John V. Tunney
John Varick Tunney (June 26, 1934 – January 12, 2018) was an American politician who served as a United States Senator and Representative from the state of California in the 1960s and 1970s. A Democrat, Tunney was known for his focus on anti-trust and environmental legislation, especially the Noise Pollution Control Act of 1972 and the anti-trust Tunney Act. Tunney also strongly supported civil rights and shepherded the 1975 expansion of the Voting Rights Act.
John V. Tunney | |
|---|---|
Tunney in 1964 | |
| United States Senator from California | |
| In office January 2, 1971 – January 1, 1977 | |
| Preceded by | George Murphy |
| Succeeded by | S. I. Hayakawa |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 38th district | |
| In office January 3, 1965 – January 2, 1971 | |
| Preceded by | Patrick M. Martin |
| Succeeded by | Victor Veysey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Varick Tunney June 26, 1934 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | January 12, 2018 (aged 83) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | Mieke Sprengers
(m. 1959; div. 1973)Kathinka Osborne (m. 1977) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent(s) | Gene Tunney Polly Lauder |
| Relatives | Lauder Greenway Family |
| Education | Yale University (BA) University of Virginia (LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1960–1963 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps |
He was the son of boxing champion Gene Tunney. A fellow Irish-American Catholic, Tunney was a roommate of Edward Kennedy at the University of Virginia School of Law, and became one of his best friends. Tunney won the 1970 United States Senate election in California, but was narrowly defeated by a Republican S. I. Hayakawa in the 1976 United States Senate election in California. After his loss, Tunney became an environmental activist.