Kemp, Jack French

▪ 1997

      U.S. veteran politician Jack Kemp stepped into the limelight on Aug. 10, 1996, when Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole (q.v.) announced that Kemp would be his running mate. Kemp had squared off against Dole in the 1988 presidential primaries, and they were known to be adversaries on several issues. Nonetheless, the two set aside differences and focused on like goals under the motto "Unity does not require unanimity."

      Kemp was born on July 13, 1935, in Los Angeles. His father owned a small trucking company, and his mother was a schoolteacher and social worker. He attended Occidental College, Los Angeles, where he majored in physical education, played quarterback for the football team, and courted a cheerleader, who became his wife.

      When Kemp graduated in 1957, he was drafted by the Detroit Lions professional football team, but he was released during the preseason. After five unremarkable years playing with various teams, Kemp was sent to the Buffalo Bills. There he learned that his real talent was his ability to lead and inspire other players. He used those skills to steer the Bills to their first winning season (1963) and to American Football League (AFL) championships in 1964 and 1965. He earned the AFL's Player of the Year Award in 1965 and was named Most Valuable Player of that year's championship game.

      Kemp's football career caused him to become a public figure in Buffalo and, therefore, a popular Republican choice for a seat in Congress. He won the election in 1970 and represented suburban Buffalo for nine terms, during which he became known for his defense of the Vietnam War, enthusiastic support of supply-side economics, and promotion of civil rights initiatives. While in Congress he was a member of the Budget Committee and served as chair of the Republican House Conference.

      After an unsuccessful attempt to gain the Republican nomination for president in 1988, Kemp was named head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development by Pres. George Bush. That Cabinet position had been tainted by scandal and fraud, and Kemp acted speedily to restore the integrity and productivity of the office while furthering the affirmative action agenda for which he had become known.

      During the past few years, Kemp had strongly advocated programs that benefited minorities and the downtrodden and thus had become increasingly known as a political centrist. His ability to garner the minority vote made him an attractive addition to the 1996 Republican ticket.

      (KATHERINE I. GORDON)

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