William Ezra JENNER, Congress, IN (1908-1985)

1908-1985
Senate Years of Service:
1944-1945; 1947-1959
Party:
Republican; Republican

JENNER, William Ezra, a Senator from Indiana; born in Marengo, Crawford County, Ind., July 21, 1908; attended public and preparatory schools; graduated from Indiana University at Bloomington in 1930 and from that university’s law school in 1930; admitted to the bar in 1930 and commenced practice in Paoli, Ind., in 1932; member, State senate 1934-1942, serving as minority leader 1937-1939, majority leader and president pro tempore 1939-1941; resigned his seat in 1942 to serve in the Second World War; served overseas and retired as a captain in the Army Air Corps in 1944; elected as a Republican to the United States Senate on November 7, 1944, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Frederick Van Nuys and served from November 14, 1944, to January 3, 1945; was not a candidate for election to the full term; elected to the United States Senate in 1946 for the term commencing January 3, 1947; reelected in 1952, and served from January 3, 1947, until January 3, 1959; was not a candidate for renomination in 1958; co-chairman, Joint Committee on Printing (Eightieth and Eighty-third Congresses), chairman, Committee on Rules and Administration (Eighty-third Congress); resumed the practice of law; died in Bedford, Ind., March 9, 1985; interment at Crest Haven Memorial Gardens, Bedford, Ind.

Bibliography

Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives; Poder, Michael. “The Senatorial Career of William E. Jenner.” Ph.D. dissertation, University of Notre Dame, 1976; Ross, Rodney. “Senator William E. Jenner: A Study in Cold War Isolation.” Ed.D. dissertation, Pennsylvania State University, 1973.

Source: Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1771-Present