William Victor Roth Jr. (July 22, 1921 – December 13, 2003) was an American lawyer and politician from
Wilmington,
Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
. He was a veteran of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
and a member of the
Republican Party. He served from 1967 to 1970 as the lone
U.S. Representative from Delaware and from 1971 to 2001 as a
U.S. Senator from Delaware.
He is the most recent Republican to have served as a U.S. Senator from Delaware.
Roth was a sponsor of legislation creating the
Roth IRA
A Roth IRA is an individual retirement account (IRA) under United States law that is generally not taxed upon distribution, provided certain conditions are met. The principal difference between Roth IRAs and most other tax-advantaged retirement pla ...
, an individual retirement plan that can be set up with post-tax dollars, offering tax-free withdrawals.
Early life and family
Roth was born in
Great Falls,
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
, the son of Clara (''née'' Nelson) and William Victor Roth, who ran a brewery. His paternal grandparents were German and his maternal grandparents were Swedish. He attended public schools in
Helena, Montana, graduating from
Helena High School
Helena High School is a public high school for grades 9 through 12 located in Helena, Montana, United States. It is part of the Helena Public School District. Founded in September 1876, it is the oldest high school in the state of Montana. . Roth started college at
Montana State University before moving on to graduate from the
University of Oregon
The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...
in 1943,
Harvard Business School in 1947, and
Harvard Law School in 1949. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
he served in a
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
intelligence unit from 1943 until 1946.
After being admitted to the California Bar in 1950, he moved permanently to Delaware in 1954, and began his work as an attorney for the
Hercules Corporation. He married Jane Richards in 1965 and they had two children, William III and Katharine.
Jane Richards Roth
Jane Richards Roth (born June 16, 1935) is an American attorney and jurist serving as a Senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She was previously a United States district judge of the Unite ...
is also a lawyer. She was
U.S. District Court Judge, for the District of Delaware from 1985 until 1991 and since was a Judge of the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (in case citations, 3d Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following districts:
* District of Delaware
* District of New Jersey
* Ea ...
. They were members of the
Episcopal Church.
Professional and political career
After losing the election for Lieutenant Governor of Delaware in 1960, Roth was chair of the Delaware Republican Party until 1964.
In 1966, he defeated incumbent U.S. Representative
Harris McDowell, and went on to serve two terms in the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 1967, until December 31, 1970. Roth voted in favor of the
Civil Rights Act of 1968.
He then began his five terms in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
, succeeding the retiring incumbent senator
John J. Williams. He served in the U.S. Senate from January 1, 1971, having been appointed when Williams left office two days early, until January 3, 2001, having been defeated in the 2000 election by the Democratic candidate, Governor
Tom Carper
Thomas Richard Carper (born January 23, 1947) is an American politician and former military officer serving as the senior United States senator from Delaware, having held the seat since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, Carper served i ...
. Many consider Roth's defeat due to his age and health, as he collapsed twice during the campaign, once in the middle of a television interview and once during a campaign event.
Roth was known for
fiscal conservatism. Critics blamed him for national deficits during the
presidency of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan's tenure as the 40th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1981, and ended on January 20, 1989. Reagan, a Republican from California, took office following a landslide victory over ...
. He was a longtime member of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs and the Senate Committee on Finance, serving as Chairman from September 12, 1995 through January 3, 2001. He was best remembered as a strong advocate of tax cuts, and he co-authored the
Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981
The Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 (ERTA), or Kemp–Roth Tax Cut, was an Act that introduced a major tax cut, which was designed to encourage economic growth. The federal law enacted by the 97th US Congress and signed into law by US Preside ...
, also known as the Kemp-Roth Tax Cut with
Jack Kemp. Roth was also the legislative sponsor of the
individual retirement account
An individual retirement account (IRA) in the United States is a form of pension provided by many financial institutions that provides tax advantages for retirement savings. It is a trust that holds investment assets purchased with a taxpayer's e ...
plan that bears his name, the
Roth IRA
A Roth IRA is an individual retirement account (IRA) under United States law that is generally not taxed upon distribution, provided certain conditions are met. The principal difference between Roth IRAs and most other tax-advantaged retirement pla ...
. It is a popular individual retirement account that has existed since 1998. The
Roth 401(k)
The Roth 401(k) is a type of retirement savings plan. It was authorized by the United States Congress under the Internal Revenue Code, section 402A, and represents a unique combination of features of the Roth IRA and a traditional 401(k) plan. Sinc ...
, which did not become available until 2006, is also named after Roth.
He was also one of the few Republicans to vote for the
Brady Bill
The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act ( Pub.L. 103–159, 107 Stat. 1536, enacted November 30, 1993), often referred to as the Brady Act or the Brady Bill, is an Act of the United States Congress that mandated federal background checks on ...
and the ban on semi-automatic weapons. Roth strongly supported environmental protections. Roth was also very engaged in international affairs and policy. He served as the President of NATO's parliament, the North Atlantic Assembly, from 1996 to 1998.
In 1977, Roth was one of nine senators to vote against the Senate adopting a stringent code of ethics intended to assist with the restoration of public confidence in Congress.
On December 2, 1981, Roth was one of four senators to vote against an amendment to President Reagan's MX missiles proposal that would divert the silo system by $334 million as well as earmark further research for other methods that would allow giant missiles to be based. The vote was seen as a rebuff of the Reagan administration.
Roth voted in favor of the
bill
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Plac ...
establishing
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., and sometimes referred to as MLK Day) is a federal holiday in the United States marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Mond ...
as a
federal holiday
Federal holidays in the United States are the eleven calendar dates that are designated by the U.S. government as holidays. On U.S. federal holidays, non-essential federal government offices are closed and federal government employees are paid ...
and the
Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987
The Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, or Grove City Bill, is a United States legislative act that specifies that entities receiving federal funds must comply with civil rights legislation in all of their operations, not just in the program ...
(as well to override
President Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
's veto). Roth voted in favor of the nominations of
Robert Bork
Robert Heron Bork (March 1, 1927 – December 19, 2012) was an American jurist who served as the solicitor general of the United States from 1973 to 1977. A professor at Yale Law School by occupation, he later served as a judge on the U.S. Cour ...
and
Clarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was nominated by President George H. W. Bush to succeed Thurgood Marshall and has served since 1 ...
to the
U.S. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
.
Roth was a witty man but not a natural campaigner. To help himself, he would ease himself into public appearances by bringing along a
Saint Bernard dog. His succession of St. Bernards through his 34-year political career became a trademark of sorts.
Death
Roth died in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
of heart failure on December 13, 2003 at the age of 82. The Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Bridge carrying
Delaware Route 1 was dedicated as the
Senator William V. Roth Jr. Bridge
The Senator William V. Roth Jr. Bridge (originally the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Bridge and also referred to as the Roth Bridge) is a concrete and steel cable-stayed bridge that spans the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal near St. Georges, Delaware. ...
, and a celebration was held on July 9, 2007. The bridge is a cable-stayed bridge and notable landmark in northern Delaware. Roth helped secure its funding.
Electoral history
Works
*
References
Other sources
*
*
External links
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress U.S. Senator William V. Roth, Jr.home page (archived from December 2000)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Roth, Bill
1921 births
2003 deaths
20th-century American politicians
American people of German descent
American people of Swedish descent
People from Wilmington, Delaware
United States Army personnel of World War II
Military personnel from Delaware
Military personnel from Montana
United States Army soldiers
University of Oregon alumni
Harvard Business School alumni
Harvard Law School alumni
Delaware lawyers
Republican Party United States senators from Delaware
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Delaware
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century American Episcopalians