William Hathaway

For the American poet, see William K. Hathaway.
William Hathaway
United States Senator
from Maine
In office
January 3, 1973  January 3, 1979
Preceded by Margaret Chase Smith
Succeeded by William Cohen
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maine's 2nd district
In office
January 3, 1965  January 3, 1973
Preceded by Clifford McIntire
Succeeded by William Cohen
Personal details
Born William Dodd Hathaway
(1924-02-21)February 21, 1924
Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died June 24, 2013(2013-06-24) (aged 89)
McLean, Virginia, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Alma mater Harvard University
Military service
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch United States Army Air Corps
Years of service 1942–1946
Battles/wars World War II

William Dodd Hathaway (February 21, 1924  June 24, 2013) was an American politician and lawyer from Maine.[1]

Life and career

Hathaway was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He served in World War II in the United States Army Air Corps, where he was shot down while bombing the Ploiești, Romania oil fields during Operation Tidal Wave and was a prisoner of war for over two months. He was awarded the Air Medal, the Purple Heart, and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After the war he attended Harvard University, graduating in 1949, and Harvard Law School, graduating in 1953. He then moved to Maine and practiced law in Lewiston.

He served as Assistant County Attorney for Androscoggin County from 1955 to 1957, and was a Hearing Examiner for the State Liquor Commission from 1957 to 1961.

A Democrat, in 1964 he was elected to the U.S. House, and he served from 1965 until 1973. This was a time of resurgence for Democrats in Maine, at that time a traditionally Republican state. This same period saw the growth of the political careers of Edmund S. Muskie and Kenneth M. Curtis.

In 1972 Hathaway was the successful Democratic nominee for the United States Senate seat held by Margaret Chase Smith. In 1973, Hathaway was one of the three senators who opposed the nomination of Gerald Ford to be Vice President. (The other two were Thomas Eagleton and Gaylord Nelson.) Hathaway was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1978, losing to three-term 2nd district Congressman and future Secretary of Defense William Cohen by 22 percentage points.[2]

Hathaway resided in the Washington, D.C. area after leaving the Senate and worked as a lobbyist and lawyer.[3] In 1990 he was appointed by President George H. W. Bush to the Federal Maritime Commission, and he served as Chairman from 1993 to 1996.

Hathaway was known and loved by the employees of the U.S. Senate, especially the Senate elevator operators. He was a constant source of humor and good will to those that worked on the Capitol elevators. "Going Up" unpublished manuscript by Kerry Whitney, U.S. Senate Elevator Operator.


He retired in 1996 and continued to live in the Washington, D.C. area.

In June 2002, at the age of 78, Hathaway was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism during Operation Tidal Wave.[4]

Hathaway was married to Mary Lee Bird of Horse Shoe, North Carolina and Akron, Ohio for over 61 years until her death in 2007. Hathaway had two children, Susan and Fred.

Hathaway died on June 24, 2013 at the age of 89 of pulmonary fibrosis.[5][6] This was exactly 69 years to the day after he was shot down during World War II.

Notes

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Clifford McIntire
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maine's 2nd congressional district

1965–1973
Succeeded by
William Cohen
United States Senate
Preceded by
Margaret Smith
United States Senator (Class 2) from Maine
1973–1979
Served alongside: Edmund Muskie
Succeeded by
William Cohen
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