevenson ii biography
Adlai Stevenson II
Adlai E. Stevenson | |
|---|---|
Stevenson in 1961 | |
| In office January 10, 1949 – January 12, 1953 | |
| Lieutenant | Sherwood Dixon |
| Preceded by | Dwight H. Green |
| Succeeded by | William Stratton |
| Born | Adlai Ewing Stevenson II (1900-02-05)February 5, 1900 Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Died | July 14, 1965(1965-07-14) (aged 65) London, England, United Kingdom |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Ellen Borden (married 1928, divorced 1949) |
| Alma mater | Princeton University Northwestern University Law School |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Rank | Seaman Apprentice |
Adlai Ewing Stevenson II (February 5, 1900 – July 14, 1965) was an American politician. He ran against Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1952 and 1956 elections, but he lost both times. He was the grandson of Vice PresidentAdlai E. Stevenson. He was also the 31st Governor of Illinois from 1949 to 1953. He became United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 1961 until his death in 1965.
Early life
[change | change source]Stevenson was born in Los Angeles, California[1] to Lewis Stevenson and Helen Davis Stevenson. His maternal great-grandfather Jesse W. Fell was a close friend and campaign manager for Abraham Lincoln. His oldest son Adlai Stevenson III became a United States Senator from Illinois from 1970 until 1981. He grew up in Bloomington, Illinois. He studied at Bloomington High School until his junior year. After that he went at University High School in Normal, Illinois. Then he studied at Princeton University and Northwestern University Law School.
Political career
[change | change source]He ran for president six times, in 1940, 1944, 1948, 1952, 1956, and 1960, losing the Democrat primaries to Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman and John F. Kennedy. He also lost the 1952 and 1956 elections to RepublicanDwight D. Eisenhower. Stevenson was Governor of Illinois from January 10, 1949-January 12, 1953. As governor, Stevenson presided over the introdution of a wide range of progressive social reforms.[2]
Personal life
[change | change source]He married Ellen Borden in 1928 and divorced in 1949. Stevenson is a second cousin, once removed of actor McLean Stevenson.[3] His son is former Illinois Senator Adlai Stevenson III.
After the 1952 and 1956 elections
[change | change source]In 1953, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.[4]
In 1957 he went back to law practice. He was employed part-time by Encyclopædia Britannica.
1960 election
[change | change source]Stevenson tried to run for the nomination in the 1960 election. He lost to SenatorJohn F. Kennedy. Stevenson refused to give the nomination address to John F. Kennedy. After Kennedy won the nomination, Stevenson campaigned for him.
United States Ambassador to the United Nations
[change | change source]He was appointed Ambassador to the United Nations in 1961.
Stevenson's most well-known moments happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis when he gave a presentation at an emergency session of the Security Council on October 25, 1962.
Death and funeral
[change | change source]Stevenson suffered a heart attack on the afternoon and died later on July 14, 1965 in London of heart failure. The funeral in Bloomington, IllinoisUnitarian Church was attended by PresidentLyndon B. Johnson and Vice PresidentHubert Humphrey and Supreme Court Chief JusticeEarl Warren.
References
[change | change source]- ↑"Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) List, City Declared Monuments"(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on February 1, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
- ↑Illinois major party platforms: 1900-1964, by Nowlan, James Dunlap, 1966, P.341-343
- ↑"'MASH' star McLean Stevenson dies". CNN. February 16, 1996. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
- ↑"Book of Members, 1780–2010: Chapter S"(PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved December 16, 2012.