Warren G. Magnuson
Encyclopedia
Warren Grant "Maggie" Magnuson (April 12, 1905 May 20, 1989) was a United States Senator
of the Democratic Party
from Washington from 1944 until 1981. Upon leaving the Senate, he was the most senior member
of the body. Magnuson also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives
, representing the from 1937 to 1944.
and Swedish
parentage, was born in Moorhead, Minnesota
. He grew up in the Midwest
and moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington
and the University of Washington School of Law
. Magnuson was a member of Theta Chi
fraternity. In 1928 he married Peggins Maddieux, who had won the 1927 "Miss Seattle" beauty contest
. Magnuson divorced in 1935 and dated a number of glamorous women, including heiress
and cover girl
June Millarde and actress Carol Parker. In 1964, he married Jermaine Peralta with whom he remained for the rest of his life.
and as King County
Prosecutor. Magnuson was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1936, filling a vacancy caused by the sudden and still mysterious death of fellow Democrat Marion Zioncheck
on August 7, 1936. In 1937, along with senators Homer Bone and Matthew Neely, Magnuson introduced the National Cancer Institute Act, which was signed into law by Franklin Roosevelt on August 5 of that year. He won re-election in 1938, 1940, and 1942. After the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Magnuson was a staunch supporter of the U.S. war effort.
In 1944, Magnuson successfully ran for U.S. Senate. He was appointed on December 14, 1944 to fill the vacancy created by Homer Bone's appointment to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
, thus resigning from the House and starting his service in the Senate a month early.
Magnuson served in the United States Navy
during World War II
. He was aboard the aircraft carrier for several months, seeing heavy combat in the Pacific Theatre
until President Franklin D. Roosevelt
ordered all congressmen on active duty to return home.
He was re-elected in 1950, 1956, 1962, 1968, and 1974. He served on the Senate Commerce Committee throughout his tenure in the Senate, and the Senate Appropriations Committee during his final term. Magnuson served most of his tenure in the Senate alongside his friend and Democratic colleague from Washington State, Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson
. Magnuson was defeated in a bid for re-election by Slade Gorton
in 1980.
In November, 1961, President John Kennedy visited Seattle and was an honored guest at a celebration honoring Magnuson's first 25 years in Congress. , Nearly 3,000 people paid $100 a person to attend the dinner.
At least three important pieces of legislation bear his name: the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act of 1943 (commonly referred to as the Magnuson Act), and the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
. He was also instrumental in keeping supertankers out of Puget Sound
, by slipping an amendment to a routine funding reauthorization bill through on the Senate and House consent calendars.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
from Washington from 1944 until 1981. Upon leaving the Senate, he was the most senior member
Dean of the United States Senate
The Dean of the United States Senate is an informal term used to refer to the Senator with the longest continuous service. The current Dean is Daniel Inouye of Hawaii...
of the body. Magnuson also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, representing the from 1937 to 1944.
Background
Magnuson, who was of NorwegianNorway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
parentage, was born in Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead, Minnesota
Moorhead is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States, and the largest city in northwest Minnesota. The population was 38,065 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Clay County....
. He grew up in the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
and moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
and the University of Washington School of Law
University of Washington School of Law
The University of Washington School of Law is the law school of the University of Washington, located on the northwest corner of the main campus in Seattle, Washington.The most recent 2012 U.S...
. Magnuson was a member of Theta Chi
Theta Chi
Theta Chi Fraternity is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 as the Theta Chi Society, at Norwich University, Norwich, Vermont, U.S., and was the 21st of the 71 North-American Interfraternity Conference men's fraternities.-Founding and early years at Norwich:Theta...
fraternity. In 1928 he married Peggins Maddieux, who had won the 1927 "Miss Seattle" beauty contest
Beauty contest
A beauty pageant or beauty contest, is a competition that mainly focuses on the physical beauty of its contestants, although such contests often incorporate personality, talent, and answers to judges' questions as judged criteria...
. Magnuson divorced in 1935 and dated a number of glamorous women, including heiress
Beneficiary
A beneficiary in the broadest sense is a natural person or other legal entity who receives money or other benefits from a benefactor. For example: The beneficiary of a life insurance policy, is the person who receives the payment of the amount of insurance after the death of the insured...
and cover girl
Cover girl
A cover girl is a woman whose photograph features on the front cover of a magazine. She may be a model, celebrity or entertainer. The term would generally not be used to describe a casual, once-off appearance by a person on the cover of a magazine....
June Millarde and actress Carol Parker. In 1964, he married Jermaine Peralta with whom he remained for the rest of his life.
Career
After graduating from law school in 1929, Magnuson landed a job as the secretary (director) of the Seattle Municipal League, which enabled him to establish close relationships with Seattle business and civic leaders. In 1932 Magnuson was a founding member of The Young Democrats of Washington. He first ran for office in 1932, winning a state House of Representatives seat from Seattle. Magnuson served in the Washington State LegislatureWashington State Legislature
The Washington State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a bipartisan, bicameral body, composed of the lower Washington House of Representatives, composed of 98 Representatives, and the upper Washington State Senate, with 49 Senators.The State Legislature...
and as King County
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
Prosecutor. Magnuson was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1936, filling a vacancy caused by the sudden and still mysterious death of fellow Democrat Marion Zioncheck
Marion Zioncheck
Marion Anthony Zioncheck , an American politician, served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1933 until his death in 1936. He represented as a Democrat....
on August 7, 1936. In 1937, along with senators Homer Bone and Matthew Neely, Magnuson introduced the National Cancer Institute Act, which was signed into law by Franklin Roosevelt on August 5 of that year. He won re-election in 1938, 1940, and 1942. After the Attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
Magnuson was a staunch supporter of the U.S. war effort.
In 1944, Magnuson successfully ran for U.S. Senate. He was appointed on December 14, 1944 to fill the vacancy created by Homer Bone's appointment to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
, thus resigning from the House and starting his service in the Senate a month early.
Magnuson served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was aboard the aircraft carrier for several months, seeing heavy combat in the Pacific Theatre
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
until President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
ordered all congressmen on active duty to return home.
He was re-elected in 1950, 1956, 1962, 1968, and 1974. He served on the Senate Commerce Committee throughout his tenure in the Senate, and the Senate Appropriations Committee during his final term. Magnuson served most of his tenure in the Senate alongside his friend and Democratic colleague from Washington State, Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson
Henry M. Jackson
Henry Martin "Scoop" Jackson was a U.S. Congressman and Senator from the state of Washington from 1941 until his death...
. Magnuson was defeated in a bid for re-election by Slade Gorton
Slade Gorton
Thomas Slade Gorton III is an American politician. A Republican, he was a U.S. senator from Washington state from 1981 to 1987, and from 1989 to 2001. He held both of the state's Senate seats in his career and was narrowly defeated for reelection twice as an incumbent: in 1986 by Brock Adams, and...
in 1980.
In November, 1961, President John Kennedy visited Seattle and was an honored guest at a celebration honoring Magnuson's first 25 years in Congress. , Nearly 3,000 people paid $100 a person to attend the dinner.
At least three important pieces of legislation bear his name: the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Chinese Exclusion Repeal Act of 1943 (commonly referred to as the Magnuson Act), and the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act
The Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act is a United States federal law, . Enacted in 1975, it is the federal statute that governs warranties on consumer products. The Act was sponsored by Senator Warren G. Magnuson of Washington and U.S. Rep John E...
. He was also instrumental in keeping supertankers out of Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
, by slipping an amendment to a routine funding reauthorization bill through on the Senate and House consent calendars.
Namesakes
- Warren G. Magnuson Health Sciences BuildingWarren G. Magnuson Health Sciences BuildingThe Warren G. Magnuson Health Sciences Building is part of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington and the world's largest single university building with a total floor area of . Although the building is made up of over 20 wings built over more than 50 years, the interior hallways are...
at the University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
's Health Sciences building complex was named in his honor in 1970. - Warren Magnuson's Senate desk is located in an alcove in the Suzzallo LibrarySuzzallo LibrarySuzzallo Library is the central library of the University of Washington in Seattle, and perhaps the most recognizable building on campus. It is named for Henry Suzzallo, who was president of the University of Washington until he stepped down in 1926, the same year the first phase of the library's...
graduate reading room at the University of Washington. - Warren G. Magnuson Clinical Center at the National Institutes of HealthNational Institutes of HealthThe National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
in Bethesda, MarylandBethesda, MarylandBethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
is also named for Senator Warren Magnuson. - Warren G. Magnuson ParkMagnuson Park (Seattle)Magnuson Park is a 350 acre park on Sand Point at Pontiac Bay, Lake Washington, in the Sand Point neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. The park is the second largest in Seattle, after 534 acre Discovery Park in Magnolia. It is located on the spot of the former Naval Station Puget Sound...
in SeattleSeattle, WashingtonSeattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
was named in his honor in 1977. - Warren G. Magnuson Puget Sound Legacy Award has been established by the People For Puget Sound
- The Washington State Democratic Party holds an annual Magnuson awards dinner (sometimes referred to as the Maggies, per his nickname).
- The Intercollegiate College of Nursing building in Spokane, WA on Fort George Wright Drive near Spokane Falls Community College is also named after him.
Related reading
- Scates, Shelby Warren G. Magnuson and the Shaping of Twentieth-Century America (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1997)
External links
- Washington State History Link Entry
- NIH Clinical Center — The research hospital was renamed the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center in his honor on October 22, 1981.
- Warren G. Magnuson Puget Sound Legacy Awards