William Ezra Jenner

Title

William Ezra Jenner

Authors

Description

William Ezra Jenner was born on July 21, 1908 in Marengo, Crawford County, Indiana. He attended Lake Placid Preparatory School in New York State, and then Indiana University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 1930 and his law degree in 1932. Upon his graduation, he set up his law practice first in Paoli, Orange County, Indiana, and then in Shoals, Martin County, Indiana.

In 1934, Jenner was elected to the Indiana State Senate. He was reelected in 1938. He rose through the leadership ranks, serving as minority leader, majority leader, and president pro tem. He resigned his seat in 1942 upon his commissioning as a first lieutenant in the Army Air Corps. He was discharged as a captain in 1944.

In November of 1944, he was elected to the U.S. Senate to fill out the final few weeks of Senator Frederick Van Nuys' term. In 1946 he was elected to his first full term in the U.S. Senate. He was reelected in 1952, and then in 1958 he chose to not stand for reelection, retiring to his law practice and business interests in Indiana.

Senator Jenner’s terms in the U.S. Senate were known for his strict isolationist and anti-Communist views. He opposed foreign aid, and he called for the impeachment of President Harry Truman after Truman relieved General Douglas MacArthur from his Far East commands in 1951. Jenner was a close confidant of fellow isolationist Senators Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, Herman Welker of Idaho, and George Malone of Nevada.

William Jenner died on March 9, 1985 in Bedford, Lawrence County, Indiana. He was interred at Cresthaven Memorial Garden Cemetery in Bedford.

Keywords

United States Senate, Indiana State Senate, Indiana Politicians, Indiana Senators, Republican, Isolationist, Anti-communist

Disciplines

American Politics | International Relations | Law | Law and Politics | Legislation

Files

Download Biographical Summary from 1983 Law School Reunion (610 KB)

Comments

Learn more about William Jenner at the following sites:

The following book about Senator Jenner, written by his son, can be found in the collection of the Jerome Hall Law Library:

Senator William Ezra Jenner of Indiana, remembered by his son William Edward Jenner, Carmel, Ind.: Hawthorne Publishing, 2014 [E748.J436 J46 2014]

William Ezra Jenner
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