Leverett Saltonstall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Leverett Saltonstall
Saltonstall in 1934
Chair of the Senate Republican Conference
In office January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1967
Leader	Kenneth S. Wherry Styles Bridges Robert A. Taft William F. Knowland
Deputy	Milton Young
Preceded by	Eugene Millikin
Succeeded by	Margaret Chase Smith
Senate Minority Whip
In office January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1957
Leader	William F. Knowland
Preceded by	Earle Clements
Succeeded by	Everett Dirksen
In office January 3, 1949 – January 3, 1953
Leader	Kenneth S. Wherry Styles Bridges
Preceded by	Scott W. Lucas
Succeeded by	Earle C. Clements
Senate Majority Whip
In office January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1955
Leader	Robert A. Taft William F. Knowland
Preceded by	Lyndon B. Johnson
Succeeded by	Earle C. Clements
United States Senator from Massachusetts
In office January 4, 1945 – January 3, 1967
Preceded by	Sinclair Weeks
Succeeded by	Edward Brooke
Chair of the National Governors Association
In office June 20, 1943 – May 28, 1944
Preceded by	Herbert O'Conor
Succeeded by	Herbert B. Maw
55th Governor of Massachusetts
In office January 5, 1939 – January 4, 1945
Lieutenant	Horace T. Cahill
Preceded by	Charles F. Hurley
Succeeded by	Maurice J. Tobin
Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
In office January 1929 – January 1937
Preceded by	John Hull
Succeeded by	Horace T. Cahill
Personal details
Born	(1892-09-01)September 1, 1892 Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	June 17, 1979(1979-06-17) (aged 86) Dover, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Alice Wesselhoeft ​ (m. 1916)​
Education	Harvard University (BA, LLB)
Nickname	Salty
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1917−1919
Rank	First Lieutenant
Unit	301st Field Artillery
Battles/wars	World War I

Leverett A. Saltonstall (September 1, 1892 – June 17, 1979) was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts. He served as the 55th Governor of Massachusetts for three terms. After that, he became a United States Senator for more than twenty years (1945–1967). Saltonstall was known for being a moderate leader in the Republican Party. He believed in working with other countries. He was also the only Republican Senate leader to vote against Joseph McCarthy during a special vote.

Growing Up and Education

Miss Eleanor Brooks (Mrs. Richard Middlecott Saltonstall), painted by John Singer Sargent, 1890

Leverett Saltonstall was born in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. His parents were Richard Middlecott Saltonstall and Eleanor Brooks Saltonstall. His family, the Saltonstall family, was a very old and wealthy family from Boston. They had been in America since colonial times.

Leverett went to the private Noble and Greenough School. He also attended the Evans School for Boys in Mesa, Arizona. This was a special ranch school for wealthy students. He then went to Harvard University, graduating in 1914. He earned his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1917.

He was a talented athlete at Harvard. He was captain of the junior varsity crew team. This team won a big race called the Grand Challenge Cup in 1914. It was the first time an American crew had ever won it. He also played football and hockey. He scored an important goal in a 1914 hockey game against Princeton.

In 1916, while still in law school, Saltonstall married Alice Wesselhoeft. They had six children together. One son, Peter Brooks Saltonstall, sadly died in action during World War II. Another son, William L. Saltonstall, later became a member of the Massachusetts Senate.

Military Service and Start in Politics

After finishing law school, Saltonstall joined the United States Army. He served as a first lieutenant in the 301st Field Artillery Regiment during World War I. He spent six months serving in France. He left the army in 1919. After that, he joined his uncle's law firm.

Saltonstall was a Republican who believed in social progress. He started his political career as an alderman in Newton, Massachusetts. An alderman is a local government official. He served from 1920 to 1922. At the same time, he also worked as an assistant district attorney.

In 1922, he was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He rose through the ranks and became the Speaker of the House. He held this important position from 1929 to 1937.

Serving as Governor of Massachusetts

Saltonstall as governor.

In 1938, Saltonstall decided to run for Governor of Massachusetts. He won the election by a large number of votes. He was reelected two more times, serving as governor from 1939 to 1945.

During his time as governor, Saltonstall helped solve a Teamsters strike. He also worked to reduce taxes for the people of Massachusetts. He managed to pay off most of the state's debt. He was also chosen to be the president of the National Governors Association from 1943 to 1944.

Serving as a U.S. Senator

Saltonstall with Boston Mayor John F. Collins (1960–1968).

In 1944, Saltonstall was elected to the United States Senate. He filled a vacant seat and then was re-elected three more times. He served as a U.S. Senator from 1945 to 1967.

Early in his first term, in April 1945, he visited the Buchenwald Concentration Camp. He was one of a group of politicians invited by General Dwight D. Eisenhower to see the terrible things that happened there. This helped show the world the truth about Nazi crimes.

During his time in the Senate, Saltonstall held important leadership roles. He served as the Senate Republican Whip and later as the chair of the Senate Republican Conference. He was known for being a moderate politician. This meant he often helped find common ground between different groups in his party.

He was very good at writing laws and finding ways for people to agree. He voted in favor of important laws like the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960, and 1964. These laws helped protect the rights of all Americans. He also supported the 24th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. These laws made it easier for people to vote.

Later Life and Legacy

Saltonstall decided not to run for re-election in 1966. He wanted to give a chance to Edward Brooke, another rising Republican politician from Massachusetts. He retired to his farm in Dover. He spent his last years as a farmer.

Leverett Saltonstall passed away in 1979 at the age of 86. He is buried in Harmony Grove Cemetery in Salem, Massachusetts. A building in downtown Boston is named the Saltonstall Building in his honor.

See also

• Massachusetts legislature: 1923–1924, 1925–1926, 1927–1928, 1929-1930, 1931–1932, 1933–1934, 1935–1936
• Massachusetts House of Representatives' 5th Middlesex district
• List of members of the American Legion