The U.S. Senate Leadership Portrait Collection, Summaries of History

Download The U.S. Senate Leadership Portrait Collection and more Summaries History in PDF only on Docsity! THE U.S. SENATE LEADERSHIP PORTRAIT COLLECTION ( ae UNITED STATES q SENATE peg History of the Collection Interest in memorializing Senate leaders was sparked by the Leader’s Lecture Series, a program that presented outstanding former Senate leaders with the opportunity to share their insights about the Senate’s recent history and long-term practices. Established by Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi, the series was developed “to foster a deeper appre- ciation of the Senate as an institution,” and “to consider the wisdom—and enjoy the wit—of those who have been giants in our time.” To honor its past leaders, the United States Senate has established the Senate Leadership Portrait Collection. While the Senate has long hon- ored vice presidents with marble portrait busts in the Capitol, this leadership series is the Senate’s first effort to develop a The U.S. SenaTe LeaderShip porTraiT CoLLeCTion Howard Baker, Jr., of Tennessee, Republican leader 1977–1985, by Herbert Abrams leadership than individual committee chairmen and other senior members could provide. The crisis of World War I and the battle over its concluding treaty further spurred the evolution of floor leader- ship, and in the 1920s Senate party caucuses began regularly designating their official floor leaders. In 1927, Democratic Leader Joseph T. Robinson initiated the tradition of sitting at the front-row, center- aisle desk on his party’s side of the Senate Chamber. Ten years later, his Repub -lican counterpart, Charles McNary, took the corresponding front-row desk across the aisle. This prime location placed both leaders in easy view of the presiding officer and led to another major milestone in the evolution of Senate leadership. Soon after both lead- ers had settled into their front-row seats, the Senate agreed to a procedure that effec- tively defined the position of floor leader as we know it today. Under a rule requiring the presid- ing officer to “recog- nize the Senator who shall first address him,” the Senate fur- ther required the presiding officer to Senator Everett M. Dirksen of Illinois, Republican leader 1959– 1969, by Richard Hood Harryman Joseph T. Robinson of Arkansas, Democratic leader 1923–1937, by Nicholas R. Brewer recognize first the majority leader and then the minority leader before allowing any other senator seeking recognition to speak. As Senator Howard Baker, Jr. once observed, this is one of the few tools with which a leader may try to make mem- bers “act in concert under rules that encourage polite anarchy.” The floor leaders’ strategic seat- ing position evolved into a floor command post, as it placed the two leaders closer to the presiding officer than any other member and gave them easy access to party staff aides located at tables in front of the rostrum. Today, the majority leader, in close con- sultation with the minority leader, is principally responsi- ble for setting the Senate’s legislative agenda and speaking not only for his own party but for the entire Senate. The two leaders’ tasks require patience, diplomacy, and an acute sense of timing. They must balance the conflicting demands for extended deliberation with calls for timely action. The evolution of these two vital positions can safely be considered the most significant institutional development of the Senate’s history. Mike Mansfield of Montana, Democratic leader 1961–1977, by Aaron Shikler THE U.S. SENATE LEADERSHIP PORTRAIT COLLECTION ( ae UNITED STATES q SENATE peg History of the Collection Interest in memorializing Senate leaders was sparked by the Leader’s Lecture Series, a program that presented outstanding former Senate leaders with the opportunity to share their insights about the Senate’s recent history and long-term practices. Established by Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi, the series was developed “to foster a deeper appre- ciation of the Senate as an institution,” and “to consider the wisdom—and enjoy the wit—of those who have been giants in our time.” To honor its past leaders, the United States Senate has established the Senate Leadership Portrait Collection. While the Senate has long hon- ored vice presidents with marble portrait busts in the Capitol, this leadership series is the Senate’s first effort to develop a The U.S. SenaTe LeaderShip porTraiT CoLLeCTion Howard Baker, Jr., of Tennessee, Republican leader 1977–1985, by Herbert Abrams leadership than individual committee chairmen and other senior members could provide. The crisis of World War I and the battle over its concluding treaty further spurred the evolution of floor leader- ship, and in the 1920s Senate party caucuses began regularly designating their official floor leaders. In 1927, Democratic Leader Joseph T. Robinson initiated the tradition of sitting at the front-row, center- aisle desk on his party’s side of the Senate Chamber. Ten years later, his Repub -lican counterpart, Charles McNary, took the corresponding front-row desk across the aisle. This prime location placed both leaders in easy view of the presiding officer and led to another major milestone in the evolution of Senate leadership. Soon after both lead- ers had settled into their front-row seats, the Senate agreed to a procedure that effec- tively defined the position of floor leader as we know it today. Under a rule requiring the presid- ing officer to “recog- nize the Senator who shall first address him,” the Senate fur- ther required the presiding officer to Senator Everett M. Dirksen of Illinois, Republican leader 1959– 1969, by Richard Hood Harryman Joseph T. Robinson of Arkansas, Democratic leader 1923–1937, by Nicholas R. Brewer recognize first the majority leader and then the minority leader before allowing any other senator seeking recognition to speak. As Senator Howard Baker, Jr. once observed, this is one of the few tools with which a leader may try to make mem- bers “act in concert under rules that encourage polite anarchy.” The floor leaders’ strategic seat- ing position evolved into a floor command post, as it placed the two leaders closer to the presiding officer than any other member and gave them easy access to party staff aides located at tables in front of the rostrum. Today, the majority leader, in close con- sultation with the minority leader, is principally responsi- ble for setting the Senate’s legislative agenda and speaking not only for his own party but for the entire Senate. The two leaders’ tasks require patience, diplomacy, and an acute sense of timing. They must balance the conflicting demands for extended deliberation with calls for timely action. The evolution of these two vital positions can safely be considered the most significant institutional development of the Senate’s history. Mike Mansfield of Montana, Democratic leader 1961–1977, by Aaron Shikler Republican Floor Leaders Name State Years Charles Curtis Kansas 1925–1929 James E. Watson Indiana 1929–1933 Charles L. McNary1 Oregon 1933–1944 Wallace H. White, Jr. Maine 1945–1949 Kenneth S. Wherry Nebraska 1949–1951 Henry Styles Bridges New Hampshire 1952–1953 Robert A. Taft Ohio 1953 William F. Knowland California 1953–1959 Everett M. Dirksen Illinois 1959–1969 Hugh D. Scott, Jr. Pennsylvania 1969–1977 Howard H. Baker, Jr. Tennessee 1977–1985 Robert J. Dole2 Kansas 1985–1996 Trent Lott Mississippi 1996–2002 William H. Frist, M.D. Tennessee 2002–2007 Mitch McConnell Kentucky 2007–present Democratic Floor Leaders Name State Years Oscar W. Underwood Alabama 1920–1923 Joseph T. Robinson Arkansas 1923–1937 Alben W. Barkley Kentucky 1937–1949 Scott W. Lucas Illinois 1949–1951 Ernest W. McFarland Arizona 1951–1953 Lyndon B. Johnson Texas 1953–1961 Mike Mansfield3 Montana 1961–1977 Robert C. Byrd West Virginia 1977–1988 George J. Mitchell Maine 1989–1995 Thomas A. Daschle South Dakota 1995–2005 Harry Reid Nevada 2005–present (1) In 1940, at the request of Senator McNary, Senator Warren R. Austin of Vermont served as acting leader. In succeeding years, although McNary was still officially listed as minority leader until his death on February 25, 1944, Wallace White, Jr. served as acting leader. (2) On December 22, 1995, Senator Robert Dole broke Charles McNary’s record as the longest-serving Republican floor leader, having served since January 3, 1985, 10 years, 11 months, and 9 days. (3) Senator Mike Mansfield holds the record as the longest-serving Democratic floor leader, having served 16 years.