Mansfield, Michael

Mansfield, Michael (Joseph)

 known as Mike Mansfield

(born March 16, 1903, New York, N.Y., U.S.—died Oct. 5, 2001, Washington, D.C.) U.S. politician who was the longest-serving majority leader (1961–77) in the U.S. Senate. He worked in Montana copper mines and later taught history at Montana State University. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1943 to 1953 and in the Senate from 1953 to 1977. An outspoken critic of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, he sponsored a 1971 bill calling for a cease-fire and phased withdrawal. He was a persistent critic of Pres. Richard Nixon, especially during the Watergate scandal. After retiring, he served as U.S. ambassador to Japan (1977–88).