Quentin Northrup Burdick (June 19, 1908 – September 8, 1992) was an American lawyer and politician. A member of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party, he represented North Dakota in the U.S. House of Representatives (1959–1960) and the U.S. Senate (1960–1992). At the time of his death, he was the third longest-serving senator (after Strom Thurmond and Robert Byrd) among current members of the Senate.

Early life and education

Quentin Burdick was born in Munich, North Dakota, as the oldest of three children of Usher Lloyd Burdick and Emma Cecelia Robertson. His father was a Republican politician who served as Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota (1911–1913) and a U.S. Representative (1935–1959). His mother was the daughter of the first white settler in the area of North Dakota that lies west of Park River. He was the brother of Eugene Allan Burdick, who was judge of the Fifth Judicial District of North Dakota from 1953 to 1978. His sister Rosemary was married to Robert W. Levering, who was a U.S. Representative from Ohio (1959–1961). During college, he played on the football team as a blocking back for Bronko Nagurski, and was president of the Sigma Nu fraternity.

On August 8, 1960, Burdick resigned his House seat and was sworn in as a member of the U.S. Senate. He secured a full six-year term in the heavily Democratic year of 1964, having defeated Republican Thomas Kleppe.

Burdick easily defeated Kleppe in a rematch in 1970, another national Democratic year. He continued to be reelected by wide margins in 1976, 1982, and 1988.

In 1987, Burdick became the chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

In 1990, he was one of only nine Senators, all Democratic, who voted against confirming David Souter to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Burdick earned the nickname the "King of Pork" for focusing nearly all of his legislative efforts on bringing federal funds to North Dakota, which was rural, poor, and less developed than many other states.

Death

Near the end of his life, Burdick suffered from health problems, including hospitalizations for heart problems, including a mild heart attack. At the end of his tenure, 76% of North Dakotans believed he should step down from his seat.

See also

  • List of members of the United States Congress who died in office (1950–1999)

References

  • Quentin Burdick Papers at The University of North Dakota