View source for Guy Gillette

{{Short description|American politician (1879–1973)}}
{{For|the American photojournalist|Guy Gillette (photographer)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|image         = Sen. Guy M. Gillette, La. (Dem.) LCCN2016871060 (cropped).jpg
|jr/sr         = United States Senator
|state         = [[Iowa]]
|term_start1   = January 3, 1949
|term_end1     = January 3, 1955
|predecessor1  = [[George A. Wilson]]
|successor1    = [[Thomas E. Martin]]
|term_start2   = November 4, 1936
|term_end2     = January 3, 1945
|predecessor2  = [[Richard L. Murphy]]
|successor2    = [[Bourke B. Hickenlooper]]
|state3        = [[Iowa]]
|district3     = [[Iowa's 9th congressional district|9th]]
|term_start3   = March 4, 1933
|term_end3     = November 3, 1936
|predecessor3  = [[Ed H. Campbell]] (redistricting)
|successor3    = [[Vincent F. Harrington]]
|birth_name    = Guy Mark Gillette
|birth_date    = {{birth date|1879|2|3}}
|birth_place   = [[Cherokee, Iowa]], U.S.
|death_date    = {{death date and age|1973|3|3|1879|2|3}}
|death_place   = Cherokee, Iowa, U.S.
|alma_mater    = [[Drake University Law School]]
|party         = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| branch        = United States Army
| allegiance= United States
| rank          = [[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]]
| unit          = 52nd Iowa Infantry Regiment
| battles       = {{tree list}}
* [[Spanish–American War]]
* [[World War I]]
{{tree list/end}}
|awards        = 
}}

'''Guy Mark Gillette''' (February 3, 1879{{spaced ndash}}March 3, 1973) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] (1933–1936) and [[United States Senate|Senator]] (1936–1945; 1949–1955) from [[Iowa]]. Throughout his Senate service, Gillette was elected, re-elected, defeated, elected again, and defeated again.

==Personal background==
Born in [[Cherokee, Iowa]], he attended public school and graduated from [[Drake University Law School]] in [[Des Moines, Iowa|Des Moines]] in 1900.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=G000205|title=Gillette, Guy Mark, (1879–1973)|publisher=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|access-date=September 2, 2012}}</ref> He was admitted to the bar in 1900 and commenced practice in Cherokee. During the [[Spanish–American War]], he served as a sergeant in the Fifty-second Iowa Regiment in the [[United States Army]], but never saw combat.<ref name=mcclureoh>[https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/McClure1.pdf Oral History of Stewart McClure, Part 1 (Service on Gillette Senate Staff)], at 5.</ref> He volunteered to fight alongside the [[Boers]] in the [[Second Boer War]] (1898–1902), but was turned down.<ref name=mcclureoh/>

Returning to Iowa, he engaged in agricultural pursuits and was the city attorney of Cherokee in 1906–1907. He became the prosecuting attorney of [[Cherokee County, Iowa|Cherokee County]] from 1907 to 1909 and a member of the [[Iowa Senate|Iowa State Senate]] from 1912 to 1916.

During the [[World War I|First World War]], he served as a captain in the United States Army. He ran unsuccessfully for [[Iowa Auditor of State|Iowa State Auditor]] in 1918, and returned to Cherokee to farm.<ref name=biodict>Mark R. Finlay, [http://uipress.lib.uiowa.edu/bdi/DetailsPage.aspx?id=139 "Guy Mark Gillette"], in ''The Biographical Dictionary of Iowa'', p. 188 (2008).</ref>

==Service in the U.S. House, then U.S. Senate (1933–1945)==
In [[1932 United States House of Representatives elections|1932]], in [[1932 United States elections|the Roosevelt landslide]], he was elected as a Democrat to represent [[Iowa's 9th congressional district]], in heavily Republican northwest Iowa.  He was  easily [[1934 United States House of Representatives elections|re-elected in 1934]], and served nearly all of that term. He resigned upon his election to the United States Senate on [[1936 United States Senate special election in Iowa|November 3, 1936]], to serve out the remainder of the term of Senator [[Richard Louis Murphy]], who had died in an auto accident.  Nearly two years remained in Murphy's term, which would end January 3, 1939. Although he generally supported the [[New Deal]], he opposed the new wage and hours bill, a new farm bill, and aspects of the [[Social Security (United States)|Social Security]] system.<ref name=biodict/>

In [[1938 United States Senate election in Iowa|1938]] the Roosevelt administration targeted Gillette for replacement because of Gillette's vote against Roosevelt's plan to expand the Supreme Court and other positions.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100826102211/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,848978,00.html "Iowa's Microcosm"], ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', June 13, 1938.</ref> He nevertheless defeated Roosevelt's choice for the Democratic nomination, Congressman [[Otha D. Wearin]], and was re-elected to his first full Senate term by 2,805 votes. During that term, his conflicts with the Roosevelt administration expanded, on topics as diverse as the terms of the Neutrality Act,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081214213138/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,771644,00.html "Rebels and Ripsnorters"], ''Time'', July 24, 1939.</ref> Roosevelt's pursuit of third and fourth terms,<ref name=biodict/> and choices for judgeships.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100624070954/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772715,00.html "SEC seat warming"], ''Time'', April 21, 1941.</ref>

After the Japanese [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] (where, coincidentally, Gillette's brother Captain Claude Gillette managed the Navy yard), Gillette became "more of an internationalist".<ref name=biodict/>  Nevertheless, he used his chairmanship on a Senate subcommittee to aggressively challenge the Roosevelt administration's failure to prepare for the prospect of a Japanese seizure of the source of the nation's rubber imports by developing synthetic farm-based alternatives.<ref name=biodict/> In April 1943 a confidential analysis by British scholar [[Isaiah Berlin]] of the [[Senate Foreign Relations Committee]] for the [[Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office|Foreign Office]] succinctly characterized Gillette:
{{blockquote |[He] resembles [[Frederick Van Nuys|Van Nuys]] in that he is a typical Mid-Western Senator with a moderately steady Isolationist voting record, although he is not an articulate opponent of the Administration's policy. Unlike Van Nuys, he is a supporter of reciprocal trade pacts but shares his suspicion of the President. A simple, confused, but very honest Presbyterian of considerable character, he views the corn interest, which he represents, with an almost religious devotion. He leads the Senate Lobby interested in producing synthetic rubber out of corn, and coming from the Republican corn belt, is virtually a Republican in sentiment and conduct. He is not at all anti-British, but as isolationist as his general environment. His speeches in Congress take the form of thinking aloud. On foreign policy he is not a bigoted anti-Rooseveltite but is exceedingly uncertain.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://berlin.wolf.ox.ac.uk/published_works/singles/bib139a/bib139a.pdf |title=American Profiles on Capitol Hill: A Confidential Study for the British Foreign Office in 1943 |author=Hachey, Thomas E. |journal=[[Wisconsin Magazine of History]] |date=Winter 1973–1974 |volume=57 |issue=2 |pages=141–153 |jstor=4634869 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021185357/http://berlin.wolf.ox.ac.uk/published_works/singles/bib139a/bib139a.pdf |archive-date=October 21, 2013 }}</ref>}}

Like several others who had opposed Roosevelt's efforts to aid the [[United Kingdom]] before Pearl Harbor but faced wartime elections, Gillette lost his seat in [[1944 United States Senate election in Iowa|1944]], to Republican [[List of governors of Iowa|Governor]] [[Bourke B. Hickenlooper|Bourke Hickenlooper]] by 29,734 votes.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081214232854/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,801530,00.html "The New Senate"], ''Time'', November 13, 1944.</ref>
[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=266870]

==Between terms==
Within days of Gillette's first defeat, Roosevelt nominated him as the chairman of the three-member [[Surplus Property Board]], prompting ''[[The Washington Post]]'' and a ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' editorial to quip that the president was confusing the problem of surplus property with the problem of surplus politicians.<ref>Editorial, "Surplus Property", ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'', December 18, 1944 at p. 20</ref>  He took an early dislike to the job,<ref>"Inside Washington", ''[[Vidette Times|Vidette-Messenger]]'' :Valparaiso, April 16, 1945 at p. 7.</ref> and complained that he was often outvoted by the two other members.<ref>"Under the Capitol Dome", ''[[Ames Daily Tribune]]'', July 20, 1945 at p. 4.</ref>   After resigning from the Surplus Board in May 1945, he became president of the American League for a Free Palestine, serving until the committee's work ended with the establishment of the state of [[Israel]] in 1948.

==1948 Senate Campaign==
In [[1948 United States Senate election in Iowa|1948]] Gillette attempted a political comeback, campaigning for Iowa's other U. S. Senate seat held by former Republican [[List of governors of Iowa|Governor]] [[George A. Wilson|George Wilson]], Gillette appealed to farmers, hammering home the prices of crops falling, at a campaign event with President [[Harry S. Truman|Harry Truman]] who was [[Harry S. Truman 1948 presidential campaign|seeking re-election]] himself, Truman said to the voters of Iowa “if they failed to return Guy Gillette to the U. S. Senate there was something wrong with them”. [https://www.knoxfocus.com/archives/guy-m-gillette-of-iowa/]

Gillette would end up defeating Wilson by 162,448 votes, in the [[1948 United States presidential election|concurrent presidential race]] Truman [[1948 United States presidential election in Iowa|carey Iowa]] en route to re-election nationwide, Gillette’s Seat was one of [[1948 United States Senate elections|nine Republican senate seats that flipped to Democrats in 1948]]. [https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=1948&off=3&class=undefined&elect=0&fips=19&f=0]

==Return to the Senate (1949–1955)==
Gillette was sworn back into the Senate on January 3rd 1949, [https://lrl.texas.gov/legeleaders/members/freshmen.cfm] In 1951, his Subcommittee on Privileges and Elections conducted an investigation of [[Wisconsin]] Senator [[Joseph McCarthy|Joseph McCarthy's]] campaign practices.<ref name=biodict/> Gillette was one of the first senators to call for a North Atlantic Assembly. In 1952, he was selected by the District of Columbia Democratic Club to chair the [[Alben W. Barkley|Barkley for President]] effort.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Charman and Williams |first1=Sarah and Keith |title=The Parliamentarians' Role in the Alliance |url=https://www.nato-pa.int/download-file?filename=sites/default/files/2017-08/NAA%20-%20THE%20PARLIAMENTARIANS%20ROLE%20IN%20THE%20ALLIANCE-1955-1980%20BY%20SARAH%20CHARMAN%20AND%20KEITH%20WILLIAMS.pdf |website=nato-pa.int |publisher=North Atlantic Assembly |access-date=February 27, 2020}}</ref> Gillette served until January 3, 1955, after losing his [[1954 United States Senate election in Iowa|reelection bid]] to [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Representative]] [[Thomas E. Martin]] by 39,697 votes. His defeat was considered an [[Upset (competition)|upset]] because it conflicted with polls.<ref>"Gillette is Upset, GOP wins State", ''Waterloo Daily Courier'', November 3, 1954, at 1-2.</ref> It also meant that Iowa's congressional delegation would be entirely composed of Republicans, which would not happen again until 2023.

==Post-Senate==
Following his second defeat, Gillette initially remained on Capitol Hill, serving as counsel with the Senate Post Office and Civil Service Committee (from 1955 to 1956) and the [[Senate Judiciary Committee]] (from 1956 to 1961).

Gillette and former U.S. Senator [[Henry F. Ashurst]] had [[cameo appearance|cameo appearances]] as U.S. Senators in the film ''[[Advise & Consent]]''.<ref>{{Citation|title=Advise & Consent (1962) - IMDb|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055728/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_cl_sm|access-date=November 21, 2024}}</ref>

He retired and resided in Cherokee until his death at age 94 on March 3, 1973.

==Publications==
* [http://www.jstor.org/stable/40717307 "The Forgotten Consumer."] ''Challenge'', vol. 1, no. 2 (Nov. 1952), pp.&nbsp;29–33. {{JSTOR|40717307}}.
* [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1028480 "The Senate in Foreign Relations."] ''[[Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science]]'', vol. 289 (Sep. 1953), pp.&nbsp;49–57. {{JSTOR|1028480}}.
* [http://www.jstor.org/stable/20668925 "Preparing For UN Charter Review."] ''[[World Affairs]]'', vol. 117, no. 3 (Fall 1954), pp.&nbsp;67–69. {{JSTOR|20668925}}.
* [http://www.jstor.org/stable/25657319 "United Nations Charter Review."] ''Proceedings of the American Society of International Law at Its Annual Meeting (1921-1969)'', vol. 48 (Apr. 22–24, 1954), pp.&nbsp;191–211. {{JSTOR|25657319}}.

==See also==
*[[Guy M. and Rose (Freeman) Gillette House]] in Cherokee, Iowa

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* [[iarchive:currentbiography1946unse/page/206|"Gillette, Guy (Mark)."]] In: [[iarchive:currentbiography1946unse|''Current Biography, 1946: Who's News and Why''.]] New York: [[Halsey William Wilson|H.W. Wilson]] (1947), [[iarchive:currentbiography1946unse/page/206|pp. 207–210.]] {{ISBN|978-0824201128}}.
* Harrington, Jerry. "Senator Guy Gillette Foils the Execution Committee." ''[[Iowa Heritage Illustrated|The Palimpsest]]'' 62 (Nov./Dec. 1981), pp.&nbsp;170–80

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Guy Gillette}}
{{CongBio|G000205}}
*{{Internet Archive film clip|id=gov.archives.arc.95898|description="Longines Chronoscope with Guy M. Gillette"}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Richard L. Murphy]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[United States Senator|U.S. Senator]] from [[Iowa]]<br>([[Classes of United States Senators|Class 3]])|years=[[1936 United States Senate special election in Iowa|1936]], [[1938 United States Senate election in Iowa|1938]], [[1944 United States Senate election in Iowa|1944]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Albert J. Loveland]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Clyde L. Herring]]}}
{{s-ttl|title={{nowrap|[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee for [[List of United States Senators from Iowa|U.S. Senator]] from [[Iowa]]}}<br>([[Classes of United States Senators|Class 2]])|years=[[1948 United States Senate election in Iowa|1948]], [[1954 United States Senate election in Iowa|1954]]}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Herschel C. Loveless]]}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{US House succession box
| state=Iowa
| district=9
| before=[[Charles Edward Swanson|Charles E. Swanson]]
| years = 1933&ndash;1936
| after=[[Vincent F. Harrington]]
}}
{{s-par|us-sen}}
{{U.S. Senator box
|state = Iowa
|class = 3
|before = [[Richard L. Murphy]]
|after = [[Bourke B. Hickenlooper]]
|alongside = [[Lester J. Dickinson]], [[Clyde L. Herring]], [[George A. Wilson]]
|years = 1936&ndash;1945}}
{{U.S. Senator box
|state = Iowa
|class = 2
|before = George A. Wilson
|after = [[Thomas E. Martin]]
|alongside = Bourke Hickenlooper
|years = 1949&ndash;1955}}
{{s-end}}

{{USSenIA}}
{{IARepresentatives}}
{{USCongRep-start|congresses= 73rd–78th & 81st–83rd [[United States Congress]]es |state=[[Iowa]]}}
{{USCongRep/IA/73}}
{{USCongRep/IA/74}}
{{USCongRep/IA/75}}
{{USCongRep/IA/76}}
{{USCongRep/IA/77}}
{{USCongRep/IA/78}}
{{USCongRep/IA/81}}
{{USCongRep/IA/82}}
{{USCongRep/IA/83}}
{{USCongRep-end}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gillette, Guy Mark}}
[[Category:1879 births]]
[[Category:1973 deaths]]
[[Category:Democratic Party Iowa state senators]]
[[Category:People from Cherokee, Iowa]]
[[Category:American military personnel of the Spanish–American War]]
[[Category:American Christian Zionists]]
[[Category:American prosecutors]]
[[Category:United States Army soldiers]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of World War I]]
[[Category:United States Army officers]]
[[Category:Democratic Party United States senators from Iowa]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Iowa]]
[[Category:Drake University Law School alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century United States senators]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Iowa General Assembly]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives]]