Nick Begich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nick Begich
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Begich in 1972
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alaska's at-large district |
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| In office January 3, 1971 – December 29, 1972 (de jure) / October 16, 1972 (de facto) |
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| Preceded by | Howard Pollock |
| Succeeded by | Don Young |
| Member of the Alaska Senate | |
| In office 1962–1970 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Nicholas Joseph Begich
April 6, 1932 Eveleth, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Margaret Jean Jendro |
| Children | 6, including Mark, Tom, and Nick Jr. |
| Relatives | Joseph Begich (brother) |
| Education | St. Cloud State University (BA) University of Minnesota (MA) |
| Disappeared | October 16, 1972 (aged 40) Alaska, U.S. |
| Status | Missing for 52 years, 8 months and 16 days; declared dead in absentia on December 29, 1972 (aged 40) |
Nicholas Joseph Begich Sr. (born April 6, 1932 – disappeared October 16, 1972) was an American politician. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Alaska. He was a member of the Democratic Party.
Begich is thought to have died in a light aircraft crash in Alaska in 1972. His body was never found. He was officially declared dead on December 29, 1972.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Nicholas Begich was born on April 6, 1932, in Eveleth, Minnesota. His family came from Croatia.
He went to St. Cloud State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1952. He then earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota in 1954. He also took more classes at the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of North Dakota.
Political Career
Begich started his career working in schools in Anchorage, Alaska. He was a guidance counselor and later a director for student services. He also became the Superintendent of Schools at Fort Richardson.
In 1962, Begich was elected to the Alaska Senate, which is part of Alaska's state government. He served there for eight years. During this time, he also taught political science at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
Running for Congress
In 1968, Begich ran for Alaska's only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He lost that election to the person already holding the seat, Republican Howard Wallace Pollock.
Two years later, in 1970, Howard Pollock ran for Governor of Alaska. Begich ran for the House seat again and won. He defeated Frank Murkowski, a Republican banker. Murkowski later became a U.S. Senator and then Governor of Alaska.
In 1972, Begich ran for re-election against Republican state senator Don Young.
Mysterious Disappearance
On October 16, 1972, Nick Begich was on a small plane flying from Anchorage to Juneau. With him were House Majority Leader Hale Boggs from Louisiana, Begich's aide Russell Brown, and the pilot Don Jonz. They were going to a fundraising event for Begich's election campaign.
The twin-engine Cessna 310 airplane disappeared during the flight. A huge search began, involving planes from the U.S. Coast Guard, Navy, Army, Air Force, and other groups.
The search lasted for 39 days, but neither the plane nor any of the four people on board were ever found. All four were officially declared dead on December 29, 1972.
After the Disappearance
Even though he was missing, Begich won the 1972 election with 56% of the votes. After he was declared dead, a special election was held. Don Young won this special election and held the seat for many years.
The plane was supposed to have an emergency locator transmitter (ELT). This device sends a signal if a plane crashes. However, no signal from the plane was ever heard during the search. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigated and concluded that the plane likely did not have a working ELT on board.
In memory of Nick Begich, the tallest building in Whittier, Alaska, was renamed Begich Towers. A mountain peak near Portage Lake was also named Begich Peak after him.
Some people have investigated the disappearance, and there have been conspiracy theories about what happened to the plane.
Family Life
In 1956, Nick Begich married Margaret Jean Jendro, who was known as Pegge. They had six children: Nick Jr., Mark, Nichelle, Tom, Stephanie, and Paul.
Several members of the Begich family have also become involved in politics:
- His son, Mark Begich, became mayor of Anchorage and later served as a U.S. Senator for Alaska.
- Another son, Tom Begich, won a seat in the Alaska Senate in 2016 and continues to serve there.
- Nick's brother, Joseph Begich, served in the Minnesota House of Representatives for 18 years.
- Nick's widow, Pegge, ran for the House of Representatives seat in 1984 and 1986 but was defeated by Don Young.
See also
- List of people who disappeared mysteriously at sea
- List of United States Congress members who died in office
