Harris Wofford
Encyclopedia
Harris Llewellyn Wofford (born April 9, 1926) served as a Democratic U.S. Senator
from Pennsylvania
from 1991 to 1995 and as the fifth president of Bryn Mawr College
, and is a noted advocate of national service and volunteering. Wofford was a surrogate for Barack Obama
's campaign for president, and introduced Obama in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center before Obama's speech on race in America, "A More Perfect Union
."
in 1926. While attending high school
, he was inspired by Clarence Streit
's plea for a world government
to found the Student Federalists
.
Wofford served in the United States Army Air Forces
during the Second World War
. He is a 1948 graduate of the University of Chicago
. He enrolled at Howard Law School, the first white student to do so since the early 1900s. After one year, he transferred to Yale Law School
, where he graduated in June 1954.
He began his public service career as an attorney
for the United States Commission on Civil Rights
, serving from 1954 to 1958. In 1959, he became a law professor at University of Notre Dame
. He was an early supporter of the Civil Rights movement in the south in the late 1950s and became a friend and unofficial advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr.
.
. When King was imprisoned shortly before the election, Wofford persuaded Kennedy's brother in law, Sargent Shriver, to race to O'Hare airport to persuade Kennedy to call King's wife, Correta Scott King, who faced the specter of her husband sentenced to hard labor in a gulag-like Georgia prison for a minor traffic violation while she was in an advanced stage of pregnancy. This was done with Ted Sorenson, Teddy Kennedy and Ken O'Donnell out of the room. All of them would have opposed this move because of the opposition from the southern political leaders like arch segregationist Senator James Eastland. JFK's call helped shift the African American vote decisively in Kennedy's favor and may have won him the election.
In 1961, Kennedy appointed him, in a last minute decision, as a special assistant to the President on civil rights. He also served as chairman of the Subcabinet Group on Civil Rights. He was instrumental in the formation of the Peace Corps
and served as the Peace Corps' special representative to Africa
and director of operations in Ethiopia
. He was appointed associate director of the Peace Corps in 1962 and held that position until 1966. Wofford's book Of Kennedys and Kings: Making Sense of the Sixties details his years in the civil rights movement and the creation of the Peace Corps.
. At the 1968 Democratic Convention
in Chicago, Wofford risked his career by allowing himself to be arrested in protest of police brutality. In 1970, he became president of Bryn Mawr College
in Pennsylvania and held that post until 1978.
as the state's Secretary of Labor and Industry in 1987.
, died in an aviation accident leaving his seat in the U.S. Senate open. By law, the Pennsylvania governor was required to appoint a replacement until a special election could be held for the seat. After considering several potential candidates, including Allentown, Pennsylvania
, native Lee Iacocca
, who turned down the job, Governor Bob Casey appointed Wofford to the seat on May 9, 1991.
In the special election held in November 1991, Wofford faced Dick Thornburgh
, the former Pennsylvania governor and U.S. Attorney General under Presidents Ronald Reagan
and George H. W. Bush
. Candidates for this special election were chosen by the party committees because the vacancy had happened too late to set up a primary. Wofford began the campaign so far behind in the polls that most pundits assumed he had no chance of winning. His eventual victory over the former governor by ten percentage points surprised many. His campaign was run by Paul Begala
and James Carville
, and their dramatic success brought them to national attention. The campaign was also a proving ground for many of the themes that would underlie Bill Clinton
's 1992 presidential election victory, such as the focus on the economy
and health care
. Wofford was a finalist for the vice presidential
nomination, although Clinton ultimately chose Al Gore
.
In May 1993, Wofford received an honorary doctorate from Elizabethtown College
, Pennsylvania.
Congressman
Rick Santorum
, 32 years his junior, who defeated Wofford 49%–47%. The election was part of that year's Republican Revolution
, in which many Democrats were ousted from both houses of the United States Congress
.
(the federal agency that runs AmeriCorps
and other domestic volunteer programs), from 1995 to 2001. Since his retirement, he has taught at the University of Maryland, College Park
and served on the boards of several charities and service organizations including America's Promise
, Youth Service America
, and the Points of Light Foundation. He is currently a board member of the Center for Citizen Leadership
and Malaria No More
, a New York-based nonprofit that was launched at the 2006 White House
Summit with the goal of ending all deaths caused by malaria. He was the recipient of the John W. Gardner Leadership Award in 2002. He is currently a senior fellow at the Case Foundation
in Washington, D.C. Since February 2007, Wofford has been national spokesperson for Experience Wave http://www.experiencewave.org, a national campaign advancing state and federal policies to make it easier for mid-life and older adults to stay engaged in work and community life. http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/ci_5465422
On January 4, 2007, Wofford was present for the swearing-in of Senator Bob Casey, Jr.
, who defeated Santorum in his bid for a third term.
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...
from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
from 1991 to 1995 and as the fifth president of Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
, and is a noted advocate of national service and volunteering. Wofford was a surrogate for Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's campaign for president, and introduced Obama in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center before Obama's speech on race in America, "A More Perfect Union
A More Perfect Union (speech)
"A More Perfect Union" is the name of a speech delivered by Senator Barack Obama on March 18, 2008 in the course of the contest for the 2008 Democratic Party presidential nomination...
."
Biography
Harris Wofford was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1926. While attending high school
Scarsdale High School
Scarsdale High School is a public high school in Scarsdale, New York, a coterminous town and village in Westchester County, New York. The school was founded in 1917...
, he was inspired by Clarence Streit
Clarence Streit
Clarence Kirschmann Streit was a journalist and Atlanticist who played a prominent role in the Atlantic Movement....
's plea for a world government
World government
World government is the notion of a single common political authority for all of humanity. Its modern conception is rooted in European history, particularly in the philosophy of ancient Greece, in the political formation of the Roman Empire, and in the subsequent struggle between secular authority,...
to found the Student Federalists
Student Federalists
The Student Federalists was an organization that existed in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s to promote U.S. support for federal world government amongst students and youth...
.
Wofford served in the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
during the Second World War
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 is a 1948 graduate of the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. He enrolled at Howard Law School, the first white student to do so since the early 1900s. After one year, he transferred to Yale Law School
Yale Law School
Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Established in 1824, it offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D. and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars, visiting researchers and a number of legal research centers...
, where he graduated in June 1954.
He began his public service career as an attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
for the United States Commission on Civil Rights
United States Commission on Civil Rights
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is historically a bipartisan, independent commission of the U.S. federal government charged with the responsibility for investigating, reporting on, and making recommendations concerning civil rights issues that face the nation.-Commissioners:The Commission is...
, serving from 1954 to 1958. In 1959, he became a law professor at University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. He was an early supporter of the Civil Rights movement in the south in the late 1950s and became a friend and unofficial advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
.
Kennedy administration
Wofford's political career began in 1960 when he served as an adviser to the presidential campaign of John F. KennedyJohn F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. When King was imprisoned shortly before the election, Wofford persuaded Kennedy's brother in law, Sargent Shriver, to race to O'Hare airport to persuade Kennedy to call King's wife, Correta Scott King, who faced the specter of her husband sentenced to hard labor in a gulag-like Georgia prison for a minor traffic violation while she was in an advanced stage of pregnancy. This was done with Ted Sorenson, Teddy Kennedy and Ken O'Donnell out of the room. All of them would have opposed this move because of the opposition from the southern political leaders like arch segregationist Senator James Eastland. JFK's call helped shift the African American vote decisively in Kennedy's favor and may have won him the election.
In 1961, Kennedy appointed him, in a last minute decision, as a special assistant to the President on civil rights. He also served as chairman of the Subcabinet Group on Civil Rights. He was instrumental in the formation of the Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
and served as the Peace Corps' special representative to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and director of operations in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. He was appointed associate director of the Peace Corps in 1962 and held that position until 1966. Wofford's book Of Kennedys and Kings: Making Sense of the Sixties details his years in the civil rights movement and the creation of the Peace Corps.
Private practice
In 1966, Wofford left politics to become president of the State University of New York at Old WestburyState University of New York at Old Westbury
The State University of New York College at Old Westbury is a university college that is part of the State University of New York system. The college is in Old Westbury, New York, with portions in the neighboring town of Jericho, New York...
. At the 1968 Democratic Convention
1968 Democratic National Convention
The 1968 Democratic National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party was held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois, from August 26 to August 29, 1968. Because Democratic President Lyndon Johnson had announced he would not seek a second term, the purpose of the convention was to...
in Chicago, Wofford risked his career by allowing himself to be arrested in protest of police brutality. In 1970, he became president of Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
in Pennsylvania and held that post until 1978.
Pennsylvania political career
After spending seven years in private law practice and one year as state chairman of the Democratic Party, Wofford was appointed by Pennsylvania Governor Bob CaseyRobert P. Casey
Robert Patrick "Bob" Casey, Sr. was an American politician from Pennsylvania. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 42nd Governor of Pennsylvania from 1987 to 1995...
as the state's Secretary of Labor and Industry in 1987.
1991 special election victory
On April 4, 1991, Pennsylvania's senior U.S. Senator, John HeinzH. John Heinz III
Henry John Heinz III was an American politician from Pennsylvania, a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate .-Early life:...
, died in an aviation accident leaving his seat in the U.S. Senate open. By law, the Pennsylvania governor was required to appoint a replacement until a special election could be held for the seat. After considering several potential candidates, including Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown, Pennsylvania
Allentown is a city located in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is Pennsylvania's third most populous city, after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and the 215th largest city in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 118,032 and is currently...
, native Lee Iacocca
Lee Iacocca
Lido Anthony "Lee" Iacocca is an American businessman known for engineering the Mustang, the unsuccessful Ford Pinto, being fired from Ford Motor Company, and his revival of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s...
, who turned down the job, Governor Bob Casey appointed Wofford to the seat on May 9, 1991.
In the special election held in November 1991, Wofford faced Dick Thornburgh
Dick Thornburgh
Richard Lewis "Dick" Thornburgh is an American lawyer and Republican politician who served as the 41st Governor of Pennsylvania from 1979 to 1987, and then as the U.S...
, the former Pennsylvania governor and U.S. Attorney General under Presidents Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
. Candidates for this special election were chosen by the party committees because the vacancy had happened too late to set up a primary. Wofford began the campaign so far behind in the polls that most pundits assumed he had no chance of winning. His eventual victory over the former governor by ten percentage points surprised many. His campaign was run by Paul Begala
Paul Begala
Paul Edward Begala is an American political consultant and political commentator. He was an adviser to President Bill Clinton. Begala was a chief strategist for the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign, which carried 33 states and made Clinton the first Democrat to win the White House in sixteen years...
and James Carville
James Carville
Chester James Carville, Jr. is an American political consultant, commentator, educator, actor, attorney, media personality, and prominent liberal pundit. Carville gained national attention for his work as the lead strategist of the successful presidential campaign of then-Arkansas governor Bill...
, and their dramatic success brought them to national attention. The campaign was also a proving ground for many of the themes that would underlie Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's 1992 presidential election victory, such as the focus on the economy
Economic system
An economic system is the combination of the various agencies, entities that provide the economic structure that defines the social community. These agencies are joined by lines of trade and exchange along which goods, money etc. are continuously flowing. An example of such a system for a closed...
and health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
. Wofford was a finalist for the vice presidential
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
nomination, although Clinton ultimately chose Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
.
In May 1993, Wofford received an honorary doctorate from Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown College is a small comprehensive college located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania in Lancaster County. The school was founded in 1899 by members of the Church of the Brethren...
, Pennsylvania.
1994 re-election loss
Wofford narrowly lost his 1994 bid for re-election to RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Congressman
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...
Rick Santorum
Rick Santorum
Richard John "Rick" Santorum is a lawyer and a former United States Senator from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Santorum was the chairman of the Senate Republican Conference -making him the third-ranking Senate Republican from 2001 until his leave in 2007. Santorum is considered both a social...
, 32 years his junior, who defeated Wofford 49%–47%. The election was part of that year's Republican Revolution
Republican Revolution
The Republican Revolution or Revolution of '94 is what the media dubbed Republican Party success in the 1994 U.S. midterm elections, which resulted in a net gain of 54 seats in the House of Representatives, and a pickup of eight seats in the Senate...
, in which many Democrats were ousted from both houses of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
.
National service career
After his time in the Senate, Wofford served as chief executive officer of the Corporation for National and Community ServiceCorporation For National and Community Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America, and other national service initiatives...
(the federal agency that runs AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is a U.S. federal government program that was created under President Bill Clinton by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 and later expanded by 50 percent under President George W. Bush...
and other domestic volunteer programs), from 1995 to 2001. Since his retirement, he has taught at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
and served on the boards of several charities and service organizations including America's Promise
America's Promise
America's Promise — The Alliance for Youth is a foundation founded by Colin Powell in 1997 to help children and youth from all socioeconomic sectors in the United States.In late April 1997 Presidents Bill Clinton, George H. W...
, Youth Service America
Youth Service America
Youth Service America, or YSA, is a resource center that partners with thousands of organizations committed to increasing the quality and quantity of volunteer opportunities for young people, ages 5-25, to serve locally, nationally, and globally." YSA has a reputation for supporting and promoting...
, and the Points of Light Foundation. He is currently a board member of the Center for Citizen Leadership
Center for Citizen Leadership
The Mission Continues is the only national nonprofit challenging post-9/11 veterans to rebuild a sense of purpose through community service.-History:...
and Malaria No More
Malaria No More
Malaria No More is a nonprofit organization that aims to end death caused by malaria in Africa by 2015. Malaria No More is known for its participation in the Idol Gives Back charity specials.- History :...
, a New York-based nonprofit that was launched at the 2006 White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
Summit with the goal of ending all deaths caused by malaria. He was the recipient of the John W. Gardner Leadership Award in 2002. He is currently a senior fellow at the Case Foundation
Case Foundation
Founded in 1997 by AOL co-founder Steve Case and his wife Jean Case, the Case Foundation invests in individuals, nonprofits, and social enterprises aiming to connect people, increase giving, and catalyze civic action....
in Washington, D.C. Since February 2007, Wofford has been national spokesperson for Experience Wave http://www.experiencewave.org, a national campaign advancing state and federal policies to make it easier for mid-life and older adults to stay engaged in work and community life. http://www.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/ci_5465422
On January 4, 2007, Wofford was present for the swearing-in of Senator Bob Casey, Jr.
Bob Casey, Jr.
Robert Patrick "Bob" Casey, Jr. is the senior U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as Pennsylvania Treasurer, and Pennsylvania Auditor General. He is the son of former Governor Bob Casey, Sr..He is the first Democrat elected to a full term in...
, who defeated Santorum in his bid for a third term.