Winston Lewis Prouty (September 1, 1906 – September 10, 1971) was an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a United States Senator from Vermont from 1959 until his death. He was previously a member of the United States House of Representatives, serving Vermont's At-large congressional district, from 1951 to 1959.
Winston Prouty | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator from Vermont | |
| In office January 3, 1959 – September 10, 1971 | |
| Preceded by | Ralph Flanders |
| Succeeded by | Robert Stafford |
| Member of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont's at-large district | |
| In office January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1959 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Albert Plumley |
| Succeeded by | William H. Meyer |
| Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives | |
| In office 1947–1949 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph H. Denny |
| Succeeded by | J. Harold Stacey |
| Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Newport | |
| In office 1941–1949 | |
| Preceded by | John M. Bradley |
| Succeeded by | Robert W. H. Davis |
| Mayor of Newport, Vermont | |
| In office 1938–1941 | |
| Preceded by | John M. Bradley |
| Succeeded by | Ona S. Searles |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Winston Lewis Prouty September 1, 1906 Newport, Vermont, U.S. |
| Died | September 10, 1971 (aged 65) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Frances C. Hearle Backus (1939-1960, her death) Jennette Herbert Hall (1962-1971, his death) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Lafayette College (attended) |
| Profession | Businessman |
Early life and education
editWinston Prouty was born in Newport, Vermont, to Willard Robert and Margaret (née Lockhart) Prouty.[1] His family owned Prouty & Miller Lumber Company, a lumber and building material business.[2] His family was also involved in politics; his father and grandfather both served as state legislators.[3] His uncle Charles A. Prouty was a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission, and another uncle, George H. Prouty served as Governor of Vermont from 1908 to 1910.[3]
Prouty received his early education at public schools in Newport, and attended St. Paul's School in Garden City, New York[4] and Bordentown Military Institute in New Jersey.[5] He then studied engineering at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, from 1925 to 1927.[6] During his college years, he became a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity.[7]
Early career
editProuty returned to Newport and joined his family's business, Prouty & Miller.[2] He also served as a director of the National Bank of Newport and Associated Industries of Vermont.[5] Though described as shy and reticent, in part because he was self-conscious about the loss of his right thumb in an accident at his family's business, Prouty decided on a career in politics.[8][9] A Republican, he was a member of the Newport City Council from 1933 to 1937.[10] He served as mayor of Newport from 1938 to 1941.[11] He was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 1940, and served from 1941 to 1949.[11] During his last two years in the legislature, he served as Speaker of the House.[5] He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Vermont in 1948, losing to Harold J. Arthur.[5] From 1949 to 1950, he served as chairman of the state Water Conservation Board.[11]
Congressional career
editHouse of Representatives
editAfter longtime incumbent Charles Albert Plumley decided not to run in 1950, Prouty announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives from Vermont's At-large congressional district.[2] He won the Republican nomination in a four-way race that included Governor Arthur.[5] In the general election, he defeated his Democratic opponent, Herbert B. Comings, by a margin of 73%-26%.[12] He was subsequently re-elected to three more terms, never receiving less than 61% of the vote.[13] During his tenure in the House, Prouty served as a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee.[10] He was an advocate for the creation of the Saint Lawrence Seaway.[14] During his tenure in the House, Prouty voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.[15]
Senate
editHe was elected to the United States Senate in 1958; he was reelected in 1964 and 1970 and served from January 3, 1959, until his death.[11] In the Senate, Prouty's committee assignments included District of Columbia, Rules, Labor and Public Welfare, and Commerce, in addition to the Special Committee on Aging and the Select Committee on Small Business.[16] Issues with which he was identified included federal aid for school construction, federal funding of courses for students with special needs, arts and music education, and senior citizen needs to include health care and expansion of Social Security eligibility.[17] In addition, he was a longtime advocate for returning passenger rail service to Vermont.[18] As the ranking Republican on the District of Columbia Committee, Prouty sponsored the legislation that created the district's Delegate to Congress.[19] During his tenure in the Senate, Prouty voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1960,[20] 1964,[21] and 1968,[22] as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,[23] the Voting Rights Act of 1965,[24] and the confirmation of Thurgood Marshall to the U.S. Supreme Court.[25]
Death and burial
editProuty died from the effects of gastric cancer at New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston on September 10, 1971.[26] He was buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Newport.[27]
Family
editIn 1939, Prouty married Frances Currie Hearle Backus (1907–1960) of Stanstead, Quebec, who was the mother of three daughters from a previous marriage, Currie, Elizabeth, and Ann.[28][29] She died in 1960, and in 1962, Prouty married Jennette Herbert Hall (1913–2002), who had been the chief aide to Congressmen Henry J. Latham of New York and Robert E. Cook of Ohio.[30]
Honors
editIn 1966, Prouty received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Lafayette College.[31][32]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Pope, Charles Henry (1910). Prouty (Proute) Genealogy. Boston: C. H. Pope. p. 173 – via HathiTrust.
- ^ a b c "Hard-Bitten Republican". The New York Times. 1971-09-11.
- ^ a b Prouty (Proute) Genealogy, pp. 171–172.
- ^ "Newport Locals: Winston Prouty". The Caledonian-Record. St. Johnsbury, VT. January 3, 1923. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e Current Biography. Vol. XXI. H.W. Wilson Company. 1960.
- ^ Hatch, D. Arthur, ed. (1948). Biographical Record of the Men of Lafayette, 1832-1948. Easton, PA: Lafayette College. p. 451 – via HathiTrust.
- ^ "Politics and Government". Delta Upsilon Michigan Tech Chapter.
- ^ Joint Committee On Printing, United States Congress (1972). Memorial Addresses: Winston L. Prouty. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 16 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Serious Accident: Winston Prouty Slips And Loses His Thumb On Butting Saw". Express and Standard. Newport, VT. August 10, 1923. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Memorial Addresses, p. 19.
- ^ a b c d Memorial Addresses, p. VII.
- ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1952" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives.
- ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 1954" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives.
- ^ Memorial Addresses, pp. 6, 11.
- ^ "HR. 6127". GovTrack.us.
- ^ Memorial Addresses, pp. 6–7.
- ^ Memorial Addresses, p. 6, 11, 20, 37.
- ^ Memorial Addresses, p. 14.
- ^ Memorial Addresses, pp. 32, 57.
- ^ "HR. 8601. Passage of Amended Bill".
- ^ "HR. 7152. Passage".
- ^ "To Pass H.R. 2516".
- ^ "S.J. Res. 29". GovTrack.us.
- ^ "To Pass S. 1564".
- ^ "Confirmation of Nomination of Thurgood Marshall". GovTrack.us.
- ^ "Senator Prouty Dies of Stomach Cancer". Brattleboro Reformer. Brattleboro, VT. United Press International. September 11, 1971. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Leader, Andrew (September 16, 1971). "Friends, State, National Leaders Jam Prouty Service". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Wife of U.S. Sen Prouty, R-Vt., is Dead at 53 of Heart Attack". Burlington Free Press. Burlington, VT. December 5, 1960. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Funeral Services Planned Today for Mrs. Prouty". Bennington Banner. Bennington, VT. United Press International. December 5, 1960. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Senator Prouty Wed to Ohioan in Washington". Bennington Banner. Bennington, VT. Associated Press. July 3, 1962. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Lafayette Lists 5 Honorary Degrees". The Morning Call. Allentown, PA. May 26, 1966. p. 41 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Gaines, Barry (May 13, 1966). "Governor Hatfield To Speak At Commnencement". The Lafayette. Easton, PA. p. 1.
External links
edit
Media related to Winston L. Prouty at Wikimedia Commons- United States Congress. "Winston L. Prouty (id: P000552)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Winston L. Prouty at Find a Grave
