Persons of Interest: Stuart Symington
Stuart Symington is another one of those persons who fits in the category of "almost president". If history had taken the other fork in the road in 1960, it would have been Symington, and not Lyndon Johnson, who would have become president on November 22, 1963 when John F. Kennedy was killed. Then again, if Symington had been Vice-President at the time, perhaps Kennedy would never have gone to Dallas. We'll never know. But what we do know is that Symington was John F. Kennedy's first choice of a running mate in 1960, before political expediency intervened and he chose Johnson instead.
Though best known as the Senator from Missouri, William Stuart Symington Jr. was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on June 26, 1901. His father, William Stuart Symington, Sr., had a Ph.D in French literature, and was a romance languages professor at Stanford and Amherst College before changing careers. The elder Symington became a lawyer and was appointed to be a federal judge in Baltimore, Maryland. His mother, the former Emily Harrison, was a direct descendant Benjamin Harrison (not the president, but his great-grandfather, the one who signed the Declaration of Independence). She came from a wealthy family in Virginia.
Symington grew up in Baltimore, the oldest of five siblings. He attended Roland Park Public School and the Gilman School (a private all-male prep school in Baltimore) and he graduated from Baltimore City College in 1918, and at the age of 17. That year, Symington enlisted in the United States Army as a private first class during World War I. The war ended before he was sent overseas, but he was stationed in an Officer Training Program at Camp Zachary Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. Symington was commissioned as a second lieutenant, becoming one of the youngest members of the Army to achieve that rank. He was honorably discharged as a second lieutenant in January 1919. He graduated from Yale University in 1923.
In 1923, Symington went to work for an uncle at the Symington Company of Rochester, New York, manufacturers of iron products. Two years later he formed Eastern Clay Products but in 1927 he returned to the Symington Company as executive assistant to the President. In 1930 he left the company to become President of the Colonial Radio Corporation. In January 1935, he became president of Rustless Iron and Steel Corporation (manufacturers of stainless steel). When Rustless Iron and Steel Corporation was sold in 1937, Symington resigned and in 1938 became president of Emerson Electric Company in St. Louis, Missouri. During World War II the company was the world's largest builder of airplane gun turrets.
In 1945 his fellow Missourian Harry S. Truman appointed Symington chairman of the Surplus Property Board in 1945 and later Assistant Secretary of War for Air in 1946. On September 18, 1947, the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force was created and Symington became the first Secretary. This was a challenging assignment as the Air Force had previously been part of the Army. He fought public turf wars with Secretary of Defense James Forrestal. During his tenure, he instituted the United States Air Force Academy along with other initiatives. But he resigned his position in 1950 to protest lack of funding for the Air Force after the Soviets detonated their first nuclear weapon.
With the support and encouragement of his father-in-law, Symington decided to run for the Senate. His father-in-law, James Wolcott Wadsworth Jr., was a former Republican Speaker of the New York State Assembly and U.S. Senator from New York. Symington was elected to the senate in 1952, taking the seat previously held by Truman. He won the seat in a year in which the Republicans made gains in the senate. Symington was re-elected in 1958, 1964, and 1970. As a member of the Senate he served on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, and specialized in military affairs. He argued for a strong national defense. In 1954, he made headlines by accusing the Department of Defense of wasting millions of dollars on outdated weapons.
Symington was one of the most vocal opponents of Senator Joseph McCarthy and seemed to get under McCarthy's skin. McCarthy nicknamed Symington "Sanctimonious Stu". He came to the defense of Annie Lee Moss, who had been brought before McCarthy's committee under the accusation that she was a Communist spy. Evidence supporting this claim was given by an undercover FBI agent who could not be cross-examined by Mrs. Moss or her counsel. Symington proclaimed his belief in Moss's innocence before the packed audience at the McCarthy committee hearing, to the applause of those present. Later that year, Symington took a lead role in censuring McCarthy.
In 1959, Symington decided to run in the 1960 presidential election. He had the support of former President and fellow Missourian Harry Truman. He did not win any primaries but he finished third in the balloting behind first ballot winner John F. Kennedy and second place finisher Lyndon Johnson. Truman chose not to attend the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, claiming that he was displeased with party bosses support for Kennedy. Truman restated his support for the candidacy of Symington and added, "I have no second choice". Unlike Kennedy or Johnson, Symington refused to speak to segregated audiences in the southern United States and this hurt his chances among southern delegates. He declined to enter any of the Democratic primaries. Symington was said to be Kennedy's first choice for Vice President. But Kennedy opted for Texas Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, who he believed to be more advantageous politically for his ticket.
Symington was a member of EXCOMM (he Executive Committee of the National Security Council), a body of United States government officials that convened to advise President John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. He later became critical of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and in the early 1970s, his committee held hearings on CIA misconduct in Laos. In 1967 when Major League Baseball owners approved the move of the Kansas City Athletics to Oakland, California, Symington threatened legislation to revoke the league's antitrust exemption and vowed to support lawsuits challenging the legality of the reserve clause. Kansas City was awarded an expansion team, the Kansas City Royals, which was scheduled to begin play in 1971. Symington protested, saying that Kansas City should not wait. As a result, the Royals began play in 1969.
In 1976, Symington did not seek a fifth term and resigned on December 27, a week before the end of his final term, so that his Republican successor, John Danforth, would gain a seniority advantage in the Senate. His son, James W. Symington, served in the United States House of Representatives from Missouri's Second Congressional District from 1969 to 1977. His cousin, Fife Symington III, was Governor of Arizona from 1991 to 1997. His grandson, also named W. Stuart Symington, served as the U.S. ambassador to Djibouti and Rwanda.
Symington retired in 1978 and resided in New Canaan, Connecticut. He died at his home there on December 14, 1988 at the age of 87. He is buried in a crypt in Washington National Cathedral.
Though best known as the Senator from Missouri, William Stuart Symington Jr. was born in Amherst, Massachusetts on June 26, 1901. His father, William Stuart Symington, Sr., had a Ph.D in French literature, and was a romance languages professor at Stanford and Amherst College before changing careers. The elder Symington became a lawyer and was appointed to be a federal judge in Baltimore, Maryland. His mother, the former Emily Harrison, was a direct descendant Benjamin Harrison (not the president, but his great-grandfather, the one who signed the Declaration of Independence). She came from a wealthy family in Virginia.
Symington grew up in Baltimore, the oldest of five siblings. He attended Roland Park Public School and the Gilman School (a private all-male prep school in Baltimore) and he graduated from Baltimore City College in 1918, and at the age of 17. That year, Symington enlisted in the United States Army as a private first class during World War I. The war ended before he was sent overseas, but he was stationed in an Officer Training Program at Camp Zachary Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. Symington was commissioned as a second lieutenant, becoming one of the youngest members of the Army to achieve that rank. He was honorably discharged as a second lieutenant in January 1919. He graduated from Yale University in 1923.
In 1923, Symington went to work for an uncle at the Symington Company of Rochester, New York, manufacturers of iron products. Two years later he formed Eastern Clay Products but in 1927 he returned to the Symington Company as executive assistant to the President. In 1930 he left the company to become President of the Colonial Radio Corporation. In January 1935, he became president of Rustless Iron and Steel Corporation (manufacturers of stainless steel). When Rustless Iron and Steel Corporation was sold in 1937, Symington resigned and in 1938 became president of Emerson Electric Company in St. Louis, Missouri. During World War II the company was the world's largest builder of airplane gun turrets.
In 1945 his fellow Missourian Harry S. Truman appointed Symington chairman of the Surplus Property Board in 1945 and later Assistant Secretary of War for Air in 1946. On September 18, 1947, the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force was created and Symington became the first Secretary. This was a challenging assignment as the Air Force had previously been part of the Army. He fought public turf wars with Secretary of Defense James Forrestal. During his tenure, he instituted the United States Air Force Academy along with other initiatives. But he resigned his position in 1950 to protest lack of funding for the Air Force after the Soviets detonated their first nuclear weapon.
With the support and encouragement of his father-in-law, Symington decided to run for the Senate. His father-in-law, James Wolcott Wadsworth Jr., was a former Republican Speaker of the New York State Assembly and U.S. Senator from New York. Symington was elected to the senate in 1952, taking the seat previously held by Truman. He won the seat in a year in which the Republicans made gains in the senate. Symington was re-elected in 1958, 1964, and 1970. As a member of the Senate he served on the Armed Services and Foreign Relations committees, and specialized in military affairs. He argued for a strong national defense. In 1954, he made headlines by accusing the Department of Defense of wasting millions of dollars on outdated weapons.
Symington was one of the most vocal opponents of Senator Joseph McCarthy and seemed to get under McCarthy's skin. McCarthy nicknamed Symington "Sanctimonious Stu". He came to the defense of Annie Lee Moss, who had been brought before McCarthy's committee under the accusation that she was a Communist spy. Evidence supporting this claim was given by an undercover FBI agent who could not be cross-examined by Mrs. Moss or her counsel. Symington proclaimed his belief in Moss's innocence before the packed audience at the McCarthy committee hearing, to the applause of those present. Later that year, Symington took a lead role in censuring McCarthy.
In 1959, Symington decided to run in the 1960 presidential election. He had the support of former President and fellow Missourian Harry Truman. He did not win any primaries but he finished third in the balloting behind first ballot winner John F. Kennedy and second place finisher Lyndon Johnson. Truman chose not to attend the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, claiming that he was displeased with party bosses support for Kennedy. Truman restated his support for the candidacy of Symington and added, "I have no second choice". Unlike Kennedy or Johnson, Symington refused to speak to segregated audiences in the southern United States and this hurt his chances among southern delegates. He declined to enter any of the Democratic primaries. Symington was said to be Kennedy's first choice for Vice President. But Kennedy opted for Texas Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, who he believed to be more advantageous politically for his ticket.
Symington was a member of EXCOMM (he Executive Committee of the National Security Council), a body of United States government officials that convened to advise President John F. Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. He later became critical of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War and in the early 1970s, his committee held hearings on CIA misconduct in Laos. In 1967 when Major League Baseball owners approved the move of the Kansas City Athletics to Oakland, California, Symington threatened legislation to revoke the league's antitrust exemption and vowed to support lawsuits challenging the legality of the reserve clause. Kansas City was awarded an expansion team, the Kansas City Royals, which was scheduled to begin play in 1971. Symington protested, saying that Kansas City should not wait. As a result, the Royals began play in 1969.
In 1976, Symington did not seek a fifth term and resigned on December 27, a week before the end of his final term, so that his Republican successor, John Danforth, would gain a seniority advantage in the Senate. His son, James W. Symington, served in the United States House of Representatives from Missouri's Second Congressional District from 1969 to 1977. His cousin, Fife Symington III, was Governor of Arizona from 1991 to 1997. His grandson, also named W. Stuart Symington, served as the U.S. ambassador to Djibouti and Rwanda.
Symington retired in 1978 and resided in New Canaan, Connecticut. He died at his home there on December 14, 1988 at the age of 87. He is buried in a crypt in Washington National Cathedral.