see it in action at the U of Missouri and Yale....look real close.
This article is about the U.S. Senator from Wisconsin (1947–57). For other people named Joseph McCarthy, seeJoseph McCarthy (disambiguation).
Joseph McCarthy
United States Senator
fromWisconsin
In office
January 3, 1947 – May 2, 1957
Preceded by Robert M. La Follette Jr.
Succeeded by William Proxmire
Personal details
Born Joseph Raymond McCarthy
November 14, 1908
Grand Chute, Wisconsin
Died May 2, 1957(aged 48)
Bethesda, Maryland
Resting place Saint Marys Cemetery
44°14′40″N88°26′30″W
Nationality American
Political party Republican(1944–1957)
Other political
affiliations Democratic(c. 1936–1944)
Spouse(s) Jean Fraser Kerr Minetti
Children Tierney Elizabeth McCarthy
Parents
Marquette University Law School(LL.B.)
Profession
Portfolio Chairperson for federal investigations of Communists in the U.S. government
Religion Roman Catholicism
Awards Distinguished Flying Cross
Signature
Military service
Nickname(s) "Tail-Gunner Joe", "Low-Blow Joe"
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Marine Corps
Years of service 1942–1945
Rank
Captain
Battles/wars World War II
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy(November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was anAmerican politicianwho served as aRepublicanU.S. Senatorfrom the state ofWisconsinfrom 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visible public face of a period in whichCold Wartensions fueled fears of widespreadCommunistsubversion.[1]He was noted for making claims that there were large numbers of Communists andSovietspies and sympathizers inside the United States federal government and elsewhere. Ultimately, his tactics and inability to substantiate his claims led him to becensuredby the United States Senate.
The termMcCarthyism,coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's practices, was soon applied to similaranti-communistactivities. Today the term is used more generally in reference todemagogic, reckless, and unsubstantiated accusations, as well as public attacks on the character or patriotism of political opponents.[2]
McCarthy was born in 1908 in theTown of Grand ChuteinOutagamie County, Wisconsinand attendedMarquette University, eventually earning anLL.B.degree fromMarquette University Law School.[3]At age 33, McCarthy volunteered for theUnited States Marine Corpsand served during World War II. He successfully ran for the United States Senate in 1946, defeatingRobert M. La Follette Jr.After three largely undistinguished years in the Senate, McCarthy rose suddenly to national fame in February 1950 when he asserted in a speech that he had a list of "members of the Communist Party and members of a spy ring" who were employed in theState Department.[4]
In succeeding years after his 1950 speech, McCarthy made additional accusations of Communist infiltration into the State Department, the administration of PresidentHarry S. Truman, theVoice of America, and theUnited States Army. He also used various charges of communism, communist sympathies, disloyalty, or homosexuality to attack a number of politicians and other individuals inside and outside of government.[5]
Not as widely known as McCarthy's anti-Communist crusade were his various attempts to intimidate, and expel from government positions, persons whom he accused, or threatened to publicly accuse, ofhomosexuality. Former U.S. SenatorAlan K. Simpsonhas written: "The so-called 'Red Scare' has been the main focus of most historians of that period of time. A lesser-known element...and one that harmed far more people was the witch-hunt McCarthy and others conducted against homosexuals."[6]This anti-homosexual witch-hunt that McCarthy and others waged alongside their "Red Scare" tactics has been referred to by some as the "Lavender Scare".[7]
With the highly publicizedArmy–McCarthy hearingsof 1954, and following the death ofSenator Lester Huntof Wyoming by suicide that same year,[8]McCarthy's support and popularity faded. On December 2, 1954, the Senate voted tocensureSenator McCarthy by a vote of 67 to 22, making him one of the few senators ever to be disciplined in this fashion. McCarthy died inBethesda Naval Hospitalon May 2, 1957, at the age of 48. The official cause of death was acutehepatitis; it is widely accepted that this was caused, or at least exacerbated, by alcoholism.[9]
This article is about the U.S. Senator from Wisconsin (1947–57). For other people named Joseph McCarthy, seeJoseph McCarthy (disambiguation).
Joseph McCarthy
United States Senator
fromWisconsin
In office
January 3, 1947 – May 2, 1957
Preceded by Robert M. La Follette Jr.
Succeeded by William Proxmire
Personal details
Born Joseph Raymond McCarthy
November 14, 1908
Grand Chute, Wisconsin
Died May 2, 1957(aged 48)
Bethesda, Maryland
Resting place Saint Marys Cemetery
Nationality American
Political party Republican(1944–1957)
Other political
affiliations Democratic(c. 1936–1944)
Spouse(s) Jean Fraser Kerr Minetti
Children Tierney Elizabeth McCarthy
Parents
- Timothy McCarthy (father)
- Bridget Tierney (mother)
Marquette University Law School(LL.B.)
Profession
- Attorney
- Judge
- Politician
Portfolio Chairperson for federal investigations of Communists in the U.S. government
Religion Roman Catholicism
Awards Distinguished Flying Cross
Signature
Military service
Nickname(s) "Tail-Gunner Joe", "Low-Blow Joe"
Allegiance United States
Service/branch United States Marine Corps
Years of service 1942–1945
Rank
CaptainBattles/wars World War II
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy(November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was anAmerican politicianwho served as aRepublicanU.S. Senatorfrom the state ofWisconsinfrom 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visible public face of a period in whichCold Wartensions fueled fears of widespreadCommunistsubversion.[1]He was noted for making claims that there were large numbers of Communists andSovietspies and sympathizers inside the United States federal government and elsewhere. Ultimately, his tactics and inability to substantiate his claims led him to becensuredby the United States Senate.
The termMcCarthyism,coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's practices, was soon applied to similaranti-communistactivities. Today the term is used more generally in reference todemagogic, reckless, and unsubstantiated accusations, as well as public attacks on the character or patriotism of political opponents.[2]
McCarthy was born in 1908 in theTown of Grand ChuteinOutagamie County, Wisconsinand attendedMarquette University, eventually earning anLL.B.degree fromMarquette University Law School.[3]At age 33, McCarthy volunteered for theUnited States Marine Corpsand served during World War II. He successfully ran for the United States Senate in 1946, defeatingRobert M. La Follette Jr.After three largely undistinguished years in the Senate, McCarthy rose suddenly to national fame in February 1950 when he asserted in a speech that he had a list of "members of the Communist Party and members of a spy ring" who were employed in theState Department.[4]
In succeeding years after his 1950 speech, McCarthy made additional accusations of Communist infiltration into the State Department, the administration of PresidentHarry S. Truman, theVoice of America, and theUnited States Army. He also used various charges of communism, communist sympathies, disloyalty, or homosexuality to attack a number of politicians and other individuals inside and outside of government.[5]
Not as widely known as McCarthy's anti-Communist crusade were his various attempts to intimidate, and expel from government positions, persons whom he accused, or threatened to publicly accuse, ofhomosexuality. Former U.S. SenatorAlan K. Simpsonhas written: "The so-called 'Red Scare' has been the main focus of most historians of that period of time. A lesser-known element...and one that harmed far more people was the witch-hunt McCarthy and others conducted against homosexuals."[6]This anti-homosexual witch-hunt that McCarthy and others waged alongside their "Red Scare" tactics has been referred to by some as the "Lavender Scare".[7]
With the highly publicizedArmy–McCarthy hearingsof 1954, and following the death ofSenator Lester Huntof Wyoming by suicide that same year,[8]McCarthy's support and popularity faded. On December 2, 1954, the Senate voted tocensureSenator McCarthy by a vote of 67 to 22, making him one of the few senators ever to be disciplined in this fashion. McCarthy died inBethesda Naval Hospitalon May 2, 1957, at the age of 48. The official cause of death was acutehepatitis; it is widely accepted that this was caused, or at least exacerbated, by alcoholism.[9]
