Thruston Ballard Morton
| Thruston Ballard Morton | |
|---|---|
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| United States Senator from Kentucky |
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| In office January 3, 1957 – December 16, 1968 |
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| Preceded by | Earle C. Clements |
| Succeeded by | Marlow W. Cook |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 19, 1907 Louisville, Kentucky |
| Died | August 14, 1982 (aged 74) Louisville, Kentucky |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Yale University |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Naval Reserve |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Thruston Ballard Morton (August 19, 1907 – August 14, 1982), a Republican, represented Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate.
Biography
He was born in Louisville and received a B.A. with the Yale Class of 1929.
Morton won his seat in the House by defeating incumbent Democrat Emmet O'Neal in 1946, 61,899 votes to 44,599. He served three terms in the House, January 3, 1947, to January 3, 1953.
After leaving the House, Morton served as Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations[1] in the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower.
In 1956 Morton, by a very narrow margin, defeated incumbent Democratic United States Senator Earle C. Clements, 506,903 votes to 499,922. Morton won re-election to a second term in the Senate in 1962, defeating Democratic lieutenant governor and former mayor of Louisville Wilson W. Wyatt. Morton served in the Senate from January 3, 1957, until his resignation on December 16, 1968. He vacated the seat a few weeks early to allow his Republican successor, Marlow William Cook, another "moderate" Republican, to gain an edge in seniority.
Morton was the chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1959 until 1961. In the Senate, Morton was considered a "moderate" Republican and voted, along with his Republican colleague John Sherman Cooper, and 80% of the other Republican Senators, for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He chaired the Republican National Convention of 1964.
Thruston Morton was the brother of Rogers Clark Ballard Morton, who represented Maryland in the United States House of Representatives from 1963 through 1971, when he became Secretary of the Interior in the administration of Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford and Secretary of Commerce under Ford before heading Ford's re-election campaign in 1976.
Morton is interviewed in the 1968 documentary film In the Year of the Pig.
He died on August 14, 1982.
References
- ^ Caro, Robert. The Years of Lyndon Johnson: Master of the Senate, Alfred A. Knoph, 2002, New York, p. 658
External links
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Emmet O'Neal |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Kentucky's 3rd congressional district 1947–1953 |
Succeeded by John Marshall Robsion, Jr. |
| Government offices | ||
| Preceded by Jack K. McFall |
Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs January 30, 1953 – February 25, 1956 |
Succeeded by Robert C. Hill |
| United States Senate | ||
| Preceded by Earle C. Clements |
United States Senator (Class 3) from Kentucky January 3, 1957 – December 16, 1968 Served alongside: John Sherman Cooper |
Succeeded by Marlow W. Cook |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Meade Alcorn |
Chairman of the Republican National Committee 1959–1961 |
Succeeded by William E. Miller |
| Preceded by Barry Goldwater |
Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee 1963–1967 |
Succeeded by George Murphy |
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