Arthur Vandenberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur Vandenberg
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Vandenberg, c. 1905–1945
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| President pro tempore of the United States Senate | |
| In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949 |
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| Preceded by | Kenneth McKellar |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth McKellar |
| Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations | |
| In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1949 |
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| Preceded by | Tom Connally |
| Succeeded by | Tom Connally |
| Republican Senate Conference Chairmen | |
| In office January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947 |
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| Leader | Wallace H. White Jr. |
| Vice Chair | Harold Hitz Burton John Chandler Gurney Milton Young |
| Preceded by | Charles L. McNary |
| Succeeded by | Eugene D. Millikin |
| United States Senator from Michigan |
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| In office March 31, 1928 – April 18, 1951 |
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| Preceded by | Woodbridge N. Ferris |
| Succeeded by | Blair Moody |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Arthur Hendrick Vandenberg
March 22, 1884 Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | April 18, 1951 (aged 67) Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Resting place | Oak Hill Cemetery, Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
Elizabeth Watson
(m. 1906; died 1917)Hazel Harper Whitaker
(m. 1918; died 1950) |
| Children | 3, including Arthur Jr. |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan Law School (attended) |
| Profession |
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Arthur Hendrick Vandenberg Sr. (born March 22, 1884 – died April 18, 1951) was an American politician. He served as a U.S. Senator for Michigan from 1928 to 1951. As a member of the Republican Party, he played a big part in creating the United Nations.
Vandenberg is famous for changing the Republican Party's view on foreign policy. He helped move it from "isolationism" (staying out of world affairs) to "internationalism" (working with other countries). He strongly supported key Cold War policies like the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and NATO. He also served as the President pro tempore of the United States Senate from 1947 to 1949.
Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Vandenberg started his career as a newspaper editor. In 1928, he was appointed to the U.S. Senate. He won elections to keep his seat and stayed in the Senate until he passed away in 1951. He first supported some early New Deal programs. However, he later disagreed with most of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's plans for the country. Before World War II, Vandenberg was against the U.S. getting involved in the war. He even urged Roosevelt to find a peaceful solution with Japan.
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Vandenberg changed his mind about staying out of world conflicts. He became the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1947. In this role, he worked with Democratic President Harry S. Truman on Cold War policies. He famously said, "politics stops at the water's edge," meaning that when it comes to foreign policy, political parties should work together.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Arthur Vandenberg was born and grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His family had mostly Dutch roots. He went to public schools in Grand Rapids. In 1900, he graduated first in his class from Grand Rapids Central High School. He then studied law at the University of Michigan for a year.
After a short time working for Collier's Weekly magazine in New York, he returned home. In 1906, he married his childhood sweetheart, Elizabeth Watson. They had three children. Elizabeth passed away in 1917. In 1918, Vandenberg married Hazel Whitaker. They did not have any children together.
Newspaper Editor and Publisher
From 1906 to 1928, Vandenberg worked as a newspaper editor and publisher. He worked at the Grand Rapids Herald. This newspaper was owned by William Alden Smith, who was a Republican U.S. Senator. As publisher, Vandenberg made the newspaper very successful. He wrote many of the editorials, often supporting Progressive ideas. He admired President Theodore Roosevelt.
Vandenberg was a skilled public speaker. He often gave speeches for Republican candidates during elections. He also attended many Republican meetings as a delegate. His work for the party made him well-known. People often talked about him as a possible candidate for governor or other important jobs.
World War I Efforts
During World War I, Vandenberg could not serve in the military because he was a widower with three young children. Instead, he helped with the war effort in other ways. He gave speeches at hundreds of Liberty bond rallies. These rallies encouraged people to buy bonds to help pay for the war. He also joined the Michigan State Troops. This group did many of the jobs usually done by the National Guard. Vandenberg was a first lieutenant and commanded a company in Grand Rapids. After the war, he helped start the Michigan branch of the American Legion.
Vandenberg also gained national attention for his books. In 1921, he wrote a biography called The Greatest American: Alexander Hamilton. He followed this with If Hamilton Were Here Today in 1923. In 1926, he wrote The Trail of a Tradition, which looked at American nationalism and foreign policy.
Becoming a Senator
On March 31, 1928, Michigan Governor Fred W. Green appointed Arthur Vandenberg to the U.S. Senate. He filled the spot left empty after Senator Woodbridge N. Ferris passed away. Vandenberg was 44 years old at the time. He immediately announced that he would run for election to keep the seat.
In November 1928, Vandenberg easily won the election for a full six-year term. He defeated his opponent with over 70% of the votes. In the Senate, he helped pass the Reapportionment Act of 1929. This law updated how congressional districts were redrawn after each national census. It also set the number of representatives at 435.
Vandenberg first strongly supported Republican President Herbert Hoover. However, he became disappointed with Hoover's actions during the Great Depression.
Early New Deal Views
After Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt became president in 1932, Vandenberg supported most of the early New Deal programs. But he did not support the National Industrial Recovery Act or the Agricultural Adjustment Act. He helped add an important change to the 1933 Glass–Steagall Banking Act. This change created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which protects people's bank deposits.
By the 1934 election, Vandenberg was reelected. He won against Democratic candidate Frank Albert Picard.
Opposing the New Deal
When the new Congress started in 1935, there were only 25 Republican senators. Vandenberg became one of the strongest opponents of the second wave of New Deal programs. He voted against most of President Roosevelt's proposals. Some exceptions were the Banking Act of 1935 and the Social Security Act.
Vandenberg believed in careful spending, a balanced budget, and lower taxes. He felt that President Roosevelt was taking too much power from Congress. He even spoke about Roosevelt's actions as a "dictatorship." However, at the 1936 Republican National Convention, Vandenberg did not want to be nominated for vice president. He expected Roosevelt to win the election that year.
Vandenberg worked with a group of Republicans and Democrats in the Senate. They helped stop Roosevelt's plan to add more judges to the Supreme Court. He also helped defeat some large government projects. He voted against the National Labor Relations Act and other New Deal laws.
American Foreign Policy Shift
Vandenberg joined the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1929. At first, he supported international cooperation. He voted for the United States to join the World Court. However, as war seemed more likely in Europe, he began to support "isolationism." This meant he believed the U.S. should stay out of foreign conflicts.
He supported the Neutrality Acts of the 1930s. These laws were designed to keep the U.S. from being drawn into war. He was one of the most effective isolationists in the Senate. He only made a few exceptions, like supporting aid to Finland after the Soviet invasion.
In mid-1939, Vandenberg suggested ending a trade treaty with Japan from 1911. He wanted the U.S. to negotiate a new treaty that recognized Japan's control over parts of China. Instead, President Roosevelt and Secretary of State Cordell Hull used this idea to cancel the treaty with Japan.
On the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Vandenberg's views changed completely. He wrote in his personal notes that "isolationism died" at Pearl Harbor. After this attack, only one member of Congress voted against going to war with Japan.
United Nations and Internationalism
In the 1940 election, Vandenberg won a third term in the Senate. He defeated his opponent by over 100,000 votes. During World War II, Vandenberg's ideas about American foreign policy changed a lot. Even though he still voted against Roosevelt's domestic plans, he slowly stopped being an isolationist. He became a key person in creating a "bipartisan" foreign policy. This meant that the president, the State Department, and leaders from both political parties in Congress would work together.
On January 10, 1945, he gave a famous speech in the Senate. In this speech, he publicly announced that he had changed from an "isolationist" to an "internationalist." After World War II ended, Vandenberg was elected to his fourth and final term in the U.S. Senate. He won by a large margin in the 1946 election.
In 1947, as the Cold War began, Vandenberg became chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In this important role, he worked closely with the Truman administration. He helped build support from both parties for major Cold War policies. These included the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, and NATO. He also introduced the important Vandenberg resolution.
As chairman, he famously stated that "politics stops at the water's edge." This meant that when it came to foreign policy, political differences should be put aside. In October 2000, the Senate honored Vandenberg by placing his portrait in a special collection in the United States Senate Reception Room.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1940 and 1948, Vandenberg was considered a possible candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. In 1950, Vandenberg announced that he had cancer. He passed away on April 18, 1951. He was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Grand Rapids.
Vandenberg left behind an important legacy. Several places and institutions have been named in his honor. The former Vandenberg Creative Arts Academy in the Grand Rapids Public Schools was named after him.
In September 2004, a portrait of Vandenberg was placed in the United States Senate Reception Room. It joined portraits of other very important senators. In May 2005, a statue dedicated to Vandenberg was unveiled in downtown Grand Rapids.
A Michigan historical marker in Grand Rapids also honors Senator Vandenberg. The Vandenberg Room at the University of Michigan is named in honor of his second wife, Hazel. Vandenberg Hall at Oakland University is named after him. Several elementary schools in Michigan were also named after him.
Noteworthy Family Members
- Arthur H. Vandenberg Jr. (1907–1968), Senator Vandenberg's son, worked for his father for over ten years.
- Senator Vandenberg's nephew, U.S. Air Force General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, was the Air Force Chief of Staff. Vandenberg Air Force Base was named after him.
- Senator Vandenberg's great-nephew, Hoyt S. Vandenberg Jr., also served as a major general in the Air Force.
Committee Assignments and Diplomatic Service
- President pro tempore of the Senate during the 80th Congress, 1947–1949
- Chairman, Senate Republican Conference, 1945–1947
- Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations, 1947–1949
- Delegate to the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco in 1945
- Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly in London and New York City in 1946
- United States adviser to the 2nd and 3rd Council of Foreign Ministers in Paris and New York City in 1946
- Delegate to the Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Continental Peace and Security, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1947. This conference helped create the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance (also known as the Rio Treaty).
See Also
In Spanish: Arthur Vandenberg para niños
- List of United States Congress members who died in office (1950–1999)
Published Works
- The Greatest American: Alexander Hamilton. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1921.
- If Hamilton Were Here Today: American Fundamentals Applied to Modern Problems. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1923.
- The Trail of a Tradition. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1926.
Images for kids
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Vandenberg, circa 1905–1945
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Vandenberg welcomes new congressman Gerald Ford to Washington DC, 1949
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Vandenberg (left) in the Oval Office, 1947
