Roman Hruska

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Roman Hruska

Roman Lee Hruska (born August 16, 1904 in David City , Butler County , Nebraska , † April 25, 1999 in Omaha , Nebraska) was an American politician ( Republican Party ) who represented the state of Nebraska in both chambers of Congress . Hruska was known as one of the vocal conservatives in the US Senate in the 1960s and 1970s. He has often been described as a particularly hardworking, old-fashioned, and traditional politician.

Life

The descendant of Czech immigrants, proud of his Czech heritage, moved to Omaha with his family when he graduated from junior high school . He attended Technical High School in North Omaha. He studied at the University of Nebraska at Omaha , University of Chicago Law and graduated from Creighton University . He settled in Omaha and became a lawyer . He went into politics as a member of the County Commission of Douglas County . He served as a regular member from 1944 to 1945 and as chairman from 1945 to 1952. He was vice president of the National Association of County Officials from 1951 to 1952 and served for a time as a member of the Nebraska Board of Governors and the Board of Directors of the University of Omaha.

congress

Hruska was elected to the House of Representatives in 1952 for the second district of Nebraska, which consists mainly of Ohama . He only served one term, as he ran for the first seat of Nebraska in the US Senate in 1954, vacated by the death of Hugh A. Butler . Hruska won and was re-elected in 1958, 1964 and 1970. He remained in the Senate until his retirement in 1976. His opponent in 1958 and 1970 was Frank B. Morrison . Hruska did not run for re-election for a fourth term.

Hruska became an influential member of the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Judiciary Committee . He voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 . Although Democratic control was long in the Senate, Congress was known to be a skillful lawmaker, and was said to have greatly influenced changes to the federal criminal justice system during his tenure. At the time of his retirement he was a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Defense of mediocrity

Hruska is well known in the American political history for this speech in which he in 1970 in the Senate demanded the appointment of G. Harrold Carswell to the judges of the Supreme Court of the United States to confirm. In response to criticism that Carswell was a mediocre judge, Hruska replied, "Even if he's mediocre, there are a lot of mediocre judges and people and lawyers. They are entitled to a little representation, aren't they, and a little chance? We can't all have Brandeise , Frankfurter and Cardozos . "

This speech was criticized by many and Carswell was eventually rejected.

retirement

On October 10, 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed the law that the Meat Animal Research Center (MARC) in Clay County , Nebraska named after the former senator. The novel L. Hruska Federal Courthouse in Omaha is also named after him. Hruska moved back to Omaha in 1976 and lived there until his death. On April 10, 1999, he fell, fractured his hip, and died from complications during treatment. Hruska was married to Victoria Kuncl Hruska and had three children with her: Jana, Quenton and Roman Jr.

Web links

  • Roman Hruska in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress (English)