Roman Lee HRUSKA

Background

Hruska, Roman Lee was born on August 16, 1904 in David City, Nebraska, United States. Son of Joseph C. and Caroline (Dvorak) Hruska.

Education

University of Omaha; University of Chicago and Creighton University (Juris Doctor, 1929). Awarded honorary degrees by: Creighton University, 1958. Doane College, 1963; Coe College, 1964.

Midland College, 1966.

University of Nebraska, 1977. Member, 1944-1952 and Chairman, 1945-1952, Douglas County Board of Commissioners.

Member, University of Omaha Board of Regents, 1950-1957. President, Nebraska Association of County Officials, 1950-1951.

Vice President, National Association of County Officials, 1951-1952.

Member of United States House of Representatives, 1953-1954. United States Senator, Nebraska, 1954-1977.

Career

Hruska was known as one of the most vocal conservatives in the United States Senate during the 1960s and 1970s. He settled in Omaha, Nebraska and became a lawyer He served as a regular member from 1944 to 1945 and as chairman from 1945 to 1952.

Hruska was elected to the United States House of Representatives from the Omaha-dominated second district of Nebraska.

He served only one term, as he ran for a United States Senate seat in 1954, which was vacated by the death of Hugh Butler. Hruska did not run for reelection to a fourth full term.

He voted for the Civil Rights Acting of 1964. Though Congress was controlled by Democrats for his entire time in the Senate, he was known as a skillful legislator, and was said to have influenced much of the federal criminal justice system"s changes during his era.

On October 10, 1978, President Carter signed into law a bill which renamed the Federal Meat Animal Research Center (Machine-Readable Cataloging) located in Clay County, Nebraska after former Senator Roman L. Hruska.

The Roman L. Hruska Federal Courthouse in Omaha is also named in his honor. Mediocrity

Hruska is best remembered in American political history for a 1970 speech he made to the Senate urging them to confirm the nomination of G. Harrold Carswell to the Supreme Court. Responding to criticism that Carswell had been a mediocre judge, Hruska claimed that:

"Even if he were mediocre, there are a lot of mediocre judges and people and lawyers.

They are entitled to a little representation, aren"t they, and a little chance? We can"t have all Brandeises, Frankfurters and Cardozos."

This speech was criticized by many, and Carswell was eventually defeated.

Hruska moved back to Omaha in 1976, and lived there until his death. On April 10, 1999, he fell, broke his hip, and died fifteen days later from complications during treatment.

He was buried in Bohemian Cemetery in Omaha.

Achievements

• ROMAN HRUSKA has been listed as a reputable lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell.

Views

Even after Nixon resigned, Hruska defended him and claimed Watergate only became a scandal as part of a partisan effort to attack Nixon.

Membership

Sokol]

Hruska soon entered politics, becoming a member of the Douglas County, Nebraska board of commissioners. He was vice-president of the National Association of County Officials from 1951 to 1952, and served for a time as a member of the Nebraska Board of control and the board of regents of the University of Omaha. Hruska became an influential member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee.

He was the ranking minority member of the Judiciary Committee at the time of his retirement.

Connections

Married Victoria Kuncl, September 24, 1930. Children: Roman Lee, Quentin, Jana.

Father:

Joseph C. Hruska

Mother:

Caroline (Dvorak) Hruska

Spouse:

Victoria Kuncl

child:

Quentin Hruska

child:

Roman Lee Hruska

child:

Jana Hruska