Charles W. Whalen, Jr.

Charles W. Whalen, Jr.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 3rd district
In office January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1979
Preceded by	Rodney M. Love
Succeeded by	Tony P. Hall
Member of the Ohio State Senate
In office 1961–1967
Member of the Ohio House of Representatives
In office 1955–1961
Personal details
Born	July 31, 1920 Dayton, Ohio
Died	June 27, 2011 (aged 90) Bethesda, Maryland
Political party	Republican
Alma mater	University of Dayton Harvard University
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Army
Rank	First lieutenant
Battles/wars	World War II

Charles William Whalen Jr. (July 31, 1920 – June 27, 2011^[1]) was a Republican U.S. Representative from Ohio's 3rd congressional district. He served 6 terms in congress and was notably the leader of the Republican party's opposition to the Vietnam War.^[2]

Born in Dayton, Ohio, Whalen graduated from Oakwood High School, from the University of Dayton with a degree in business administration in 1942, and from Harvard University Graduate School of Business in 1946. He enlisted in the United States Army during World War II and was discharged as a first lieutenant in 1946.

Whalen was vice president of the Dayton Dress Company from 1946 to 1952, and was a professor of economics and chairman of the department at the University of Dayton from 1962 to 1966.

Ohio state legislator

In 1954, Whalen was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives where he served for three terms until his election to the Ohio State Senate in 1960. In 1962, he unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Ohio. In a crowded primary, his main opponent in the race was John Brown, a former two-term Lieutenant Governor who also served as Governor for 11 days after the resignation of Frank Lausche. Whalen took only 15.8% of the vote in the loss.

Whalen served two more terms in the State Senate.

U.S. representative

Whalen next ran for Congress in 1966. In the general election, he took on freshman incumbent Rodney Love. Whalen won with 53.8%. This would prove to be Whalen's only competitive race for Congress. In five more races, Whalen faced token opposition, taking more than 70% of the vote three times, and running unopposed once.^[3]

He retired in 1979 and was succeeded by Democrat Tony P. Hall.

Whalen had a moderate to liberal voting record in his career. While in the State Senate, Whalen wrote Ohio's fair housing law. He also supported the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. Whalen opposed the Vietnam War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.^[4]

Author

After his retirement from Congress, Whalen authored two books with his wife Barbara, a former columnist for the Dayton Journal Herald and the voice of Elsie the Cow. The first, The Longest Debate: A Legislative History of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, chronicled the legislative process behind the passage of the Civil Rights Act. His second book, The Fighting McCooks – America's Famous Fighting Family, discussed a local family with a long military history.

Whalen died in Bethesda, Maryland on June 27, 2011. He was 90.

References

1. Kelli Wynn (June 28, 2011). "Former Dayton Congressman dies". Dayton Daily News.
2. William Grimes (June 30, 2011). "C.W. Whalen Jr., 90, Dies; Led Vietnam War Dissent". The New York Times.
3. Ourcampaigns.com, Candidate Detail
4. Vick Mickunas, Charles, Barbara Whalen draw portrait of a famous Ohio Family, Dayton Daily News, 7/9/2006

Sources

• Charles W. Whalen, Jr. at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Whalen, Charles W., Jr., and Barbara Whalen. The Longest Debate: A Legislative History of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Cabin John, MD: Seven Locks Press, 1985.