Day 106 - Friday April 16, 2010

Pekin's Favorite Son

Everett McKinley Dirksen (1896-1969) was a politician in the Republican Party. He represented Illinois in the House of Representatives (1933–49) and Senate (1951–69). As Senate Minority Leader for over a decade, he played a highly visible and key role in the politics of the 1960s, including helping to write and pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Open Housing Act of 1968, both landmarks of civil rights legislation. He was also a strong supporter of the Vietnam War.