Mike Gravel biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Former U.S. Senator Mike Gravel was born Maurice Robert Gravel on May 13, 1930, in Springfield, Massachusetts. The son of French-Canadian immigrants, Gravel attended French-speaking Catholic schools and spoke French exclusively until he was 7 years old. He worked in his father's construction business with his brothers until enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1951.

After his tour of duty, during which he served primarily in intelligence services, Gravel earned his B.S. in Economics from Columbia University. He drove a New York City cab to help put himself through school.

Speaker of the House and U.S. Senator

In the late 1950s, Mike Gravel moved to Alaska believing that in this remote state someone like him, without social or political connections, stood a chance of winning political races. He had success in real estate development and other sectors while biding his time before entering politics.

Gravel was elected to the Alaska House of Representatives in 1963, and served as its Speaker of the House from 1965 to 1966. In 1968, he was elected to the United States Senate, where he served two terms until 1981. As senator, Gravel served on the Finance, Interior and Environmental and Public Works committees. He became nationally known for his attempts to end the draft during the Vietnam War, releasing the Pentagon Papers into public record in 1971 and championing Congressional approval for the Trans-Alaska pipeline in 1973.

Later Political Career

After losing his bid for a third term in 1980, Gravel returned to the private sector where numerous failed business ventures and poor health beset him.

In 2006, Gravel announced his candidacy for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2008 presidential election in large part to promote direct democracy and the National Initiative. Though he gained a small loyal following, particularly online with his eccentric YouTube campaign, he was consistently low in the national polls.

Personal Life

Mike Gravel is married to Whitney Stewart Gravel and has two children, Martin and Lynne, and four grandchildren. He is the author of Jobs and More Jobs, Citizen Power: A People's Platform, The Senator Gravel Edition: Pentagon Papers and A Political Odyssey.

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