Burton Wheeler
| Burton K. Wheeler | |
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United States Senator from Montana |
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In office March 4, 1923 – January 3, 1947 |
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| Preceded by | Henry L. Myers |
| Succeeded by | Zales Ecton |
| Member of the Montana House of Representatives | |
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In office 1910–1912 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Burton Kendall Wheeler February 27, 1882 Hudson, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | January 6, 1975 (aged 92) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations |
Progressive (1924) |
| Spouse(s) | Lulu M. White (1883-1962) |
| Children | 3 sons: John, Edward and John 3 daughters: Elizabeth, Frances (died 1957) and Marion |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
Burton Kendall Wheeler (February 27, 1882 – January 6, 1975) was an attorney and an American politician of the Democratic Party in Montana; he served as a United States Senator from 1923 until 1947. He returned to his law practice and lived in Washington, DC for his remaining years.
Wheeler was an independent Democrat who initially represented the left wing of the party, receiving support from Montana's labor unions. He ran for vice president in 1924 on the Progressive Party ticket headed by Wisconsin Republican Robert La Follette, Sr.. An ardent New Deal liberal until 1937, he broke with President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the issue of packing the United States Supreme Court. In foreign policy from 1938–41 he became a leader of the non-interventionist wing of the party, fighting against entry into World War II until the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Wheeler was born in Hudson, Massachusetts, to Mary Elizabeth Rice (née Tyler) and Asa Leonard Wheeler. He grew up in Massachusetts, attending the public schools. He first worked as a stenographer in Boston, Massachusetts.
He traveled west to attend University of Michigan Law School, where he graduated in 1905. He initially intended to settle in Seattle, but after getting off the train in Butte, Montana, he lost his belongings in a poker game. The new attorney settled there and began practicing law.
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