Background
George David Aiken was born on August 20, 1892, in Dummerston, Vermont, to Edward Webster and Myra (née Cook) Aiken.
131 Fairground Rd, Brattleboro, VT 05301, United States
Aiken attended Brattleboro High School in 1909.
farmer horticulturist politician author
George David Aiken was born on August 20, 1892, in Dummerston, Vermont, to Edward Webster and Myra (née Cook) Aiken.
Aiken received his early education in the public schools of Putney and graduated from Brattleboro High School in 1909.
Aiken developed a strong interest in agriculture at an early age, and became a master of the Putney Grange at the age of eighteen, helped organize his county’s Farm Bureau, and was also Putney’s school director for fifteen years.
Aiken served in the senate on the agriculture and foreign relations committees (on the latter he was ranking Republican) as well as the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy. His longtime interest in agriculture spurred ideas for legislation on rural development and programs to distribute agricultural overflow to other countries; he championed farmer cooperatives, agricultural research, and the conservation and development of land and water resources.
He was a member of the Vermont State House of Representatives, (1931-35) and Lieutenant Governor of Vermont, (1935-37). In 1937, he was elected as a Republican the 64th Governor of Vermont, serving until 1941. While in office as Governor, he was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate, in 1940, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Ernest W. Gibson, but did not assume office until 1941. For the next 34 years, he served as a U.S. Senator, (1941-75). He also helped enact the Aiken Rural Water and Sewer Act in 1965. At the time of his retirement, he was the senior member of the U.S. Senate.
Aiken wrote books on horticulture, Vermont politics and U.S. political issues, as well as reports for the various Congressional committees on which he served.
Aiken's work on the foreign relations committee led him to oppose lend-lease legislation (too much authority for the executive branch) as well as U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. Aiken advocated peaceful and respectful relations between nations - he formed the Canada-United States Interparliamentary Group to this end - and he was one of the signers of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
As governor of Vermont, Aiken broke the monopolies of many major industries, including banks, railroads, marble companies, and granite companies. He also encouraged suffering farmers in rural Vermont to form co-ops to market their crops and get access to electricity.
Aiken was a member of Windham County Farm Bureau and Vermont Horticultural Society (president 1917-1918).
Aiken’s pacifism and his agricultural background informed his writings, both on horticulture and politics. His love of plant lore came to the fore in his first two books, written in the 1930s.
Сritics acknowledged that Aiken exemplified a consistent political presence infused with an awareness of his rural Vermont background.
Quotes from others about the person
“George D. Aiken, well-known nurseryman of Putney, VT, has written a handy little book for the amateur fruit grower. Mr. Aiken writes with evident authority, but in a pleasant, informal style.” - a reviewer from Springfield Republican
Aiken was married twice. In 1914, he married Beatrice Howard. They were married until her death in 1966. The couple had three daughters, Dorothy Howard, Marjorie Evelyn, and Barbara Marion; and one son, Howard Russell. In 1967, Aiken married his longtime administrative assistant, Lola Pierotti.