Don Edwards facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don Edwards
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California |
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| In office January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | J. Arthur Younger |
| Succeeded by | Zoe Lofgren |
| Constituency | 9th district (1963–1975) 10th district (1975–1993) 16th district (1993–1995) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Donlon Edwards
January 6, 1915 San Jose, California, U.S. |
| Died | October 1, 2015 (aged 100) Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations |
Republican (before 1962) |
| Alma mater | Stanford University Stanford Law School |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
William Donlon Edwards (born January 6, 1915 – died October 1, 2015) was an important American politician. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives for California. He served for 32 years, from 1963 to 1995. Edwards was a member of the Democratic Party.
Contents
Growing Up and Early Career
Don Edwards was born in San Jose, California. His parents were members of the Republican Party. His family owned a business that dealt with land titles. This means they helped people with official documents for owning land.
After high school, Edwards went to Stanford University. He earned a degree in 1936. He was also part of the Stanford golf team. Later, he studied at Stanford Law School. He became a lawyer in 1940.
Edwards worked as a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This was from 1940 to 1941. Then, he joined the United States Navy during World War II. He served as an intelligence and gunnery officer.
In 1950, he became president of the California Young Republicans. However, he later left the Republican Party. He felt the party was becoming too conservative. He then joined the Democratic Party. This was before he won his first election to Congress in 1962. He also led a company called Valley Title Company for many years.
Serving in the U.S. Congress
Don Edwards was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1962. He represented California for 32 years. He started his term on January 3, 1963. He served until January 3, 1995.
One of his first actions was to vote to get rid of the House Un-American Activities Committee. This committee investigated people suspected of disloyalty. Edwards was also very involved in passing important laws. These included the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. He also helped pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This law protected the right to vote for all citizens.
Edwards was a member of the House Judiciary Committee. This committee looked into the Watergate scandal. This was a major political scandal involving President Richard Nixon. Edwards was one of eight members who voted for all five charges against Nixon. These charges were called articles of impeachment. President Nixon resigned before the full House could vote on all charges.
Edwards also spoke out against U.S. military actions. He opposed the Vietnam War. He also disagreed with the invasion of Panama. Later, he opposed the Persian Gulf War.
In 1989, Edwards served as an impeachment manager. This means he helped present the case for removing a judge from office. The judge was named Walter Nixon. Edwards was also the chairman of a special committee. This was the House Subcommittee on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights. He led this committee for 23 years. He worked to protect people's basic rights and freedoms. Edwards decided not to run for re-election in 1994.
Later Life and Passing
Don Edwards was married three times during his life. His last marriage was to Edith Wilkie Edwards. They were married from 1981 until her death in 2011. Don Edwards lived to be 100 years old. He passed away on October 1, 2015.
His Legacy
Don Edwards received a special honor in 2003. It was called the Congressional Distinguished Service Award. This award recognized his long and important service. A special place is named after him. It is the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge is a protected area for wildlife. It is located in the southern part of San Francisco Bay.
See also
- List of centenarians (politicians and civil servants)
