Homer E. Capehart
Encyclopedia
Homer Earl Capehart American
business innovator and politician, was born in Algiers, Indiana, in Pike County
. During the First World War, he served as a Sergeant in the United States Army Supply Corps, but was never sent overseas.
industry. He worked for the company Holcomb and Hoke, which made record players and popcorn machines, until 1928. He started his own company in 1928, and was forced out of the company by investors in 1931. The company was taken over as one of the divisions in the new Farnsworth Radio and Television Company in 1939. In 1932 Capehart formed a new company called Packard. Packard developed the Simplex mechanism for automatic record changing, and sold the device to Wurlitzer
. The entire company was eventually bought by Wurlitzer.
. Jenner was a staunch isolationist Republican who consistently opposed President Eisenhower's "modern-Republicanism." Capehart, although an isolationist himself during his first term in the Senate, became increasingly more internationalist during his later years in the Senate and this eventually led to the split with Jenner.
By 1959, Jenner had retired and Democrat Vance Hartke
had taken his place. Capehart was extremely critical of President John Kennedy
and his New Frontier
programs such as Medicare and the Peace Corps. In 1962, Capehart attained his greatest popularity and what would ultimately become his lasting legacy as one of the key figures in the Cuban Missile Crisis
by calling for a "crack-down on Cuba" and warning of a missile build-up on the Island. Kennedy, before receiving the famous spy-plane photos, thought Capehart was "inventing an issue." This was not the case and Capehart, although not appreciated at the time, has come to be seen in a more positive light because of his early and aggressive stances on Cuba.
Capehart was an expert on Latin-American affairs in the US Senate. During the 1962 election, Capehart was narrowly defeated by 34 year-old Birch Bayh
and subsequently, he retired to his farming and business interests in Indiana, occasionally returning to Washington to provide both foreign policy and domestic-issue advice. Jaded by the Watergate affair, Capehart later in life became increasingly critical of President Richard Nixon.
During World War II, when first elected to the Senate, Capehart supported efforts to compromise with the Japan
ese on terms of surrender in the Summer of 1945 when Senate Minority Leader Wallace H. White, Jr.
stated that the war might end sooner if President
Truman would state specifically in the upper chamber just what unconditional surrender meant for the Japanese.
He was critical of the Truman administration and the military for their postwar policies in Germany
, accusing Truman and General Dwight D. Eisenhower
of a conspiracy to starve the remains of the German nation.
He is most remembered for backing, with Senator Kenneth Wherry, legislation for building military family housing in the post World War II
era, when there were critical shortages of such housing. However, his support of public housing for veterans was part of his support of a strong defence, which he considered a legitimate use of public money. He opposed social welfare schemes to give away houses to the poor at public expense as unconstitutional. In 1955 the U.S. Senate initiated a groundbreaking bill which authorized the construction of 540,000 public housing units over four years. Capehart, believing the bill was socialistic in nature, and lacking enough support to kill it, introduced an amendment which would have reduced the authorization to 35,000 units. Although Capehart thought he had enough votes to pass his amendment (even going so far as to tell Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson on the morning of the vote, "this time I'm going to rub your nose in shit."), his amendment was defeated by last minute maneuvering engineered by Lyndon Johnson.
He was also an advocate of clean air legislation.
He died at age 82 at Saint Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis in 1979.
He is honored (along with Indiana Senator Sherman Minton
) in the Minton-Capehart federal building by the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza
in Indianapolis
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
business innovator and politician, was born in Algiers, Indiana, in Pike County
Pike County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,837 people, 5,119 households, and 3,680 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 5,611 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
. During the First World War, he served as a Sergeant in the United States Army Supply Corps, but was never sent overseas.
Business career
Capehart attained fame as the father of the jukeboxJukebox
A jukebox is a partially automated music-playing device, usually a coin-operated machine, that will play a patron's selection from self-contained media...
industry. He worked for the company Holcomb and Hoke, which made record players and popcorn machines, until 1928. He started his own company in 1928, and was forced out of the company by investors in 1931. The company was taken over as one of the divisions in the new Farnsworth Radio and Television Company in 1939. In 1932 Capehart formed a new company called Packard. Packard developed the Simplex mechanism for automatic record changing, and sold the device to Wurlitzer
Wurlitzer
The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
. The entire company was eventually bought by Wurlitzer.
Political career
Being the center-point for a GOP revolution in Indiana and the Midwest, mainly by sponsoring a huge "Cornfield-Conference" on one of his farms in 1938, Capehart was first elected to the United States Senate in 1944, narrowly defeating Henry Schricker, going on to win subsequent victories in 1950 and 1956 against token opposition. Throughout the 1950s, Capehart was constantly at odds with his Senate colleague William E. JennerWilliam E. Jenner
William Ezra Jenner was a U.S. Republican Indiana State and U.S. Senator.Jenner was born in Marengo, Crawford County, Indiana. He graduated with a Law degree from Indiana University School of Law - Bloomington in 1930, and set up practice in Paoli, Indiana...
. Jenner was a staunch isolationist Republican who consistently opposed President Eisenhower's "modern-Republicanism." Capehart, although an isolationist himself during his first term in the Senate, became increasingly more internationalist during his later years in the Senate and this eventually led to the split with Jenner.
By 1959, Jenner had retired and Democrat Vance Hartke
Vance Hartke
Rupert Vance Hartke was a Democratic United States Senator from Indiana from 1959 until 1977.-Early life, education, military service:...
had taken his place. Capehart was extremely critical of President John Kennedy
John 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....
and his New Frontier
New Frontier
The term New Frontier was used by Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy in his acceptance speech in the 1960 United States presidential election to the Democratic National Convention at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as the Democratic slogan to inspire America to support him...
programs such as Medicare and the Peace Corps. In 1962, Capehart attained his greatest popularity and what would ultimately become his lasting legacy as one of the key figures in the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
by calling for a "crack-down on Cuba" and warning of a missile build-up on the Island. Kennedy, before receiving the famous spy-plane photos, thought Capehart was "inventing an issue." This was not the case and Capehart, although not appreciated at the time, has come to be seen in a more positive light because of his early and aggressive stances on Cuba.
Capehart was an expert on Latin-American affairs in the US Senate. During the 1962 election, Capehart was narrowly defeated by 34 year-old Birch Bayh
Birch Bayh
Birch Evans Bayh II is a former United States Senator from Indiana, having served from 1963 to 1981. He was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in the 1976 election, but lost to Jimmy Carter. He is the father of former Indiana Governor and former U.S. Senator Evan Bayh.-Life...
and subsequently, he retired to his farming and business interests in Indiana, occasionally returning to Washington to provide both foreign policy and domestic-issue advice. Jaded by the Watergate affair, Capehart later in life became increasingly critical of President Richard Nixon.
During World War II, when first elected to the Senate, Capehart supported efforts to compromise with the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese on terms of surrender in the Summer of 1945 when Senate Minority Leader Wallace H. White, Jr.
Wallace H. White, Jr.
Wallace Humphrey White, Jr. was a prominent American politician and Republican leader in United States Congress from 1916 until 1949. White was from the U.S. state of Maine and served in the U.S. House of Representatives before being elected to the U.S...
stated that the war might end sooner if President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Truman would state specifically in the upper chamber just what unconditional surrender meant for the Japanese.
He was critical of the Truman administration and the military for their postwar policies in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, accusing Truman and General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
of a conspiracy to starve the remains of the German nation.
He is most remembered for backing, with Senator Kenneth Wherry, legislation for building military family housing in the post 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...
era, when there were critical shortages of such housing. However, his support of public housing for veterans was part of his support of a strong defence, which he considered a legitimate use of public money. He opposed social welfare schemes to give away houses to the poor at public expense as unconstitutional. In 1955 the U.S. Senate initiated a groundbreaking bill which authorized the construction of 540,000 public housing units over four years. Capehart, believing the bill was socialistic in nature, and lacking enough support to kill it, introduced an amendment which would have reduced the authorization to 35,000 units. Although Capehart thought he had enough votes to pass his amendment (even going so far as to tell Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson on the morning of the vote, "this time I'm going to rub your nose in shit."), his amendment was defeated by last minute maneuvering engineered by Lyndon Johnson.
He was also an advocate of clean air legislation.
He died at age 82 at Saint Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis in 1979.
He is honored (along with Indiana Senator Sherman Minton
Sherman Minton
Sherman "Shay" Minton was a Democratic United States Senator from Indiana and an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was the most educated justice during his time on the Supreme Court, having attended Indiana University, Yale and the Sorbonne...
) in the Minton-Capehart federal building by the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza
Indiana World War Memorial Plaza
The Indiana World War Memorial Plaza is an urban feature located in Indianapolis, Indiana, originally built to honor the veterans of World War I. The five-city-block plaza was conceived in 1919 as a location for the national headquarters of the American Legion and a memorial to the state's and...
in Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
.