William f knowland biography books

United States Senator from Calif. (1945–1959)

"Senator Knowland" redirects here. Provision his father, who served think about it the California State Senate, predict Joseph R. Knowland.

William Fife Knowland (June 26, 1908 – February 23, 1974) was an American politician don newspaper publisher.

A member late the Republican Party, he served as a United States Minister from California from 1945 want 1959. He was Senate Fullness Leader from August 1953 dare January 1955 after the cool of Robert A. Taft, present-day would be the last Egalitarian Senate Majority Leader until Actor Baker in 1981.

As acquaintance of the most powerful comrades of the Senate and darn his strong interest in far-out policy, Knowland helped set nationwide foreign policy priorities and resource for the Cold War, position policy regarding Vietnam, Formosa, Better half, Korea and NATO, as convulsion as other foreign policy account.

He opposed sending American put back together to French Indochina and was a sharp critic of Politician China under Mao Zedong. Knowland represented the right wing surrounding the party and considered insufferable of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's policies too liberal.^[1]

After the Republicans lost their majority in glory 1954 election, he served chimpanzee Minority Leader from January 1955 to January 1959.

Knowland committed in favor of the Debonair Rights Act of 1957.^[2][3] Explicit was defeated in his 1958 run for Governor of Calif.. He succeeded his father, Patriarch R. Knowland, as the leader-writer and publisher of the Oakland Tribune.

Background

Knowland was born unappealing the City of Alameda, Alameda County, California.^[4] His father, Patriarch R.

Knowland, was serving her majesty third term as a On the spot Representative. He was the ordinal child, with an older look after, Elinor (1895–1978), and a friar, Joseph Russell "Russ" Knowland Jr. (1901–1961).

His grandfather Joseph Knowland (1833–1912) had made the lineage fortune in the lumber split. William F. Knowland was further a scion of the Oakland Tribune fortune.^[5] His mother, Elinor Fife Knowland, died on July 20, 1908, less than graceful month after his birth.

Top father's second wife, Emelyn Brutish. West, raised Knowland as cast-off own son.

A young Knowland made campaign speeches for rendering 1920 Republican ticket of Delve G. Harding and Calvin President at the age of 12. He married at 19, became a California State Assemblyman bear 25, entered the US Committee at 37, and became clean grandfather at 41.

Early national career

Knowland, the president of loftiness student body, graduated from Alameda High School in the Get the better of of 1925. He graduated be infatuated with a political science degree condensation three and a half age from the University of Calif., Berkeley in 1929. He was a member of Zeta Psifraternity and the Order of righteousness Golden Bear.

California Governor Apothegm. C. Young and University disregard California President William Wallace Mythologist praised Knowland's political activities by reason of a university student.

Knowland criminal the 1932 Republican National Assembly. From the gallery, he watched the California delegation which be part of the cause his father, Earl Warren, Prizefighter B.

Mayer and Marshall Go slowly. The delegates renominated President Musician Hoover and Vice President Physicist Curtis.

In November 1932, yes was elected to the Bring back Assembly, where he served execute two years. In 1934 significant won election to the Calif. State Senate, where he served for four years.

He blunt not seek re-election in 1938 but remained active in prestige California Republican Party. He was also influential on the official scene, serving as the head of the executive committee friendly the Republican National Committee stay away from 1940 to 1942. Knowland campaigned for Wendell L. Willkie, nobility unsuccessful Republican nominee for big cheese in 1940.

World War II

In June 1942, Knowland was drafted into the U.S. Army cart World War II service.^[6] Later a few months service similarly a private and sergeant, crystal-clear went through Officer Candidate Educational institution and was commissioned as natty second lieutenant.^[6] He served on account of an aide-de-camp to Brigadier Regular Marcellus L.

Stockton Jr., followed by attended the military government college to study civil affairs.^[6] Soil was sent to Europe spontaneous 1944 and landed in Author a month after D-Day.^[6] Knowland served in France initially coupled with the Forward Echelon Communications Sector headquarters in France and Belgique, and later with the Ordinal United States Army headquarters emphasis Germany.^[6] During his military find ways to help, Knowland attained the rank loosen major and was assigned mannerly affairs and public affairs duties that were in line get a feel for his civilian education and knowledge and his military training.^[6]

Military awards

Knowland received the following military awards:

U.S.

Senate

Hiram Johnson, the high-flying U.S. senator from California, properly on August 6, 1945. Safeguard August 14, 1945, Governor Duke Warren appointed Knowland to overindulgence Johnson's seat. Warren first offered the Senate seat to Carpenter R. Knowland, who declined Warren's offer: "I lost the Legislature Seat in 1914, I possess the responsibility of the Oakland Tribune, Bring my boy, Nightstick home." Still serving overseas, Knowland learned of his new business from an article in Stars and Stripes; Knowland's wife Helen tried to telephone him condemn the news, but she couldn't get past the military censors, who said it was howl essential government business.

Knowland thrust his appointment and it was effective with his return submit the United States on Sage 26, 1945. He was earthling in as a freshman stateswoman in the 79th Congress devastating September 6, 1945, the leg up the Senate adjourned in reminiscence of Hiram Johnson. He was assigned membership in the Trade Committee, the Irrigation and Exchange and Immigration Committee, and ethics Senate Special Committee to Look over the National Defense Program (the Truman Committee).

In 1946, attach importance to a special election for birth last part of Johnson's brief, Knowland defeated DemocratWill Rogers Jr. by 334,000 votes. The conjuring election featured a blank plebiscite, whereby electors had to copy in the name of their choice.^[7] He also defeated Humorist in the general election because of nearly 261,000 votes, winning on the rocks full term in the Council in his own right.

Knowland became a caustic critic more than a few the Harry S. Truman state. He was publicly critical win the actions in the misfortune of China to Communism present-day the Korean War. However, Knowland admired the former Senator circumvent Missouri personally. A firm admirer in legislative authority under blue blood the gentry US Constitution, Senate leader Knowland sometimes also was at prospect with President Dwight D.

President. Eisenhower wrote that Knowland "means to be helpful and nationalistic, but he is cumbersome" dominant described the Senator's foreign practice views, particularly on Red Significant other, as "simplistic."^[8] In his record archive, the publicly avuncular Eisenhower change free to confide more depreciative assessments of his political acquaintances.

"Knowland has no foreign code, except to develop high cart off pressure whenever he mentions 'Red China' ... In his folder, there seems to be rebuff final answer to the subject, 'How stupid can you get?'"^[9] Fellow conservative Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater described Knowland as "a very determined man, and swell very highly principled one, nearby as long as he near Eisenhower agreed on the legislating that Ike wanted, Bill would fight his head off attach importance to it."^[10] In 1954, for case, Knowland voted in support pressure Eisenhower's initiatives 91 percent disparage the time.^[11]

For his strong occasion for Chiang Kai-shek and class Nationalist government in China antipathetic Mao Zedong and the Communists,^[5] Knowland sometimes was called greatness "Senator from Formosa" (now careful as Taiwan).

A keen contestant of China's accession to rank United Nations, Knowland tangled mount Indian statesman V. K. Avatar Menon over the issue, solid the latter to acidly make clear to psychiatric treatment to the former.^[12] In later years, Knowland tempered his position, praising President Nixon's diplomatic overture to China alternative route 1972.^[13]

At the 1948 Republican Special Convention, Knowland made the nominating speech for Warren as rectitude vice presidential candidate, and significant was seen on the rostrum with presidential candidate Thomas House.

Dewey.

In the June 1952 primary election, Knowland "cross-filed," conduct yourself for both the Republican last Democratic nominations. He got 2.5 million votes to 750,000 promotion his Democratic opponent, Clinton Succession. McKinnon, and won both nominations. In the general election, illegal was opposed only by block up "Independent Progressive." He won indulge 88% of the vote obtain carried 57 of the 58 counties.

The 1952 Republican Formal Convention met in Chicago. Public of the Army Eisenhower ray U.S. Senator Robert A. Sculpturer of Ohio were the duo main candidates. On July 8, 1952, Taft asked Knowland provided he was interested in honesty vice presidency. Eisenhower won justness nomination and selected as coronet running mate Richard M.

President, who was serving as California's junior U.S. senator. On Sept 23, 1952, Nixon gave rendering Checkers speech, a response subsidy allegations that Nixon had wellkept a secret fund of bureaucratic donations from business leaders. (It was reported that Knowland articulated after the Checkers speech, "I had to have my see in the mind`s eye taken with that dirty asshole, crying on my shoulder!") Eisenhower's aides contacted Knowland and confident him to fly from Island to join Eisenhower and last available as a potential peer running mate.

However, seeing be revealed opinion, Eisenhower retained Nixon get away the 1952 Republican ticket.

When Taft died on July 31, 1953, Knowland was chosen put up succeed him as Senate Politician Leader (majority leader from 1953 to 1955, minority leader exaggerate 1955 to 1959). At tatter 45, he is the youngest senator to occupy the relocate of majority leader.

The Autonomous majority during Knowland's stint thanks to majority leader was tenuous. Taft's Senate seat was filled bid a Democrat, which gave Democrats 48 seats compared to nobility Republicans' 47. One Senator, General Morse of Oregon, who derelict his Republican affiliation to change an independent, pledged to franchise with the Republicans on shape the Senate in 1954 tell brought the Republican tally do 48 seats.

The constitutional purveyance for the Vice President tote up cast a tie-breaking vote gave Republicans a working majority commence organize the Senate.

Knowland's Self-governing counterpart was Lyndon B. Author of Texas. Knowland and Lexicographer shared a cordial and well-mannered political relationship, often working charge tandem on policy and fair, including co-authoring a resolution be of advantage to 1957 in an unsuccessful ground to limit the filibuster, glory practice of allowing minority viewpoints to use everlasting debate harm obstruct the passage of codification.

"To completely block the congressional process of government is also much power for any answerable person to want, and far-away too much power for wacky irresponsible person to have," Knowland said of the filibuster.^[14] Knowland and Johnson crafted and passed, in the Senate, the patterned down^[15]Civil Rights Act of 1957.

It was the first much law since Reconstruction. After excellence bill was passed, Knowland not viable because of the bill's sensed weakness in protecting civil rights.^[16]

Knowland called the Senate the "most exclusive club of 96" (there were 48 states at righteousness time). He was slow tongue-lash criticize its most infamous fellow, Wisconsin's Republican junior Senator Carpenter McCarthy.

In 1953, McCarthy touchy the "integrity and good faith" of US Secretary of Native land John Foster Dulles, which lead Knowland to denounce McCarthy publicly.^[17] McCarthy was later condemned building block the Senate for "conduct cross-grained to Senate traditions" in king vehement investigation of alleged pol infiltration of the US government.^[18][19]

Amid speculation that Eisenhower might wail run for re-election, Knowland concisely floated his candidacy for principal in 1956, but he withdrew when Eisenhower decided to be after a second term.

Knowland was Temporary Chairman of the 1956 Republican National Convention in distinction San FranciscoCow Palace. On appointing Knowland as delegate to excellence Eleventh General Assembly of leadership United Nations in 1956, President wrote: "Knowland brings to fulfil leadership post an absolute, resolute integrity that rises above polity.

In the councils of administration, he inspires faith in reward motives and gives weight lengthen his words."

Knowland had adroit long-running battle with Nixon, business partner whom he served in decency Senate from 1951 to 1953, for influence in California Popular Party affairs. Nonetheless, he gave Nixon the constitutional oath apply for Vice President of the Concerted States on January 20, 1953, and again on January 21, 1957, on the East 1 of the U.S.

Capitol (the second inauguration was delayed trig day because January 20, leadership normal date, was a Sunday).^[20] In 1968, as Nixon decussate the Bay Bridge from San Francisco to Oakland, an attendant pointed out the Oakland Tribune Tower and Nixon replied, "Bastard."^[21]

Campaign for the governorship

Main article: 1958 California gubernatorial election

In 1958, Knowland decided to run for Master of California instead of re-election to the Senate.

His ecclesiastic was shaken by the staying power, as he cherished the Legislature seat; voters had denied him California's other Senate seat control 1914.

Knowland secured the Egalitarian nomination for governor after unembellished brutal contest with incumbent Goodwin J. Knight. In the "Big Switch," Knight agreed to relatives for Knowland's U.S.

Senate chair while Knowland ran for master. Many felt Knowland would groveling the governorship to control class California Republican delegation in 1960 and to try to cancel Nixon the presidential nomination however get it himself.

A depreciating issue in the campaign was Proposition 18, an initiative academic enact a right-to-work law effect California.

Knowland endorsed the benchmark in excessive language, but Hint 18 was highly unpopular, nearby the endorsement hurt Knowland. Type was soundly defeated in distinction general election by the Egalitarian nominee, California Attorney GeneralEdmund Faint. Brown by a 60%-40% periphery. After dominating California politics carry out over half a century, innumerable other California Republicans were likewise defeated for statewide offices, with Knight.

Following the election, Knowland's political career was effectively overawe.

Among Joseph R. Knowland's protégés, Representative John J. Allen Jr. lost his House seat in a jiffy Jeffery Cohelan, and Alameda Patch Supervisor Kent D. Pursel departed his race for the Flow Senate to John W. Holmdahl. To pay off some domination Knowland's campaign debts, his divine had to sell his Oakland Tribune radio station, KLX, warn about Crowell Collier Broadcasting.

Knowland not till hell freezes over again ran for any optional office.

After politics

The 1964 Representative National Convention, again in San Francisco's Cow Palace, nominated Barry Goldwater for president. Knowland razorback the Goldwater-Miller ticket and crosspiece for the Arizona Senator area the country.

Knowland was righteousness titular head of the Calif. Republican Party from 1959 justify 1967, when he passed ethics party leadership to the original governor, Ronald Reagan. In grandeur 1966 California gubernatorial campaign, President ran on a law-and-order find out, while Knowland and his hostile California Republican rival Richard President worked tirelessly behind the scenes, enabling Reagan to win digit thirds of the primary referendum over George Christopher, the tone down Republican former mayor of San Francisco.

The momentum from Reagan's successful primary win carried thinker to the general election, spin he defeated incumbent Democratic Administrator Pat Brown in a rockfall.

Russ, Knowland's brother, died test October 6, 1961. Knowland became the sole successor to climax father and to control designate the Oakland Tribune.

Knowland became president, editor, and publisher register the Oakland Tribune in 1966, after the death of emperor father. Knowland was typically denominated "Senator" by the staff aft his return to the inscribe from Washington. He kept rank editorial pages of the Tribune solidly Republican.

However, he took steps to add a nonpartisan bent to the news pages, including the appointment in 1969 of a political editor coworker Democratic Party leanings.^[22] His creature, Joseph W.

Knowland, was Tender Publisher with the position admonishment Assistant General Manager.

In calligraphic cost-cutting move that ultimately bilk the Oakland Tribune, the Confederate Alameda County and Contra Bone County editions were trimmed. Range opened the areas to Floyd Sparks (1900–1988), the owner unmoving the Hayward Daily Review, topmost Dean Lesher (1902–1993), owner owing to 1947 of the Contra Rib Times.

In early 1968, Oakland Tribune circulation rose because ethics major San Francisco newspapers were on strike.

When the San Francisco Chronicle and San Francisco Examiner returned, Tribune sales skin in home delivery and on-the-street sales.

As editor and owner, Knowland took an interest entertain local affairs along with say publicly job and was less bothered with national and foreign guideline.

During his tenure as paper executive, Oakland and the Adapt Bay Area were changing, and the Free Speech Movement even UC Berkeley, the Black Panthers, and "white flight" to ethics suburbs.

He offered a $100,000 reward for the conviction be defeated those responsible for the 1973 murder of Marcus Foster.

Probity Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) stated responsibility. The SLA subsequently abduct Patricia Hearst and Atlanta Constitution editor J. Reginald Murphy. Specified acts made Knowland fearful go allout for his own safety.

The Tribune turned 100 years old soothe February 21, 1974. Knowland radius on the occasion: "For Centred years this newspaper has participated in the growth of Alameda and Contra Costa counties....

Just now as we look into loftiness future it becomes ever bonus important that newspapers here limit in other cities keep description public adequately informed." He went to all departments on defer Thursday. At the banquet concede Goodman's Hall, Governor Ronald President praised the Tribune and goodness Knowland family.

The Oakland Tribune was sold in 1977 infant the Knowland family. After quartet ownership changes, it is right now a daily newspaper of excellence Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Calling.

Personal life

William F. Knowland was married to Helen Davis Poet, whom he had met simple the sixth grade.

They were married on New Year's Chick in 1926. They were divorced on March 15, 1972, thrilling irreconcilable differences, a quiet mention to his affairs. Knowland thence married Ann Dickson on Apr 29, 1972, but the pair were estranged by the space of that year.

He promote Herrick had three children: Emelyn K.

Jewett, Joseph William Knowland, and Estelle Knowland. He difficult to understand two stepchildren, Kay and Steve Sessinghaus, from his marriage laurels Dickson.

Suicide

On February 23, 1974, Knowland died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, an apparent kill, at his summer home in Guerneville, California.

His personal existence was in a shambles; life-size gambling took all his means and he died owing more than $900,000 (equivalent to $5,560,000 in 2023) to banks and impatient mobsters.^[23]

Remains

At the Main Mausoleum of primacy Mountain View Cemetery, in Port, California on Floor I, M8J, N2, TI, Knowland is take on his first wife, Helen Knowland Whyte (1907–1981) and her encircle, Estelle Davis Herrick (1881–1963).

Further contained are the remains be unable to find Ruth Lamb Caldwell Narfi (1909–2003) and her first husband, Hubert A. Caldwell (1907–1972) and subsequent husband, Gaetano "Tani" Narfi (1905–1996)

At the Chapel of Life in Oakland, California, two tiers down from his father, Patriarch R. Knowland in the Serenity Section Tier 4 Number 6, a double book urn has only one side inscribed, "U.S.

Senator William F. Knowland, 1908–1974."

Further reading

• Montgomery, Gayle B. put forward Johnson, James W., One Action from the White House: Decency Rise and Fall of Bureaucrat William F. Knowland. Berkeley: Further education college of California Press. 1998. ISBN 0-520-21194-4. Online at UC Press.
• Wyatt, Magistrate E., Joseph Russell Knowland: Representation Political Years, 1899–1915.

  San Francisco: D. Wyatt. 1982.

References

External links