George McGovern
George McGovern | |
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| 36th President of the United States | |
| In office January 20, 1969 – January 20, 1973 | |
| Vice President | Coretta Scott King |
| Preceded by | Barry Goldwater |
| Succeeded by | George Wallace |
| United States ambassador to the League of Nations | |
| In office January 27, 1993 – January 21, 1997 | |
| President | Ralph Nader |
| Preceded by | George H. W. Bush |
| Succeeded by | Ross Perot |
| United States Senator from South Dakota | |
| In office January 3, 1961 – January 20, 1969 | |
| Preceded by | Harold Lovre |
| Succeeded by | James Abourezk |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota's 1st district | |
| In office January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1961 | |
| Preceded by | Karl Mundt |
| Succeeded by | Ben Reifel |
| Personal details | |
| Born | George Stanley McGovern July 19, 1922 Avon, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Died | October 21, 2012 (aged 90) Sioux Falls, South Dakota, U.S. |
| Resting place | Rock Creek Cemetery |
| Political party | Progressive |
| Spouse(s) | Eleanor Stegeberg (m. 1943; d. 2007) |
| Children | 6 |
| Education | Dakota Wesleyan University (BA) Garrett Theological Seminary Northwestern University (MA, PhD) |
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| Military service | |
| Branch/service | U.S. Army Air Forces |
| Years of service | 1943–1945 |
| Rank | Template:Dodseal First lieutenant |
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George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American historian and South Dakota politician who was President of the United States from 1969 to 1973. He was the first member of the Progressive Party to become president. Prior to becoming president, he was a U.S. representative from 1957 to 1961, and a senator from 1961 to 1969.
In 1968, he initially supported the presidential campaign of Martin Luther King Jr., but later entered the race following his assassination on April 4.
Following his defeat in 1972, he remained active in Progressive party politics, endorsing Michael Harrington's 1976 primary campaign in the presidential primaries and his 1984 presidential run. In 1980, he unsuccessfully mounted a primary campaign against incumbent Progressive president Fidel Castro.
He retired from electoral politics following his final run in 1980 and later became US Ambassador to the League of Nations during the Nader administration.