Dale Bumpers | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait | |
| United States Senator fromArkansas | |
| In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1999 | |
| Preceded by | J. William Fulbright |
| Succeeded by | Blanche Lincoln |
| 38thGovernor of Arkansas | |
| In office January 12, 1971 – January 3, 1975 | |
| Lieutenant | Bob Riley |
| Preceded by | Winthrop Rockefeller |
| Succeeded by | Bob C. Riley (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Dale Leon Bumpers (1925-08-12)August 12, 1925 Charleston, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Died | January 1, 2016(2016-01-01) (aged 90) Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Columbarium of the First United Methodist Church,Charleston, Arkansas |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (BA) Northwestern University (JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1943–1946 |
Bumpers highlights risks of theStrategic Defense Initiative after theIran Air Flight 655 shootdown Recorded September 22, 1988 | |
Dale Leon Bumpers (August 12, 1925 – January 1, 2016) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 38thgovernor of Arkansas (1971–1975) and in theUnited States Senate (1975–1999). He was a member of theDemocratic Party. He was counsel at the Washington office of law firmArent Fox LLP, where his clients includedRiceland Foods and theUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Bumpers was born August 12, 1925,[1] inCharleston inFranklin County, in west central Arkansas, near the larger city ofFort Smith,[2] the son ofWilliam Rufus Bumpers, who served in theArkansas House of Representatives in the early 1930s, and the former Lattie Jones (1889–1949). Bumpers's brother, Raymond J. Bumpers, died of dysentery. Another older brother, Carroll Bumpers, was born in 1921. He also had a sister named Margaret. Bumpers's parents died five days apart in March 1949 of injuries sustained in an automobile accident; the couple are interred at Nixon Cemetery in Franklin County.[3]
Bumpers attended public schools and theUniversity of Arkansas atFayetteville. He served in theUnited States Marine Corps from 1943 to 1946 during World War II. Bumpers graduated fromNorthwestern University Law School in Chicago, in 1951. From his time in Illinois, he became a great admirer ofAdlai Stevenson, II, the Democratic presidential candidate in1952 and1956. Bumpers was admitted to the Arkansas bar in 1952 and began practicing law in his hometown that same year.[2] He was from 1952 to 1970 the Charleston city attorney.[4] While serving as city attorney, he convinced the school board to accept theBrown v. Board of Education ruling integrating public schools. Charleston was the first School District in the former Confederate South to fully integrate, an accomplishment that Bumpers was very proud of.[5][1] He served as special justice of theArkansas Supreme Court in 1968.[6]
Bumpers lost his 1962 bid for the same state House seat once represented by his father, who had wanted to run for theUnited States House of Representatives but could not amass the funding to do so.[7]
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Bumpers was virtually unknown when he announced his campaign for governor in1970. However, his oratorical skills, personal charm, and outsider image put him in a runoff election for the Democratic nomination with former governorOrval Faubus. Bumpers defeated Faubus in the runoff, then easily defeated the incumbent Republican governorWinthrop Rockefeller in November. Bumpers was often described as a new kind ofSouthern Democrat who would bring reform to his state and the Democratic Party. His victory over Rockefeller ushered in a new era of youthful reform-minded governors, including two of his successors,David Pryor (who would later serve alongside Bumpers in the Senate) and future U.S. PresidentBill Clinton.
Dan Durning reports that Bumpers' foremost objective was to streamline the state government by reducing the number of agencies under his office. Bumpers accomplished this by reassigning 60 major agencies to 13 cabinet-level departments, which enhanced his decision-making power and implementation capacity. Unlike Rockefeller, who could not overcome special interest groups, Bumpers achieved this reorganization with remarkable success. The momentum propelled his substantive program. Bumpers spearheaded legislative reforms to create a moreprogressive tax system; top rates moved from 5% to 7%. This significantly boosted state revenues as the state industrialized and generated well-paid employees and executives. He utilized the additional revenue to increase teacher salaries and improve schools, which helped him in a major voting bloc. Bumpers opposed sales tax increases, because they were regressive. Despite requiring a 3/4 majority to pass both houses, the tax measures passed, leaving a lasting legacy. Other notable legislative achievements included a home rule law, the creation of a consumer protection division, repeal of some liquor laws, and upgrades to prison facilities. In a special session in 1972, significant programs were approved to upgrade county social services for the elderly, the handicapped, and the mentally disabled. Though some of Bumpers' initiatives failed, such as the proposed limitation on campaign expenditures, his overall success energized his statewide coalition for his successful re-election campaign in1972.[8]
According to Dan Durning's account, Bumpers succeeded in achieving more reforms during the 1973 General Assembly, with a particular focus on education. The reforms included the establishment of a state-supported kindergarten program, provision of free textbooks for high school students, increased support for the education of children with disabilities, salary hikes and better retirement benefits for teachers, a major construction program for state colleges and universities, and encouragement of community college programs by extending state coverage of operational costs. Nonetheless, Bumpers' proposals to allocate $10 million for the purchase of wilderness and scenic lands, and to approve the Equal Rights Amendment for women, were both turned down by the legislature.[9]
Dan Durning argues that Bumpers's legislative proposals achieved remarkable success due to various factors. First, Bumpers enjoyed strong public support as he had defeated the disliked Republican governor Winthrop Rockefeller. Secondly, the newly elected general assembly in 1971 was more open to change than previous ones, owing to new members especially from cities, and the decline of the old guard men from rural counties. Thirdly, Bumper's striking ability to use personal persuasion helped him establish favorable relationships with key players in the political establishment. Finally, Bumper's independence from any special interest groups allowed him to pursue his own agenda without any obligations.[10]
Bumpers was elected to the United States Senate in1974. He unseated the long-term incumbentJ. William Fulbright in the Democratic primary by a wide margin and then faced the Republican banker John Harris Jones. Jones accused Bumpers of excessive spending as governor, citing the construction of a $186 million state office complex. Bumpers not only ignored Jones but instead campaigned mostly for the young DemocratBill Clinton, who failed in that heavily Democratic year to unseat Republican U.S. RepresentativeJohn Paul Hammerschmidt inArkansas's 3rd congressional district. Bumpers polled 461,056 votes (84.9%) to Jones's 82,026 (15.1%), the weakest Republican showing since Fulbright won in 1944.
Time magazine wrote that "many to their sorrow have had trouble taking Bumpers seriously ... Dandy Dale, the man with one speech, a shoeshine, and a smile."[11]
In1980, Bumpers comfortably survived, 477,905 votes (59.1%) to 330,576 (40.9%),[12] theRonald Reagan victory in Arkansas by defeating the Republican candidate, William P. "Bill" Clark (born 1943), a Little Rock investment banker who filed for the Senate only one hour prior to the deadline (this William Clark is not related to the Reagan confidanteWilliam P. Clark Jr. [1931–2013]). In his unsuccessful 1976 race as a Democrat forArkansas's 2nd congressional district seat, "Bill" Clark had passed out twenty thousandClark candy bars but received fewer votes and was saddled with an unpaid campaign debt exceeding $30,000. Clark accused Bumpers of being "fuzzy on the issues" and challenged Bumpers's support for gasoline rationing during the energy crisis.[13] Clark criticized Bumpers for having voted against defense appropriations twenty-three times between 1975 and 1978 and noted, "Only this year [when seeking reelection] he has voted for a couple of defense items."[14] Clark questioned Bumpers's opposition toschool prayer and support for thePanama Canal Treaties of 1978, an issue which Reagan had used against PresidentJimmy Carter as well. Clark further claimed that Bumpers had derided citizens ofNewton County, a frequent Republican stronghold in Arkansas, as "stupid hill people".[15] Newton County in turn cast 57.2 percent of its votes for Clark, who prevailed in twelve of the state's seventy-five counties, mostly those in the northwestern section of the state. Clark also carried Bumpers's home county of Franklin.[12] The Republican hopeful asked voters, "If Dale Bumpers doesn't vote for you, why should you vote for him?"[16]
Unlike Bumpers, Bill Clinton lost in the Reagan electoral vote landslide, temporarily sidelined by the RepublicanFrank D. White. In1986, Bumpers defeated his Republican opponent, later U.S. Representative for Arkansas's 3rd congressional district and GovernorAsa Hutchinson. In1992, after bestingState Auditor Julia Hughes Jones with 64 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary, he defeated future governorMike Huckabee in the general election. The next year, Jones switched to the GOP and unsuccessfully ran for secretary of state in 1994. In1998, when Bumpers retired, the Democratic choice, former U. S. RepresentativeBlanche Lincoln ofArkansas's 1st congressional district, comfortably defeated the Republican nominee,Fay Boozman, a state senator who was later the Arkansas Department of Health director under Governor Huckabee.
Bumpers was elected to the U.S. Senate four times, beginning with his huge victory over Fulbright, the veteran chairman of theUnited States Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Bumpers chaired theSenate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship from 1987 until 1995, when theRepublicans took control of the Senate for a dozen years following the1994 elections. Bumpers served as ranking minority member of theSenate Energy and Natural Resources Committee from 1997 until his retirement in 1999. In the Senate, Bumpers was known for his oratorical skills and for his prodigious respect for theConstitution of the United States. He never supported any constitutional amendment.
Bumpers decided not to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in1984 and1988, despite support from many colleagues, including SenatorPaul Simon ofIllinois, who ultimately also contested the 1988 nomination won byMichael Dukakis.[17] Initially named as one ofWalter Mondale's top potential choices for his vice presidential running mate in 1984, he took his name out of the running early in the process.
Bumpers stated that his main reason for not running was fear of "a total disruption of the closeness my family has cherished." Many observers felt that Bumpers perhaps lacked the obsessive ambition required of a presidential candidate, especially one who would have started out the process with low name identification. Another factor often mentioned was Bumpers's key vote in killing labor law reform in 1978, a vote that angered organized labor and had clearly not been forgotten by labor leaders nearly a decade later.[18]
After his retirement from the Senate, Bumpers, a self-declared close friend of President Clinton, acted as defense attorney duringClinton's impeachment trial. He gave an impassioned closing argument during the Senate trial.
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Quotes from the closing argument of the White House presentation, January 21, 1999:[19]
H. L. Mencken said one time, "When you hear somebody say, 'This is not about money' – it's about money." And when you hear somebody say, "This is not about sex" – it's about sex.
…Nobody has suggested that Bill Clinton committed a political crime against the state. So, colleagues, if you honor the Constitution, you must look at the history of the Constitution and how we got to the impeachment clause. And if you do that and you do that honestly according to the oath you took, you cannot – you can censure Bill Clinton, you can hand him over to the prosecutor for him to be prosecuted, but you cannot convict him. And you cannot indulge yourselves the luxury or the right to ignore this history.…
The American people are now and for some time have been asking to be allowed a good night's sleep. They're asking for an end to this nightmare. It is a legitimate request.
In 1995, the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville founded theDale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences in his honor.[20]
In 2014, theWhite River National Wildlife Refuge in Arkansas was renamed "Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge". At a dedication ceremony,Daniel M. Ashe, director of theUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service, said:
The Service is proud to recognize the many contributions Senator Bumpers has made to give many future generations the same opportunity to enjoy Arkansas' natural beauty as we have had. He is a giant among conservationists and a visionary who followed an unconventional path to set aside some of Arkansas' last wild places. It is fitting that he will be forever linked with the White River.[21]
Bumpers and his wifeBetty were both known for their dedication to the cause of childhoodimmunization. TheDale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center (VRC) at theNational Institutes of Health was established by former president Clinton to facilitate research in vaccine development.[22]
Early in his legal career, the Charleston School Board asked his advice on how it should respond to the Supreme Court decision in the 1954 case ofBrown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, which found the segregation of public schools on the basis of race to be unconstitutional. Bumpers advised the school board to comply with the decision immediately. In July 1954, the board voted to desegregate its schools, and on August 23, 1954, the school year began with eleven African-American children attending schools in Charleston. This prompt action to desegregate public schools was rare: The Charleston School District was the first in the eleven states that comprised the former Confederacy to integrate their public schools following the Supreme Court decision.[23]
Bumpers opposed constitutional amendments throughout his Senate tenure and was critical of his Republican colleagueJesse Helms for attempting that route to enactconservative policy proposals. However, Bumpers said that he worked well with Republican leadersHoward Baker andBob Dole.[7]
After a period of failing health, Bumpers died on January 1, 2016, at his home in Little Rock at the age of 90.[24][25] He hadAlzheimer's disease and had sustained a broken hip shortly before his death.[4]
He would be cremated, with his inurnment taking place in the Columbarium of the First United Methodist Church inCharleston, Arkansas.[26][27]
InJeffrey Archer's 1977 novelShall We Tell the President?, Bumpers was elected as theVice President of the United States in a ticket headed byTed Kennedy, defeatingRonald Reagan during the1984 election. In the 1986 revised edition of the novel, Archer replaced Kennedy with the fictional character of Florentyna Kane, and Bumpers with the real-life SenatorBill Bradley ofNew Jersey.
| Party | Candidate | % | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | Dale Bumpers | 61.66% | 375,648 |
| R | Winthrop Rockefeller (incumbent) | 32.41% | 197,418 |
| A | Walter L. Carruth | 5.93% | 36,132 |
| Party | Candidate | % | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | Dale Bumpers(incumbent) | 75.44% | 488,892 |
| R | Len E. Blaylock | 24.56% | 159,177 |
| Party | Candidate | % | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | Dale Bumpers | 84.90% | 461,056 |
| R | John H. Jones | 15.10% | 82,026 |
| Party | Candidate | % | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | Dale Bumpers(incumbent) | 59.09% | 477,905 |
| R | William Clark | 40.87% | 330,576 |
| Party | Candidate | % | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | Dale Bumpers(incumbent) | 62.28% | 433,122 |
| R | Asa Hutchinson | 37.72% | 262,313 |
| Party | Candidate | % | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | Dale Bumpers(incumbent) | 60.18% | 553,635 |
| R | Mike Huckabee | 39.82% | 366,373 |
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Arkansas 1970,1972 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theDemocratic Governors Association 1972–1973 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forU.S. Senator fromArkansas (Class 3) 1974,1980,1986,1992 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Arkansas 1971–1975 | Succeeded by Bob Riley Acting |
| U.S. Senate | ||
| Preceded by | United States Senator (Class 3) from Arkansas 1975–1999 Served alongside:John L. McClellan,Kaneaster Hodges,David Pryor,Tim Hutchinson | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theSenate Small Business Committee 1987–1995 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ranking Member of theSenate Small Business Committee 1995–1997 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Ranking Member of theSenate Energy Committee 1997–1999 | Succeeded by |
| Class 2 |  | |
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| Class 3 | ||
| Select Committee (1950–1981) | | |
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| Full Committee (1981–) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
