Charles H. Percy
| Charles H. Percy | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations | |
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In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1985 |
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| Preceded by | Frank Church |
| Succeeded by | Richard Lugar |
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United States Senator from Illinois |
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In office January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1985 |
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| Preceded by | Paul Douglas |
| Succeeded by | Paul M. Simon |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Charles Harting Percy September 27, 1919 Pensacola, Florida, USA |
| Died |
September 17, 2011 (aged 91) Washington, D.C. |
| Resting place | Oak Hill Cemetery, Washington, D.C. |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Jeanne Valerie Dickerson, June 12, 1943–1947, her death Loraine Diane Guyer, August 27, 1950 – September 17, 2011, his death |
| Children |
Sharon Lee (b. 1944) Valerie Jeanne (1944–1966) Roger (b. 1947) Gail (b. 1953) Mark (b. 1955) |
| Parents | Edward H. and Elizabeth Harting Percy |
| Alma mater | University of Chicago A.B. 1941 |
| Religion | Christian Science |
| Awards | 1949 one of 10 outstanding young men of U.S. Jr. C. of C. 1955 World Trade award World Trade Award Com. 1956 Nat. Sales Execs. Mgmt. award 1962 Bus. Man of Year award Sat. Rev. 1962 Statesmanship award Harvard Bus. Sch. Assn., Chgo. 1962 Humanitarian Service award Abraham Lincoln Ctr. 1986 Humanitarian of the Yr. award Save the Children Found. 1965 Top-Hat award Nat. Fedn. Bus. and Profl. Women's Clubs 1965 Bus. Adminstrn. award Drexel Inst. Tech. 1982 UNICEF World of Children award Lifetime Achievement Award Alliance to Save Energy others comdr. French Legion of Honor |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Navy |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Charles Harting Percy (September 27, 1919 – September 17, 2011), known as Chuck Percy, was an American businessman and politician. He was president of the Bell & Howell Corporation from 1949 to 1964. In 1966, he was elected to the United States Senate from Illinois as a Republican; he served for three terms (18 years) until 1985, when he was defeated by Paul Simon. He was mentioned as a GOP presidential hopeful from 1968 through 1988. During his Senate career, Percy concentrated on business and foreign relations.
One of his twin daughters, Valerie Percy, was murdered at age 21 in her bedroom in the family home in Kenilworth, Illinois, near Chicago, during his senatorial campaign in 1966. The murder was never solved. Percy died the day before the 45th anniversary of her death.
Charles Harting Percy was born in Pensacola, the seat of Escambia County in far northwestern Florida, the son of Edward H. Percy and the former Elizabeth Harting. His father, an Alabama native descended from illustrious colonial-era Mississippians and Virginians, was at various times an automobile salesman and bank cashier. His Illinois-born mother was a concert violinist. Edward was a son of Charles Brown Percy and Helen Leila Herndon of the powerful Herndon family of Virginia. Elizabeth Harting was a daughter of Phineas Fredrick Harting and Belle Aschenbach.
The family moved to Chicago when Percy was an infant. As a child, he was notable for his entrepreneurial energy and held jobs while attending school. In the mid-1930s, his pluck brought him to the attention of his Sunday school teacher, Joseph McNabb, the president of Bell & Howell, then a small camera company.
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