Millard Tydings
Encyclopedia
Millard Evelyn Tydings was an attorney
, author
, soldier
, state legislator, and served as a Democratic
Representative
and Senator
in the United States Congress
from Maryland
.
, located in Harford County
. He attended the public schools of Harford County and graduated from Maryland Agricultural College (now the University of Maryland, College Park
) in 1910. He engaged in civil engineering
with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
in West Virginia
in 1911. He studied law at the University of Maryland School of Law
, in Baltimore, and was admitted to the bar
and commenced practice in Havre de Grace in 1913.
Tydings was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates
in 1916, and was Speaker of the House from 1920-1922. He served in the Maryland State Senate
during 1922-1923.
Tydings served in the U.S. Army
during World War I
and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
and Division Machine-gun Officer in 1918. He served in Germany
with the Army of Occupation
and was discharged from the service in 1919.
to the 68th and 69th sessions of the U.S. Congress from the second district of Maryland (March 4, 1923-March 3, 1927), but was not a candidate for renomination in 1926, having become a candidate for the United States Senate
. He was elected to the Senate in 1926, 1932, 1938 and 1944 and served from March 4, 1927, to January 3, 1951. He co-sponsored with Alabama Representative John McDuffie
the Philippine Independence Act, commonly known as the Tydings-McDuffie Act
, which established an autonomous 10-year Commonwealth status for the Philippines
, which would then culminate in the withdrawal of American sovereignty and the recognition of Philippine Independence. In January 1934, Tydings introduced a resolution "condemning Nazi oppression of Jews
in Germany
, and asking President Roosevelt to inform the Hitler government that this country was profoundly distressed about its antisemitic measures... it remained bottled up in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee".
During his time in the Senate, Tydings was well-known for taking principled, controversial, often unusual stands on various issues. He opposed the New Deal
due to his fiscal conservatism
, even proposing a constitutional amendment
requiring the federal budget to be balanced at all times. He was a vocal critic of Prohibition
prior to its repeal
in 1933. Perhaps most controversially, he sponsored a bill following the end of World War II
calling for the U.S. to lead the world in nuclear disarmament.
In 1950, he headed a committee, generally known as the Tydings Committee
, to investigate Joseph McCarthy
's early claims of Communist penetration of the federal government and military. The hearings revolved around McCarthy's charge that the fall of the Kuomintang
regime in China
had been caused by the actions of alleged Soviet spies in the State Department, and whether Sinologist Owen Lattimore
was a "top Russian agent" as McCarthy claimed. The hearings, held from March to July 1950, were extremely stormy as charge was met with counter-charge; they attracted much media attention, especially after Louis F. Budenz
entered the proceedings as a surprise witness supporting McCarthy's charges. The committee published a report denouncing McCarthy and his claims as a hoax.
When Tydings ran for re-election in 1950, McCarthy's staff distributed a composite picture of Tydings with Earl Browder
, the former leader of the American Communist Party, whom Tydings had never met before Browder testified before his committee in July 1950. The composite photo merged a 1938 photo of Tydings listening to the radio and a 1940 photo of Browder delivering a speech; the text under the composite photo stated that when Browder had testified before Tydings's committee, Tydings had stated in reply "Thank you, sir". Although the quote was technically accurate, it was generally held to be misleading as it implied a degree of amity between Browder and Tydings that did not in fact exist. Browder had been subpoena
ed to appear before the committee and had been most reluctant to answer questions about allegations of Communist infiltration of the U.S. government. As a result, Tydings and Browder had clashed a number of times, and Tydings's courtesy had come after a lengthy exchange in which Browder had initially refused to answer a question about whether two diplomats had been members of the American Communist Party. In the 1950 election, Tydings was defeated by John Marshall Butler
. He was again nominated in 1956 as Democratic candidate for the Senate, but withdrew before the election for health reasons.
During his congressional service, Tydings was chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Territories and Insular Affairs (73rd through 79th Congresses), the Subcommittee on the Investigation of Loyalty of State Department Employees ("Tydings Subcommittee
") (81st Congress), and the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services (81st Congress).
The Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge
, which carries Interstate 95
across the Susquehanna River
, is named in his honor, as is the Millard E. Tydings Hall at the University of Maryland, College Park
, which houses the departments of Government & Politics
and Economics
.
His son, Joe Tydings, was also a Senator from Maryland from 1965-1971.
He is the grandfather of actress Alexandra Tydings
.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
, state legislator, and served as a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
and Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
from Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
Early life
Tydings was born in Havre de GraceHavre de Grace, Maryland
Havre de Grace is a city in Harford County, Maryland, United States. Located at the mouth of the Susquehanna River and the head of the Chesapeake Bay, Havre de Grace is named after the port city of Le Havre, France, which was first named Le Havre de Grâce, meaning in French "Harbor of Grace." As...
, located in Harford County
Harford County, Maryland
Harford County is a county in the U.S. state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 244,826. Its county seat is Bel Air. Harford County forms part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area.-History:...
. He attended the public schools of Harford County and graduated from Maryland Agricultural College (now the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
) in 1910. He engaged in civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the oldest railroads in the United States and the first common carrier railroad. It came into being mostly because the city of Baltimore wanted to compete with the newly constructed Erie Canal and another canal being proposed by Pennsylvania, which...
in West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
in 1911. He studied law at the University of Maryland School of Law
University of Maryland School of Law
The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law is the second-oldest law school in the United States by date of establishment and third-oldest by date of first classes. The school is located on the campus of the University of Maryland, Baltimore in Downtown Baltimore's West Side...
, in Baltimore, and was admitted to the bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
and commenced practice in Havre de Grace in 1913.
Tydings was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
in 1916, and was Speaker of the House from 1920-1922. He served in the Maryland State Senate
Maryland State Senate
The Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland...
during 1922-1923.
Tydings served in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
and Division Machine-gun Officer in 1918. He served in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
with the Army of Occupation
Army of Occupation
Army of Occupation is a term for an army occupying conquered territory, and has been used for many armies in many eras including:*The Army of Occupation of the U.S...
and was discharged from the service in 1919.
House and Senate career
Tydings was elected as a DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
to the 68th and 69th sessions of the U.S. Congress from the second district of Maryland (March 4, 1923-March 3, 1927), but was not a candidate for renomination in 1926, having become a candidate for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. He was elected to the Senate in 1926, 1932, 1938 and 1944 and served from March 4, 1927, to January 3, 1951. He co-sponsored with Alabama Representative John McDuffie
John McDuffie
John McDuffie was born in River Ridge, Alabama in Monroe County on September 25, 1883. He was educated by private tutors. He attended college at Southern University in Greensboro. He later attended Alabama Polytechnic Institute in Auburn, Alabama, where he in graduated in 1904...
the Philippine Independence Act, commonly known as the Tydings-McDuffie Act
Tydings-McDuffie Act
The Tydings-McDuffie Act approved on March 24, 1934 was a United States federal law which provided for self-government of the Philippines and for Filipino independence after a period of ten years. It was authored by Maryland Senator Millard E...
, which established an autonomous 10-year Commonwealth status for the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, which would then culminate in the withdrawal of American sovereignty and the recognition of Philippine Independence. In January 1934, Tydings introduced a resolution "condemning Nazi oppression of Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and asking President Roosevelt to inform the Hitler government that this country was profoundly distressed about its antisemitic measures... it remained bottled up in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee".
During his time in the Senate, Tydings was well-known for taking principled, controversial, often unusual stands on various issues. He opposed the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
due to his fiscal conservatism
Fiscal conservatism
Fiscal conservatism is a political term used to describe a fiscal policy that advocates avoiding deficit spending. Fiscal conservatives often consider reduction of overall government spending and national debt as well as ensuring balanced budget of paramount importance...
, even proposing a constitutional amendment
Balanced Budget Amendment
A balanced-budget amendment is a constitutional rule requiring that the state cannot spend more than its income. It requires a balance between the projected receipts and expenditures of the government....
requiring the federal budget to be balanced at all times. He was a vocal critic of Prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
prior to its repeal
Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution repealed the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which had mandated nationwide Prohibition...
in 1933. Perhaps most controversially, he sponsored a bill following the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
calling for the U.S. to lead the world in nuclear disarmament.
In 1950, he headed a committee, generally known as the Tydings Committee
Tydings Committee
The Subcommittee on the Investigation of Loyalty of State Department Employees, more commonly referred to as the Tydings Committee, was a subcommittee authorized by in February 1950 to look into charges by Joseph R...
, to investigate Joseph McCarthy
Joseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957...
's early claims of Communist penetration of the federal government and military. The hearings revolved around McCarthy's charge that the fall of the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
regime in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
had been caused by the actions of alleged Soviet spies in the State Department, and whether Sinologist Owen Lattimore
Owen Lattimore
Owen Lattimore was an American author, educator, and influential scholar of Central Asia, especially Mongolia. In the 1930s he was editor of Pacific Affairs, a journal published by the Institute of Pacific Relations, and then taught at Johns Hopkins University from 1938 to 1963...
was a "top Russian agent" as McCarthy claimed. The hearings, held from March to July 1950, were extremely stormy as charge was met with counter-charge; they attracted much media attention, especially after Louis F. Budenz
Louis F. Budenz
Louis Francis Budenz was an American activist and writer, as well as a Soviet espionage agent and head of the Buben group of spies. He began as a labor activist and became a member of the Communist Party USA...
entered the proceedings as a surprise witness supporting McCarthy's charges. The committee published a report denouncing McCarthy and his claims as a hoax.
When Tydings ran for re-election in 1950, McCarthy's staff distributed a composite picture of Tydings with Earl Browder
Earl Browder
Earl Russell Browder was an American communist and General Secretary of the Communist Party USA from 1934 to 1945. He was expelled from the party in 1946.- Early years :...
, the former leader of the American Communist Party, whom Tydings had never met before Browder testified before his committee in July 1950. The composite photo merged a 1938 photo of Tydings listening to the radio and a 1940 photo of Browder delivering a speech; the text under the composite photo stated that when Browder had testified before Tydings's committee, Tydings had stated in reply "Thank you, sir". Although the quote was technically accurate, it was generally held to be misleading as it implied a degree of amity between Browder and Tydings that did not in fact exist. Browder had been subpoena
Subpoena
A subpoena is a writ by a government agency, most often a court, that has authority to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of subpoena:...
ed to appear before the committee and had been most reluctant to answer questions about allegations of Communist infiltration of the U.S. government. As a result, Tydings and Browder had clashed a number of times, and Tydings's courtesy had come after a lengthy exchange in which Browder had initially refused to answer a question about whether two diplomats had been members of the American Communist Party. In the 1950 election, Tydings was defeated by John Marshall Butler
John Marshall Butler
John Marshall Butler was a Republican member of the United States Senate, representing the State of Maryland from 1951-1963.-Early life:Butler was born in Baltimore, Maryland and attended Baltimore public schools...
. He was again nominated in 1956 as Democratic candidate for the Senate, but withdrew before the election for health reasons.
During his congressional service, Tydings was chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Territories and Insular Affairs (73rd through 79th Congresses), the Subcommittee on the Investigation of Loyalty of State Department Employees ("Tydings Subcommittee
Tydings Committee
The Subcommittee on the Investigation of Loyalty of State Department Employees, more commonly referred to as the Tydings Committee, was a subcommittee authorized by in February 1950 to look into charges by Joseph R...
") (81st Congress), and the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services (81st Congress).
Death and legacy
Millard E. Tydings died at his farm, "Oakington," near Havre de Grace, Maryland. He was buried in Angel Hill Cemetery. His gravestone incorrectly gives his Senate election year (1926) as the start of his Senate service.The Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge
Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge
The Millard E. Tydings Memorial Bridge is located on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway in Maryland and carries Interstate 95 over the Susquehanna River between Cecil County and Harford County. Its annual traffic is 29 million vehicles....
, which carries Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Maryland
Interstate 95 in Maryland is a major highway that runs diagonally from northeast to southwest, from Maryland's border with Delaware, to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, briefly entering the District of Columbia before reaching Virginia...
across the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
, is named in his honor, as is the Millard E. Tydings Hall at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, which houses the departments of Government & Politics
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
.
His son, Joe Tydings, was also a Senator from Maryland from 1965-1971.
He is the grandfather of actress Alexandra Tydings
Alexandra Tydings
Alexandra Tydings Luzzatto is an American actress, best known for her role as the Greek goddess Aphrodite on the popular TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and on its spin-off Xena: Warrior Princess.-Early life:She first began her career at the age of 11 at the Royal Ballet's production of...
.