Jackson, Henry (1912–1983)

The fabled “Senator from Boeing” who amassed an enviable reputation as a legislator, defense authority, and public servant while maintaining immense popularity in his home state of Washington. Henry Martin “Scoop” Jackson grew up in Everett, Washington, and practiced law after earning degrees from Stanford University and the University of Washington. After serving as a county prosecutor, he won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1941. He served continuously in the House and then the Senate until his death in 1983.

Jackson served with distinction as a legislator, chairing the committees of Indian Affairs, Interior, and Energy. He became known for his advocacy of labor, civil rights, and defense issues. Jackson chaired the Democratic National Committee in 1960 and ran for president in 1972 and 1976. His fervent stance in favor of the Vietnam War and keeping peacetime [Page 390]defense funding high placed him apart from other prominent Democrats, and he was appreciated by defense “hawks” in both parties.

A fervent anticommunist, Jackson nevertheless recognized problems of nuclear weapons and the need for international agreements to reduce the danger of war. Jackson contributed a great deal to the increasingly conservative tone of U.S. politics in the 1980s. Near the end of his career, he gained fame for his advocacy of Jewish emigration rights from the Soviet Union, and his Jackson-Vanik Amendment formed part of the decisive pressure on the Soviet Union to rationalize its relations with the West and end the Cold War.

At home in Washington State, Jackson's careful attention to the economic interests of the state earned him immense popularity. Opponents never seriously challenged his seat while he served in the House and Senate.