Joe McCarthy
| Joseph McCarthy | |
|---|---|
 |
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United States Senator from Wisconsin |
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In office January 3, 1947 – May 2, 1957 |
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| Preceded by | Robert M. La Follette Jr. |
| Succeeded by | William Proxmire |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joseph Raymond McCarthy November 14, 1908 Grand Chute, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | May 2, 1957 (aged 48) Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. |
| Resting place |
Saint Mary's Cemetery Appleton, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (1944–1957) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic (c. 1936–1944) |
| Spouse(s) | Jean Fraser Kerr Minetti (m. 1953) |
| Children | Tierney Elizabeth McCarthy |
| Alma mater |
University of Wisconsin Marquette University Law School (LL.B.) |
| Profession | Attorney, judge, politician |
| Committees | Senate Committee on Government Operations |
| Portfolio | Chairman for federal investigations of Communists in the U.S. government |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Nickname(s) | Tail-Gunner Joe |
| Allegiance |
 United States |
| Service/branch |
 United States Marine Corps
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| Years of service | 1942–45 |
| Rank |
 Captain
|
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who was a U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visible public face of a period in which Cold War tensions fueled fears of widespread Communist subversion. He was noted for making claims that there were large numbers of Communists and Soviet spies and sympathizers inside the United States federal government and elsewhere. Ultimately, the controversy he generated led him to be censured by the United States Senate.
The term "McCarthyism", coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's practices, was soon applied to similar anti-communist activities. Today, the term is used by critics of McCarthy in reference to what they consider demagogic, reckless, and unsubstantiated accusations, as well as public attacks on the character or patriotism of political opponents.
McCarthy was born in 1908 in the Town of Grand Chute in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, and attended Marquette University, studying different subjects before deciding on law and earning an LL.B. from Marquette University Law School. He practiced law and won election as a circuit court judge, and at age 33 McCarthy volunteered to serve in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He successfully ran for the United States Senate in 1946, defeating Robert M. La Follette Jr. After three largely undistinguished years in the Senate, McCarthy rose suddenly to national fame in February 1950 when he asserted in a speech that he had a list of "members of the Communist Party and members of a spy ring" who were employed in the State Department.
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