Udall, Morris King

▪ 1999

      American politician (b. June 15, 1922, St. John's, Ariz.—d. Dec. 12, 1998, Washington, D.C.), was a liberal Democrat who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 30 years and in 1976 was runner-up to Jimmy Carter for his party's presidential nomination. An advocate of environmental protection, campaign finance reform, national health insurance, and Food and Drug Administration control of tobacco products, he was also known for his self-deprecating humour and titled his 1988 book Too Funny to Be President. During World War II Udall interrupted his education at the University of Arizona to serve in the Army Air Corps, despite the fact that a childhood injury had cost him an eye. For two years he commanded an all-African-American squadron in Louisiana, and the discrimination they encountered proved to be influential in shaping his liberal outlook. Service in the South Pacific followed, and after the war, in 1946, Udall returned to the university. He was on the basketball team there and went on to play professionally for the Denver Nuggets. In 1949, however, Udall received an LL.B. with distinction, was admitted to the bar, and quit basketball to enter law practice with his brother Stewart, who later (1955) was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. When his brother resigned (1961) to become secretary of the interior under Pres. John F. Kennedy, Udall won a special election and took his brother's seat in Congress. He immediately disclosed details of his finances and began pushing for legislation requiring reform of election financing, which eventually resulted in the passage of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971. Udall also succeeded (1977) in passing a law regulating strip mining, and in the 1980s he helped prevent oil drilling in Alaska in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Udall was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1980 but was able to continue serving in the House until 1991, when he resigned after suffering a fall in his home. In 1992 Congress established the Morris K. Udall Foundation, which promoted environmental education and mediation.

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