Kenneth S. Wherry
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Spicer Wherry was a Republican United States Senator from Nebraska
.
, Gage County
, Nebraska
. He graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi
, in 1914. He also attended Harvard University
in 1915 and 1916.
During World War I
, Wherry served in the United States Navy Flying Corps.
council in 1927 and 1929 and served as mayor of Pawnee City from 1929 to 1931 and from 1938 to 1943. He was a member of the Nebraska State Senate from 1929 to 1932 and ran for governor
in 1932, but was defeated. Two years later, he was defeated in his first attempt at running for the Senate. He was finally elected as a Republican
to the U.S. Senate
in 1942, defeating George Norris, and was reelected in 1948 and served until his death. He served as Republican whip from 1944 to 1949 and Senate Minority Leader from 1949 to 1951. In 1949 he secured an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy for John A. Eddy, who went on the make significant contributions in the fields of solar astronomy
and astrophysics
. He was also one of the few postwar politicos to see the plight of the defeated Germans. "The American people should know once and for all that as a result of this government’s official policy they are being made...accomplices in the crime of mass starvation...Germany is the only nation subjected to a deliberate starvation policy..."
He died in Washington, D.C.
on November 29, 1951, while serving as Republican Floor Leader
.
Wherry and fellow U.S. Senator Homer Capehart
are best remembered as ardent supporters of improved military family housing.
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
.
Early life
He was born in LibertyLiberty, Nebraska
Liberty is a village in Gage County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 86 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Liberty is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
, Gage County
Gage County, Nebraska
-History:Gage County was formed with land taken from the Oto in an 1854 treaty. It was named after the minister William D. Gage.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 22,993 people, 9,316 households, and 6,204 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. He graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi , often just called Beta, is a social collegiate fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, USA, where it is part of the Miami Triad which includes Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi. It has over 138 active chapters and colonies in the United States and Canada...
, in 1914. He also attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1915 and 1916.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Wherry served in the United States Navy Flying Corps.
Career
He was a member of the Pawnee CityPawnee City, Nebraska
Pawnee City is a city in Pawnee County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,033 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Pawnee County.-Geography:Pawnee City is located at...
council in 1927 and 1929 and served as mayor of Pawnee City from 1929 to 1931 and from 1938 to 1943. He was a member of the Nebraska State Senate from 1929 to 1932 and ran for governor
Governor of Nebraska
The Governor of Nebraska holds the "supreme executive power" of the State of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Nebraska Constitution. The current Governor is Dave Heineman, a Republican, who assumed office on January 20, 2005 upon the resignation of Mike Johanns . He won a full...
in 1932, but was defeated. Two years later, he was defeated in his first attempt at running for the Senate. He was finally elected as a Republican
Republican 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...
to the U.S. Senate
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...
in 1942, defeating George Norris, and was reelected in 1948 and served until his death. He served as Republican whip from 1944 to 1949 and Senate Minority Leader from 1949 to 1951. In 1949 he secured an appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy for John A. Eddy, who went on the make significant contributions in the fields of solar astronomy
Solar astronomy
Solar astronomy is stellar astronomy of the sun.*Timeline of solar astronomy*Solar telescopes*List of solar telescopes*Coronagraph*Helioseismology-Sun size relative to its distance from Proxima Centauri:...
and astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
. He was also one of the few postwar politicos to see the plight of the defeated Germans. "The American people should know once and for all that as a result of this government’s official policy they are being made...accomplices in the crime of mass starvation...Germany is the only nation subjected to a deliberate starvation policy..."
He died in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
on November 29, 1951, while serving as Republican Floor Leader
Floor Leader
Floor Leaders are leaders of their political parties in each of the houses of the legislature.- Senate :In the United States Senate, they are elected by their respective party conferences to serve as the chief Senate spokesmen for their parties and to manage and schedule the legislative and...
.
Wherry and fellow U.S. Senator Homer Capehart
Homer E. Capehart
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.-Business career:Capehart attained fame as the father of the...
are best remembered as ardent supporters of improved military family housing.
External links
- Kenneth S. Wherry papers at Nebraska State Historical SocietyNebraska State Historical SocietyThe Nebraska State Historical Society is a Nebraska state agency, founded in 1878 to "encourage historical research and inquiry, spread historical information .....
- "Fundamentalist Republican", obituary from TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...