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William F. Knowland

William F. Knowland
William F. Knowland headshot.jpg
Senate Minority Leader
In office
January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1959
Deputy Leverett Saltonstall
Everett Dirksen (whips)
Preceded by Lyndon B. Johnson
Succeeded by Everett Dirksen
Senate Majority Leader
In office
August 4, 1953 – January 3, 1955
Deputy Leverett Saltonstall (whip)
Preceded by Robert A. Taft
Succeeded by Lyndon B. Johnson
Senate Republican Policy Committee Chairman
In office
January 3, 1953 – August 4, 1953
Preceded by Robert A. Taft
Succeeded by Homer S. Ferguson
United States Senator
from California
In office
August 26, 1945 – January 3, 1959
Preceded by Hiram Johnson
Succeeded by Clair Engle
Member of the California State Assembly
In office
1933–1935
Personal details
Born William Fife Knowland
(1908-06-26)June 26, 1908
Alameda, California
Died February 23, 1974(1974-02-23) (aged 65)
Guerneville, California
Nationality American
Political party Republican
Spouse(s)

1) Helen Davis Herrick (divorced) (1907–1981)

2) Ann Dickson (survived) (1931–1984)
Children Emelyn Davis Jewett
(1928–1988)
Joseph William Knowland
(1930–)
Helen Estelle Knowland
(1936–)
Kay Sessinghaus Paolinetti
(1953–)
(stepdaughter)
Steve Sessinghaus
(1958–2007)
(stepson)
Alma mater University of California-Berkeley
Military service
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service 1942–1945
Rank Major
Battles/wars World War II

1) Helen Davis Herrick (divorced) (1907–1981)

William Fife Knowland (June 26, 1908 – February 23, 1974) was an American politician, newspaper publisher, and Republican Party leader. He was a US Senator representing California from 1945 to 1959. He served as Senate Majority Leader from August, 1953 to January, 1955 after the death of Robert A. Taft.

As the most powerful member of the Senate and with his strong interest in foreign policy, Knowland helped set national foreign policy priorities and funding for the Cold War, the policy regarding Vietnam, Formosa, China, Korea and NATO, and other foreign-policy objectives.

He opposed sending American forces to French Indochina and was a sharp critic of Communist China under Mao Zedong. Knowland represented the right wing of the party and considered some of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's policies too liberal.

After the Republicans lost their majority in the 1954 election, he served as Minority Leader from 1955–1959. He was defeated in his 1958 run for California Governor. He succeeded his father, Joseph R. Knowland, as the editor in chief and publisher of the Oakland Tribune.

Knowland was born in the City of Alameda, Alameda County, California. His father, Joseph R. Knowland, was serving his third term as a US Representative. He was the third child, with an older sister, Elinor (1895–1978), and a brother, Joseph Russell "Russ" Knowland, Jr. (1901–1961).


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