Gaylord Nelson
| Gaylord Nelson | |
|---|---|
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United States Senator from Wisconsin |
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In office January 8, 1963 – January 3, 1981 |
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| Preceded by | Alexander Wiley |
| Succeeded by | Bob Kasten |
| 35th Governor of Wisconsin | |
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In office January 4, 1959 – January 4, 1963 |
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| Lieutenant |
Philleo Nash Warren P. Knowles |
| Preceded by | Vernon Wallace Thomson |
| Succeeded by | John W. Reynolds |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Senate | |
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In office 1949–1959 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gaylord Anton Nelson June 4, 1916 Clear Lake, Wisconsin |
| Died | July 3, 2005 (aged 89) Kensington, Maryland |
| Nationality | U.S. Citizen |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Carrie Lee Dotson |
| Children | Gaylord, Jeffrey, Tia |
| Alma mater |
San Jose State College University of Wisconsin Law School |
| Occupation | Politician, activist, lawyer, veteran |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Gaylord Anton Nelson (June 4, 1916 – July 3, 2005) was an American politician from Wisconsin who served as a United States Senator and governor. A Democrat, he was the founder of Earth Day, which launched a new wave of environmental activism.
Nelson was born in 1916 in Clear Lake, Wisconsin, where he grew up and was educated in the public schools. In 1939, he majored in Political Science at what is now San Jose State University in San Jose, California. In 1942, he received a J.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison, was admitted to the bar, and practiced law. He also served in the United States Army, seeing action in the Okinawa campaign during World War II.
In 1948, Nelson was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate. He remained a member until 1958. That year, Nelson was elected governor of Wisconsin, and he served two two-year terms before successfully running for Senate in 1962. He served three consecutive terms as a senator from 1963 to 1981. In 1963 he convinced President John F. Kennedy to take a national speaking tour to discuss conservation issues. Senator Nelson founded Earth Day, which began as a teach-in about environmental issues on April 22, 1970.
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