With the death of Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts, it makes one reflect on whether he belongs in the top ten of all US Senators since 1789.
The Senate has voted twice on the greatest members of its body, naming five in 1957 and adding two more at the turn of the 21st century.
It could be debated whether the complete list of seven is accurate, and there is no final answer in any case, as personal opinion plays a role in judging greatness.
The Senate in 1957 selected the “Triumvirate” of the first half of the 19th century–Henry Clay of Kentucky, Daniel Webster of Massachusetts, and John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, along with one progressive and one conservative in the first half of the 20th century–Robert La Follette, Sr. of Wisconsin and Robert Taft of Ohio.
About a decade ago, one liberal Democrat and one conservative Republican, again from the first half of the 20th century, were added to the list–Robert Wagner of New York and Arthur Vandenberg of Michigan.
Do I agree on all seven on this list? Let’s say I am reluctant to include Calhoun, who in my mind was so destructive in his promotion of states rights and slavery, often called the man who brought us the Civil War, even though he had died eleven years earlier. I am also not a big fan of Robert Taft, Mr. Conservative Republican, who was for much of his time in office an isolationist in foreign policy, and a promoter of a strong anti union law still on the record books despite being vetoed by President Truman in 1947–the Taft-Hartley Act.
I have no problem with Clay, Webster, La Follette, Wagner, and even Vandenberg, a conservative, but also a man who abandoned isolationism and backed President Truman in his Cold War policies and has the California Air Force base named after him.
So if I eliminate Calhoun and Taft, it means we have five senators already listed, so who else would I add to this distinguished group?
I would add Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts, an abolitionist and radical Republican during Reconstruction after the Civil War, and a major figure even before the Civil War.
Also, I would easily add Senator George Norris of Nebraska, who served in the Senate for 30 years and became famous, along with Robert LaFollette, Sr., as a progressive promoting basic, fundamental change in domestic affairs. He was a very inspiring figure, who I wrote about in my book on Progressive Republicans and the New Deal.
The remaining three would come from the second half of the 20th century, which does not yet have a person on the list acknowledged by the Senate itself.
They would be first, Senator Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota, the great liberal who also served as Vice President under Lyndon Johnson and lost the Presidency to Richard Nixon in 1968. He was a very inspiring and original legislator who became my political hero as a young man, and first got me interested in politics.
I would also add Senator Lyndon Johnson of Texas, later our 36th President, after serving as Vice President under John F. Kennedy. As Senate Majority Leader in the 1950s, he set a standard that has never been matched, in accomplishing an agenda, and his experience benefited him and us in the promotion of the Great Society in the 1960s.
And I would add, as the tenth and last name, Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, who also served longer than any of the others on the list and had a massive positive impact on our nation.
Now I also want to add an 11th person, as someone who might someday be added to the list or even replace one of them. That would be Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, one of the longest serving with his 36 years, and serving as Chair of the Judiciary and Foreign Relations Committee during his long career in the upper chamber, until he became Vice President under President Obama this year.
This is obviously a subject of debate, but I will stand by this list against all comers! 🙂
Ron, as much as we would like to erase Republicans from history, I’ll have to disagree on your removal of Robert Taft from the list. I also feel that despite the fact that Calhoun was a polarizing force who, on many occasions nearly brought the country to civil war, he was still one of the all-time major forces of the Senate.
I agree whole-heartedly on your praise of Charles Sumner of Massachusetts. He single-handedly moved Lincoln’s thinking toward abolition and emancipation of slaves, which was probably THE greatest social accomplishment of the 19th Century.
I would also agree with you that Hubert Humphrey deserves a place in the top ten. But I disagree with your elevation of LBJ and Joe Biden.
John, I am not trying to eliminate Republicans. There are FOUR Republicans in the top ten–Sumner, LaFollette, Norris, and Vandenberg. There are also FOUR Democrats–Wagner, Humphrey, Johnson, and Kennedy. Finally there are two Whigs–Clay and Webster. I feel that senators who have been negative in what they have done–as Calhoun, a Democrat, and Taft, a Republican- do not belong in the top ten. Finally, I see Biden as Number Eleven because he had a great impact from his long service as Chair of Judiciary and Foreign Relations.
Ron, what about the worst of American Senators? Who would make your list? Of course, there are many ways to define “worst” but I would suggest those that did the greatest harm while in office.
Professor, I would also be interested in seeing your “worst” list. I like the new website, by the way and will be visiting often 🙂
Fred and Tate, I am working on a final list of the ten WORST Senators in US History. At this point, I can say that the key factors in all this are those who by their words and actions violate civil rights and civil liberties, more than those who just come across as stupid and moronic. 🙂 LOL
I was just giving you some ribbing Ron. I know, as well as you do, that there were/are few Republican Senators worth the time and effort. 🙂
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I would leave Calhoun on this list. At this time we see his policy on slaverey as wrong – no argument here – but it is possible South Carolina and the south might have seceded the union. Also I can appreciate his stance on free-trade verse tariff, as the Northern States benefited from tariffs and the south did not.
I also believe LBJ may have been one of the greatest senators, as he was able to work across party lines and actually work with a GOP president on a clear agenda – and deliver. Although it did help our economy was operating on 8 cylinders.
Of the more recent list of senators, I am unsure with who has the greatest lasting impact between McCain, Kennedy, and Bob Dole.
well, i read your list with interesy as I am doing a book on the US Senate, But when i got to Joe Biden, if I could flush this article down a toilet I would but it would be an insult to the toilet.
I must say, Chris, that I was first impressed that you are, I suppose, a scholar writing about the US Senate.
But then when I see your ridiculous, insulting comment about Joe Biden, when he had a tremendous impact in his 36 years in the Senate, plus his eventful, significant Vice Presidency, it makes me wonder about the veracity of your claim.
Even if I do not approve of Calhoun or Taft or other Senators, including many Southern segregationists of the past, I would never use the kind of language you used about Biden, and it makes your claim of scholarship seem hollow and illegitimate.
It also makes your knowledge and understanding of American history seem suspect!
Phil Hart, MI
Awards Purple Heart Military service United States Army 1941–1946
US-O5 insignia.svg Lieutenant colonel
Unit 4th Infantry Division
World War II
Invasion of Normandy
49th Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
In office January 1, 1955 – January 1, 1959
Governor G. Mennen ‘Soapy’ Williams
Philip Aloysius Hart (December 10, 1912 – December 26, 1976) was an American lawyer and politician. A Democrat, he served as a United States Senator from Michigan from 1959 until his death from cancer in Washington, D.C. in 1976. He was known as the “Conscience of the Senate.”
The grandson of Irish immigrants, Philip Hart was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, to Philip Aloysius and Ann (née Clyde) Hart. His father was a banker who served as president of the Bryn Mawr Trust Company. He received his early education at Waldron Academy, and then attended West Philadelphia Catholic High School.
Hart studied at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he was the student body president and an award-winning debater. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude from Georgetown in 1934. In 1937, he received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Michigan Law School at Ann Arbor.
Hart married Jane “Janey” Briggs Hart, the daughter of philanthropist and former owner of the Detroit Tigers Walter Briggs, in June 1943. Jane was an aviator of Mercury 13 fame and the couple met through her brother, who was Hart’s roommate at Georgetown. Children 8 – Wikipedia.
Thanks, Dave, for your contribution.
Philip Hart certainly was a great member of the US Senate, no debate!
Interesting topic and list.
Yes on Teddy. And I post this despite a plastered Teddy asking out my former, serious, drop-dead-gorgeous, brilliant girlfriend in 1990 at a Kennedy Compound fundraiser, without doubting he knew she was in a serious relationship. (To his credit, he was not crude and did not molest her in any way.) I have long believed that Teddy dedicated his legislative career to making ammends for his epic personal failures.
I cannot abide by Calhoun. He advocated pure evil.
On this posting date, Bernie Sanders is proving very influential on framing important, national discussions, even if he has not succeeded in his own legislation. Perhaps his purely legislative failure is a disqualifer, but he makes an interesting case.
Another interesting contemporary consideration in the works is Sheldon Whitehouse, a seemingly incorruptible public servant who is leading the charge on what should be recognized as our most vital issue, saving our environment, and for his vociferously resisting the current president, the buffoonish tyrant, trump.
Last, John Chaffee, who was the driving force in all of Congress for the success of the Clean Air and Water Act, and his role in the creation of the EPA, whch have saved more American lives than all but perhaps the establishment of Medicare/Medicaid and Socual Security. (Yes, I have a bias for environmental issues, probably because I like do not like to eat, breath and drink pollution.)
Chris, thanks for writing.
This entry was written years ago, so your suggestions of new Senators–Bernie Sanders, Sheldon Whitehouse, John Chafee—are interesting ideas.
I agree with you on John C. Calhoun, but he was an influential figure who affected the pre Civil War period, and that is why he is on the list, not for his likability!
Agree with all, but I would add Calhoun beacuse of his impact on the United States (for better or worse).
My one question is What about the great maverick John McCain?
Adam, welcome to the blog ten years later, lol!
Calhoun is a problem in many ways, as I said back then.
Now that a decade has passed, John McCain might very well be added to the list.
Thanks for your comment, and feel free to continue to contribute to the blog, now 6,400 plus entries over the past eleven years!
Everett Dirksen has to be added to the list over both Humphrey and Johnson. 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.
If Biden is able to navigate passing relief (particularly innovative aspects like the child tax credit), passing civil rights legislation and calling for racial unity, passing union protections, protecting the environment, reform broken institutions (particularly the senate through filibuster reform) and navigating difficult relationships with countries such as China and Russia his accomplishments as President will certainly outweigh those as senator. While no short order he has already managed to secure the large stimulus package, signaled openness to senate reform as well as in the midst of rebuilding the federal bureaucracy, supported Alabama unionizers and will hopefully advance the worker’s rights legislation recently passed by the house, struck a contentious but not aggressive tone with Russia and China (although admittedly other foreign policy actions so far have been disappointing like the decision to bomb Syria, and not punish Saudi Arabia in any meaningful way even if he judges that to be tactically advantageous), he has made climate change a top priority for his administration and set ambitious climate action in his policy platform and it looks like he will make special note of it in upcoming infrastructure legislation, and for civil rights he is sending the right message and hopefully he embraces police reform as well as pushes the equality legislation recently passed by the house and then secures voting rights to prevent attempts by republican states to restrict the vote.
To add to Biden’s accomplishments as President I forgot perhaps one of the most notable if it continues successfully will be distributing vaccines and safely ending the covid pandemic.