Barry Goldwater

Barry Goldwater
Senate portrait, 1960
United States Senator from Arizona
In office January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1987
Preceded by	Carl Hayden
Succeeded by	John McCain
In office January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1965
Preceded by	Ernest McFarland
Succeeded by	Paul Fannin
Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee
In office January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1987
Preceded by	John Tower
Succeeded by	Sam Nunn
Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee
In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1985
Preceded by	Birch Bayh
Succeeded by	David Durenberger
Member of the Phoenix City Council from the at-large district
In office 1950–1952
Personal details
Born	Barry Morris Goldwater (1909-01-02)January 2, 1909 Phoenix, Arizona Territory, U.S.
Died	May 29, 1998(1998-05-29) (aged 89) Paradise Valley, Arizona, U.S.
Resting place	Christ Church of the Ascension Paradise Valley, Arizona, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouses	Margaret Johnson ​ ​ (m. 1934; died 1985)​ Susan Shaffer Wechsler ​ ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	4, including Barry Jr.
Education	University of Arizona (did not graduate)
Signature
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army United States Air Forces Arizona Air National Guard United States Air Force United States Air Force Reserve
Years of service	1941–1967
Rank	Major General
Battles/wars	World War II Korean War
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Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Republican Party's nominee for president in 1964.

Goldwater was born in Phoenix, Arizona, where he helped manage his family's department store. During World War II, he flew aircraft between the U.S. and India. After the war, Goldwater served in the Phoenix City Council. In 1952, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he rejected the legacy of the New Deal and, along with the conservative coalition, fought against the New Deal coalition. Goldwater also challenged his party's moderate to liberal wing on policy issues. He supported the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960 and the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution but opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, disagreeing with Title II and Title VII. In the 1964 U.S. presidential election, Goldwater mobilized a large conservative constituency to win the Republican nomination, but then lost the general election to incumbent Democratic president Lyndon B. Johnson in a landslide.^[1]

Goldwater returned to the Senate in 1969 and specialized in defense and foreign policy. He successfully urged president Richard Nixon to resign in 1974 when evidence of a cover-up in the Watergate scandal became overwhelming and impeachment was imminent. In 1986, he oversaw passage of the Goldwater–Nichols Act, which strengthened civilian authority in the U.S. Department of Defense. Near the end of his career, Goldwater's views on social and cultural issues grew increasingly libertarian.

After leaving the Senate, Goldwater became supportive of homosexuals serving openly in the military,^[2] environmental protection,^[3] gay rights,^[4] abortion rights,^[5] adoption rights for same-sex couples,^[6] and the legalization of medicinal marijuana.^[7] Many political pundits and historians believe he laid the foundation for the conservative revolution to follow as the grassroots organization and conservative takeover of the Republican Party began a long-term realignment in American politics, which helped to bring about the presidency of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s. He also had a substantial impact on the American libertarian movement.^[8]