Lloyd Bentsen | |
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69th United States Secretary of the Treasury | |
In office January 20, 1993 – December 22, 1994 |
|
President | Bill Clinton |
Preceded by | Nicholas F. Brady |
Succeeded by | Robert Rubin |
United States Senator from Texas |
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In office January 3, 1971 – January 20, 1993 |
|
Preceded by | Ralph Yarborough |
Succeeded by | Bob Krueger |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 15th district |
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In office December 4, 1948 – January 3, 1955 |
|
Preceded by | Milton West |
Succeeded by | Joe M. Kilgore |
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance | |
In office January 3, 1987 – January 20, 1993 |
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Preceded by | Bob Packwood |
Succeeded by | Daniel Patrick Moynihan |
Personal details | |
Born |
Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Jr. February 11, 1921 Mission, Texas, U.S. |
Died | May 23, 2006 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
(aged 85)
Resting place |
Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery Houston, Texas |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Beryl Ann Longino (1943–2006; until his death) |
Alma mater | University of Texas at Austin |
Religion | Presbyterian (raised Baptist) |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/branch |
United States Army Air Forces United States Air Force United States Air Force Reserve |
Years of service | 1942–1947 (active duty) 1950–1959 (Reserve) |
Rank | Colonel |
Unit | 449th Bomb Group (15th Air Force) |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards |
Distinguished Flying Cross Air Medal (4) |
Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery
Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Jr. (February 11, 1921 – May 23, 2006) was an American politician who was a four-term United States Senator (1971–1993) from Texas and the Democratic Party nominee for vice president in 1988 on the Michael Dukakis ticket. He also served in the House of Representatives from 1948 to 1955. In his later political life, he was Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and the U.S. Treasury Secretary during the first two years of the Clinton administration.
Bentsen was born in Mission in Hidalgo County to Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Sr. (referred to as "Big Lloyd"), a first-generation Danish-American, and his wife, Edna Ruth (Colbath). At age 15 he graduated from Sharyland High School in Mission. Bentsen was an Eagle Scout and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America.
He graduated from the University of Texas School of Law with an LL.B. degree in 1942 and was admitted to the bar, but soon afterwards joined the military for World War II. (When law schools accredited by the American Bar Association began requiring a bachelor's degree for admission to law school in the 1950s and 1960s, law schools began awarding the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree rather than the LL.B. As with most law school graduates of his era, Bentsen's LL.B. was amended to reflect award of the J.D.)