Ernest Gruening

Ernest Henry Gruening ( born February 6, 1887 in New York City; † June 26 1974 in Washington DC ) was an American politician (Democratic Party) and 1939-1953 Governor of the Alaska Territory and 1959-1969 U.S. Senator for the State of Alaska.

Early years

Gruening graduated in 1907 at Harvard University and in 1912 at Harvard Medical School. Then he turned away from medicine and devoted himself to journalism. At first he worked in 1912 as a reporter for the Boston American, then moved to the editorial office and later worked as one rewrite for the Boston Evening Herald, where he worked as an editorial writer from 1912 to 1913. In the following four years Gruening was a senior editor ( managing editor ) first with the Boston Evening Traveler, and then at the New York Tribune active. After the First World War Gruening was from 1920 to 1923 as editor of The Nation from 1932 to 1933 and worked for the New York Post.

Political career

Fascinated by the New Deal policy, Gruening decided to pursue a political career. It was in 1933 used as a U.S. delegate of the 7th Inter- American Conference, was then from 1934 to 1939 director of the Division of Territories and Possessions Iceland of the Department of the Interior, as well as 1935-1937 Administrator of the Puerto Rico Reconstruction. He then moved to Alaska International Highway Commission, where he worked from 1938 to 1942. In 1939 he was appointed Governor of the Alaska Territory, a post he held for the next 14 years. He also was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1952, 1956 and 1960.

Before accepting Alaska as 49th state on January 3, 1959 in the Union, Gruening in 1958 elected to the U.S. Senate, where he remained for the next ten years. Gruenings most notable act as a senator was to voted against the Tonkin Gulf Resolution, which ushered in the Vietnam War. He and Wayne Morse of Oregon were the only senators who did this. He was also responsible for the introduction of the Congressional resolution meant to establish the statewide 911 emergency number.

Gruening was defeated in 1968 at his renewed candidacy for re- election to the Senate by Mike Gravel. Gravel beat Gruening in the Democratic primary, after which Gruening took as an Independent in the general election, finishing in third place. He remained politically active, was president of an investment company, and worked as a consultant in legal matters.

Honors

The Ernest Gruening Building, a school building at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, is named after him. 1977 Alaska donated a statue of Ernest Gruening at the United States Capitol 's National Statuary Hall Collection. The Ernest Gruening Middle School in Eagle River, Alaska was named after him.