Morris Udall
| Mo Udall | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Chair of the House Interior Committee | |
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In office January 3, 1977 – May 4, 1991 |
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| Preceded by | James A. Haley |
| Succeeded by | George Miller |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 2nd district |
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In office May 2, 1961 – May 4, 1991 |
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| Preceded by | Stewart Udall |
| Succeeded by | Ed Pastor |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Morris King Udall June 15, 1922 St. Johns, Arizona, U.S. |
| Died |
December 12, 1998 (aged 76) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Patricia Emery (1949–1966) Ella Royston (1968–1988) Norma Gilbert (1989–1998) |
| Children | 5 (including Mark) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States ArmyUnited States Army Air Forces |
| Years of service | 1942–1946 |
| Rank |
 Captain
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Morris King "Mo" Udall (June 15, 1922 – December 12, 1998) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Arizona from May 2, 1961 to May 4, 1991. A former professional basketball player with the Denver Nuggets during their National Basketball League period, noted for his liberal views, Udall was a tall (6'5"), Lincolnesque figure with a self-deprecating wit and easy manner. Because of his wit, columnist James J. Kilpatrick deemed him "too funny to be president", which also ended up being the title of his autobiography in the 1980s. Udall earned a law degree from the University of Arizona in 1949. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Udall was born in St. Johns, Arizona, a son of Louisa (née Lee) and Levi Stewart Udall, a lawyer who served as Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. He lost his right eye to a friend's pocket knife at the age of six, while the two were attempting to cut some string, and wore a glass eye for the rest of his life. He attempted to enlist in the Army during World War II, and almost succeeded, by covering his glass eye each time he was told to alternate during the eye exam. After he was medically cleared, another potential enlistee complained that he had been medically rejected for flat feet, while Udall had passed with one eye. The examiners retested Udall under closer scrutiny, and he was rejected. Later, medical standards changed and Udall served in the Army until the end of the war.
Later, Udall attended the University of Arizona, where he was a star basketball player and a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity. He played for the Denver Nuggets for one year following graduation as well as attending the University of Denver school of law, and then returned to the University of Arizona for law school, where he graduated in 1949.
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