Ernest Gruening

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Bronze by George Anthonisen. Courtesy National Statuary Hall

Ernest Henry Gruening (February 6, 1886–June 26, 1974) was an American journalist and Democratic Party politician who was the Governor of the Alaska Territory from 1939 until 1953, and a United States Senator from Alaska from 1959 until 1969.

Born in New York City, Gruening graduated from Harvard in 1907 and from Harvard Medical School in 1912. He then forsook medicine to pursue journalism. Initially a reporter for the Boston American in 1912, he went on to become copy desk editor and rewrite man for the Boston Evening Herald and, from 1912 to 1913, an editorial writer. For four years, Gruening was, consecutively, managing editor of the Boston Evening Traveler and the New York Tribune. After serving in World War I, Gruening became the editor of The Nation from 1920 to 1923 and the editor of the New York Post from 1932 to 1933.

Intrigued with New Deal politics, he switched careers. Gruening was appointed to the U.S. delegation to the 7th Inter-American Conference in 1933, Director of the Division of Territories and Island Possessions of the Department of the Interior, 1934-1939, Administrator of the Puerto Rico Reconstruction, 1935-1937. He moved to the Alaska International Highway Commission from 1938 to 1942. In 1939 Gruening was appointed Governor of the Territory of Alaska, and served in that position for fourteen years. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1952, 1956, and 1960.

Pending statehood, he was elected to the United States Senate in 1958; with Alaska's admission to the Union in 1959, Gruening served in the Senate for 10 years. Gruening’s most notable act as Senator was as one of only two Senators to oppose the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (the other being Wayne Morse of Oregon). He was also responsible for introducing a sense of Congress resolution to establish the nationwide 911 number.

Although defeated for reelection in 1968, he continued his active political involvement as president of an investment firm and as a legislative consultant. He died on June 26, 1974.

In 1977, Alaska donated a statue of Ernest Gruening to the United States Capitol's National Statuary Hall Collection.

References

Ernest Gruening. Many Battles: The Autobiography of Ernest Gruening (1973).
Robert David Johnson. Ernest Gruening and the American Dissenting Tradition (1998).
Robert David Johnson, "Anti-Imperialism And The Good Neighbour Policy: Ernest Gruening and Puerto Rican Affairs, 1934-1939". Journal of Latin American Studies 1997 29(1): 89-110; argues Gruening tried to implement the anti-imperialist principles he had outlined in the 1920's. He failed because he lacked local support.
Claus-M Naske. Ernest Gruening: Alaska's Greatest Governor (2004).

This article incorporates material from the National Statuary Hall website.

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