George Aiken

George David Aiken
George David Aiken in his office
64th Governor of Vermont
In office January 7, 1937 – January 9, 1941
Lieutenant	William H. Wills
Preceded by	Charles Manley Smith
Succeeded by	William H. Wills
United States Senator from Vermont
In office January 10, 1941 – January 3, 1975
Preceded by	Ernest W. Gibson, Jr.
Succeeded by	Patrick Leahy
Born	August 20, 1892 Dummerston, Vermont
Died	November 19, 1984 (aged 92) Putney, Vermont
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Beatrice Howard, Lola Pierotti

For the playwright, see George Aiken (playwright).

George David Aiken (August 20, 1892 – November 19, 1984) was an American politician from Vermont. A Republican, he served as the 64th Governor of Vermont from 1937 to 1941 and as a U.S. Senator from 1941 to 1975. At the time of his retirement, Aiken was the most senior member of the Senate.

Aiken was born in Dummerston in Windham County, Vermont, and graduated from Brattleboro High School while living in Putney, Vermont in 1909. A Republican, he was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 1931 and served as speaker from 1933 to 1935. He was the 58th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont from 1935 to 1937 and subsequently served two terms as governor, being first elected in 1936 and re-elected in 1938.

As governor of Vermont, he broke the monopolies of many major industries, including banks, railroads, marble companies, and granite companies. He also encouraged suffering farmers in rural Vermont to form co-ops to market their crops and get access to electricity.

He was elected to the United States Senate on November 5, 1940, to fill the vacancy in the term ending January 3, 1945, caused by the death of Ernest W. Gibson, and was re-elected in 1944, 1950, 1956, 1962, and 1968. During his time in the Senate he served in a number of leadership roles including Chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in Executive Departments in the 80th Congress and in the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry in the 83rd Congress bringing a Vermont-centric voice to Congress emphasizing common sense solutions over party ideology. He was one of the white-haired men during the time of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy's inaugural statement about the torch passing to a new generation.

During the Vietnam war, Aiken is widely believed to have suggested that the U.S. should declare victory and bring the troops home. Actually, what he said was that "the United States could well declare unilaterally ... that we have 'won' in the sense that our armed forces are in control of most of the field and no potential enemy is in a position to establish its authority over South Vietnam," and that such a declaration "would herald the resumption of political warfare as the dominant theme in Vietnam." He added: "It may be a far-fetched proposal, but nothing else has worked."^[1]

He was a proponent of many progressive programs such as Food Stamps and public works projects for rural America, such as rural electrification, flood control and crop insurance. He also had a great affection for the natural beauty of his home state, saying "some folks just naturally love the mountains, and like to live up among them where freedom of thought and action is logical and inherent."^[2] His views were at odds with those of many Old Guard Republicans in the Senate. Vermonters showed Aiken such respect and affection that he reportedly spent only $17.09 on his last reelection bid. A north-south avenue on the west side of the public lawn at the Vermont State House has been named for him, as well as the state's maple research center at the University of Vermont.

He married Beatrice Howard and had four children by her: Dorothy, Marjorie, Howard, and Barbara. He married his second wife, Lola Pierotti, on June 30, 1967.

Committee assignments

Committee	Congresses	Notes
Agriculture and Forestry	77th – 93rd	Ranking Member (81 – 82; 84 – 91); Chairman (83)[3]
Civil Service	77th – 79th
Education and Labor Labor and Public Welfare	77th – 80th 81st – 83rd
Expenditures in Executive Departments	77th – 80th	Ranking Member (79);[4] Chairman (80)[5]
Pensions	77th – 79th	Ranking Member (79)[4]
Senatorial Campaign Expenditures, 1942 (Select)	77th – 78th	[6]
Foreign Relations	83rd – 93rd	Appointed January 15, 1954[7]
Atomic Energy (Joint)	86th – 93rd
Aeronautical and Space Sciences	89th	Resigned from committee January 14, 1966[8]

References

External links

• George Aiken at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• George D. Aiken papers in Congressional Papers collection, Center for Digital Initiatives, University of Vermont Library
• Inventory of the George D. Aiken Papers, Special Collections, University of Vermont Library
• Oral History Interview with George Aiken, from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library

Political offices
Preceded by Charles Manley Smith	Lieutenant Governor of Vermont 1935–1937	Succeeded by William H. Wills
Governor of Vermont 1937–1941
Preceded by Lister Hill	Chairman of the Senate Executive Department Expenditures Committee 1947–1949	Succeeded by John L. McClellan
Preceded by Allen J. Ellender	Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee 1953–1955	Succeeded by Allen J. Ellender
United States Senate
Preceded by Ernest W. Gibson, Jr.	United States Senator (Class 3) from Vermont 1941–1975 Served alongside: Warren R. Austin, Ralph Flanders, Winston L. Prouty, Robert Stafford	Succeeded by Patrick Leahy
Honorary titles
Preceded by Allen J. Ellender	Dean of the United States Senate July 27, 1972 – January 3, 1975	Succeeded by James Eastland and John L. McClellan