Everett Dirksen
American politician (1896-1969) · United States · On the map · Politicians · Died at 73
Everett McKinley Dirksen was an American politician. A Republican, he represented Illinois in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate. As Senate Minority Leader from 1959 until his death in 1969, he played a highly visible and key role in the politics of the 1960s.
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Photos 8
Senators Mike Mansfield (left) and Dirksen conversing in 1967.
Dirksen with President Richard Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew on January 20, 1969.
Dirksen played a key role in passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Statue of Senator Dirksen on the grounds of the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. A duplicate is located in Mineral Springs Park in his hometown of Pekin, Illinois.
President Richard Nixon paying his last tributes to Senator Dirksen in 1969.
About this person
He helped write and pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968, both landmark pieces of legislation during the civil rights movement. He was also one of the Senate's strongest supporters of the Vietnam War. A talented orator with a florid style and a notably rich bass voice, he delivered flamboyant speeches that caused his detractors to refer to him as "The Wizard of Ooze".
