William Stuart Symington
| Stuart Symington | |
|---|---|
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United States Senator from Missouri |
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In office January 3, 1953 – December 27, 1976 |
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| Preceded by | James P. Kem |
| Succeeded by | John Danforth |
| 1st United States Secretary of the Air Force | |
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In office September 18, 1947 – April 24, 1950 |
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| President | Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Thomas K. Finletter |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Stuart Symington, Jr. June 26, 1901 Amherst, Massachusetts |
| Died | December 14, 1988 (aged 87) New Canaan, Connecticut |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Evelyn Wadsworth Symington |
| Profession | Business executive |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1918–1919 |
| Rank |
 Second Lieutenant
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| Unit | 84th Division |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
William Stuart Symington, Jr. (/ˈsaɪmɪŋtən/; June 26, 1901 – December 14, 1988) was an American businessman and politician from Missouri. He served as the first Secretary of the Air Force from 1947 to 1950 and was a Democratic United States Senator from Missouri from 1953 to 1976.
Born in Amherst, Massachusetts, Symington worked as an executive in his uncle's iron products company and for other companies before becoming president of Emerson Electric. He resigned from Emerson in 1945 to take various positions in the administration of President Harry S. Truman, becoming the first Secretary of the Air Force in 1947. He was elected to the Senate in 1952, defeating incumbent Republican Senator James P. Kem. He joined the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and emerged as a prominent critic of McCarthyism.
Symington sought the Democratic nomination in the 1960 presidential election with the backing of former President Truman, but the nomination went to John F. Kennedy. After the Kansas City Athletics moved to Oakland, Symington threatened to revoke Major League Baseball's anti-trust exemption, which in turn encouraged the formation of the Kansas City Royals. Symington declined to seek re-election in 1976 and was succeeded by John Danforth.
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