Nick Begich: Difference between revisions
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==Personal life== |
==Personal life== |
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Nick Begich had six children, named [[Mark Begich|Mark]], Nichelle, Tom, Stephanie, Paul, and [[Nick Begich (author)|Nick Jr.]] His son Mark Begich is currently the junior [[U.S. Senator]] from Alaska. Mark won this |
Nick Begich had six children, named [[Mark Begich|Mark]], Nichelle, Tom, Stephanie, Paul, and [[Nick Begich (author)|Nick Jr.]] His son Mark Begich is currently the junior [[U.S. Senator]] from Alaska. Mark won this position after defeating the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]'s longest serving Senator, [[Ted Stevens]], who was killed in a plane crash nearly two years later. Some might say this was poetic justice, while others were simply glad that he wouldn't be wasting any more federal money. |
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Nick's brother [[Joseph Begich]] served 18 years in the Minnesota House of Representatives from their hometown of [[Eveleth, Minnesota|Eveleth]].<ref>http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.aspx?ID=10037</ref> |
Nick's brother [[Joseph Begich]] served 18 years in the Minnesota House of Representatives from their hometown of [[Eveleth, Minnesota|Eveleth]].<ref>http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.aspx?ID=10037</ref> |
Revision as of 18:13, 21 March 2014
Nick Begich | |
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Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alaska's At-large district | |
In office January 3, 1971 – October 16, 1972 | |
Preceded by | Howard Pollock |
Succeeded by | Don Young |
Member of the Alaska State Senate | |
In office 1962–1970 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Nicholas Joseph Begich[citation needed] April 6, 1932 Eveleth, Minnesota |
Died | Presumably October 16, 1972 (aged 40) Alaska |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Pegge Begich |
Children | Mark, Nichelle, Stephanie, Tom, Paul, and Nick |
Alma mater | St. Cloud State University, University of Minnesota, University of Colorado, University of North Dakota |
Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Begich, Sr. (April 6, 1932 – undetermined, presumed dead October 16, 1972) was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from Alaska. He disappeared in a plane crash in Alaska in 1972. His son Mark Begich is currently the junior U.S. Senator from Alaska.
Early life and education
Begich was born and raised in Eveleth, Minnesota. His father, John Begich (Begić), was born in Podlapača, Croatia[1] and his mother, Anna (née Martinich), was also Croatian.[2] He attended Saint Cloud State University and the University of Minnesota before pursuing his doctorate at the University of Colorado and the University of North Dakota.
Career
Begich worked as an expeditor and then a counselor in Anchorage, Alaska. He later worked in the administrative offices of Anchorage School District,[dubious – discuss] eventually becoming Superintendent of Schools at Fort Richardson. In 1962, Begich was elected to the Alaska Senate, where he served for eight years. Begich also taught political science during parts of this period at the University of Alaska at Anchorage.[dubious – discuss]
In 1970, Begich was elected to Alaska's only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating the Republican banker Frank Murkowski – who later served as a U.S. Senator and then the Governor of Alaska. In 1972 for his re-election, Begich was opposed by the Republican state senator Don Young.
Posthumously, Begich won the 1972 election with 56% to Don Young's 44%. However, after Begich was declared dead, a special election was held and Mr. Young won this seat and still serves in this position as of 2013.
Disappearance
On October 16, 1972, he was aboard a twin engine Cessna 310 along with House Majority Leader Hale Boggs of Louisiana when the plane disappeared during a flight from Anchorage to Juneau. Also on board were Begich's aide, Russell Brown; and the pilot, Don Jonz.[3] The four were heading to a campaign fundraiser for Begich.
In an enormous search effort, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force search and rescue planes looked for the four men and their airplane. On November 24, 1972, after proceeding for thirty-nine days, the air search was called off. Neither the plane nor any of its four occupants were ever found. All were declared dead on December 29, 1972. The accident prompted Congress to pass a law mandating emergency locator transmitters in all United States civil aircraft.[citation needed]
Election history
Year | Republican | Votes | Pct | Democrat | Votes | Pct | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1968 | Howard W. Pollock (inc.) | 43,577 | 54.2% | N. J. Begich | 36,785 | 45.8% | |||
1970 | Frank H. Murkowski | 35,947 | 44.9% | N. J. Begich | 44,137 | 55.1% | |||
1972 | Don Young | 41,750 | 43.8% | N. J. Begich (inc.) | 53,651 | 56.2% |
Personal life
Nick Begich had six children, named Mark, Nichelle, Tom, Stephanie, Paul, and Nick Jr. His son Mark Begich is currently the junior U.S. Senator from Alaska. Mark won this position after defeating the Republican Party's longest serving Senator, Ted Stevens, who was killed in a plane crash nearly two years later. Some might say this was poetic justice, while others were simply glad that he wouldn't be wasting any more federal money.
Nick's brother Joseph Begich served 18 years in the Minnesota House of Representatives from their hometown of Eveleth.[5]
Nick Begich's widow, Pegge Begich, ran for the House of Representatives seat in 1984 and 1986, but she was defeated by the incumbent, Mr. Young. She is now retired and lives in Nevada. Their eldest son, Nick Begich, Jr., has been twice elected as the president of both the Alaska Federation of Teachers and the Anchorage Council of Education[citation needed]. He is also a noted conspiracy theorist, concentrating on the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program. He authored the research book Angels Don't Play this H.A.A.R.P. and appeared on the TV show Conspiracy Theory.
References
- ^ Begich, Tom. (2006-04-30). "Tom Begich: Politics first – Part of growing up in a political family with a man who was a workaholic was I didn't know my father." [dead link] Interviewed by Judy Ferguson. Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved on 2007-04-04. Tom Begich says of his father, "Until I was nearly 12, I grew up with a man who was a legend, the son of Croatian immigrants, but who disappeared Oct. 16, 1972, into the clouds."
- ^ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/senators/begich.htm
- ^ "Hale Boggs — Missing in Alaska". Famous Missing Aircraft. Check-Six. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
- ^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
- ^ http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.aspx?ID=10037
External links
- United States Congress. "Nick Begich (id: B000315)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Nicholas Begich at 100 Years of Alaska's Legislature
- 1932 births
- 1972 deaths
- Accidental deaths in Alaska
- Alaska Democrats
- Alaska State Senators
- American people of Croatian descent
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from Alaska
- Missing air passengers
- People from Anchorage, Alaska
- People from Eveleth, Minnesota
- People from St. Cloud, Minnesota
- Politicians elected posthumously
- University of Alaska Anchorage people
- University of Colorado alumni
- University of Minnesota alumni
- University of North Dakota alumni
- Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States