Walter Henry Judd or I-te Chou (September 25, 1898 – February 13, 1994; his Chinese name is 周以德), was an American politician and physician, best known for his battle in Congress (1943–63) to define the
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
position on
China as all-out support for the Nationalists under
Chiang Kai-shek and opposition to the Communists under
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...
. After the Nationalists fled to Formosa (
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
) in 1949, Judd redoubled his support.
Education and early career
Judd was born in
Rising City, Nebraska, the son of Mary Elizabeth (Greenslit) and Horace Hunter Judd. After training with the
ROTC for the
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 ...
near the end of
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, he earned his
M.D.
Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. ...
degree at the
University of Nebraska
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
in 1923. Next, he became the Traveling Secretary for the
Student Volunteer Movement.
From 1925 through 1931, Judd was a
medical missionary in China, sent to assist
Edward Bliss. He worked first in small clinic a backwater town, then became head of a large hospital in a sizable city.
From 1931 to 1934 he worked at the
Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, Minnesota.
Then, in 1934 he returned to China as a missionary physician until 1938, when he returned to Minnesota.
Political career and US foreign policy positions
Upon his return the United States, he did not urge Americans to be
isolationists
Isolationism is a political philosophy advocating a national foreign policy that opposes involvement in the political affairs, and especially the wars, of other countries. Thus, isolationism fundamentally advocates neutrality and opposes entangl ...
. Instead, Judd encouraged support of
China against
Japanese aggression.
Elected to the
U.S. Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...
from
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
in 1942, where he became a powerful voice in support of China. He served for 20 years from 1943 until 1963 in the
78th,
79th,
80th,
81st,
82nd,
83rd,
84th,
85th,
86th, and
87th congresses. Judd voted in favor of the
Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and
1960
It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism.
Events
January
* Jan ...
, as well as the
24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Judd was known for his eloquent oratory and expertise in U.S. foreign policy. He spoke at civic and political gatherings around the nation. He was a good friend of Senator
Harry S Truman
Harry may refer to:
TV shows
* ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin
* ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons
* ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...
, and together they spent two weeks in 1943 making speeches in support of the United Nations, doubling up in hotel rooms at night. In Congress, Judd supported liberal international program such as the
Truman Doctrine
The Truman Doctrine is an American foreign policy that pledged American "support for democracies against authoritarian threats." The doctrine originated with the primary goal of containing Soviet geopolitical expansion during the Cold War. It wa ...
, the
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was an American initiative enacted in 1948 to provide foreign aid to Western Europe. The United States transferred over $13 billion (equivalent of about $ in ) in economic re ...
, and
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
. He called for removal of ethnic and racial restrictions in the immigration laws. He was an outspoken anti-communist and critic of U.S. ''rapprochement'' with China at the expense of the
Republic of China on
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
. In the early 1950s, Judd helped organize the Committee of One Million, a citizens' group dedicated to keeping the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
out of the United Nations.
Judd gave the keynote address at the
1960 Republican National Convention
The 1960 Republican National Convention was held in Chicago, Illinois, from July 25 to July 28, 1960, at the International Amphitheatre. It was the 14th and most recent time overall that Chicago hosted the Republican National Convention, more ti ...
, which met in Chicago to nominate the
Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
-
Lodge
Lodge is originally a term for a relatively small building, often associated with a larger one.
Lodge or The Lodge may refer to:
Buildings and structures Specific
* The Lodge (Australia), the official Canberra residence of the Prime Ministe ...
ticket
Ticket or tickets may refer to:
Slips of paper
* Lottery ticket
* Parking ticket, a ticket confirming that the parking fee was paid (and the time of the parking start)
* Toll ticket, a slip of paper used to indicate where vehicles entered a tol ...
.
In 1962, Judd was defeated for reelection by liberal Democrat
Donald M. Fraser. The District had been redrawn after the 1960 census, making it heavily
Democratic. Judd's defeat worked to increase
Passman's power on the foreign aid subcommittee. He was the last person to attempt to run for president on a major party ticket to have been born in the 19th century, though he did not make it past the primaries. In 1964, Judd's name was placed in nomination at the
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
National Convention for President and he received a smattering of votes.
According to biographer Yanli Gao:
Presidential Medal of Freedom
In 1981, he received the
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merit ...
(the nation's highest civilian award). Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he was actively involved in the Council Against Communist Aggression 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, Na ...
Walter Judd Freedom Award
The Fund for American Studies
The Fund for American Studies is a conservative non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1967, the organization's mission is "to win over each new generation to the ideas of liberty, limited government and free markets."
His ...
, an educational and internship program that works in partnership with
George Mason University annually presents the Walter Judd Freedom Award in cooperation with the Center for International Relations to recognize individuals who have advanced the cause of freedom in the United States and abroad. Past recipients have included former United States President
Ronald Reagan,
Jack Kemp,
Jeane Kirkpatrick
Jeane Duane Kirkpatrick (née Jordan; November 19, 1926December 7, 2006) was an American diplomat and political scientist who played a major role in the foreign policy of the Ronald Reagan administration. An ardent anticommunist, she was a lo ...
, and George J. Viksnins, Emeritus Professor at
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private university, private research university in the Georgetown (Washington, D.C.), Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789 as Georg ...
.
Death
Walter Judd died of cancer in
Mitchellville, Maryland
Mitchellville is an upper-class majority African-American unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 11,136.
Geography
Mitchellville is locate ...
, on February 13, 1994.
He is buried with his wife, Miriam, at Blue Valley Cemetery in
Surprise, Nebraska.
References
Further reading
* Frohnen, Bruce, ed. ''American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia'' (2006) pp. 459–60.
*
* Goodno, Floyd Russell. "Walter H. Judd: Spokesman for China in the United States House of Representatives." (MA thesis. Oklahoma State University, 1970.
online* Ladd, Tony. "Mission to Capitol Hill: A Study of the Impact of Missionary Idealism on the Congressional Career of Walter H. Judd." in ''United States Attitudes and Policies Toward China: The Impact of American Missionaries'' (1990): 263-283
online* Yanli, Gao. "Judd's China: a missionary congressman and US-China policy," ''Journal of Modern Chinese History,'' December 2008, Vol. 2 Issue 2, pp. 197–219
* Yanli, Gao, and Robert Osburn Jr. "Walter Judd and the Sino-Japanese War: Christian Missionary cum Foreign Policy Activist." ''Journal of Church and State'' 58.4 (2015): 615-632.
External links
*
*
Publications* The
Papers of Walter Juddare available for research use at th
Minnesota Historical Society.* Oral History Interview, Truman Librar
The Walter Henry Judd Papers, 1922–1988at the Hoover Institution Archives.
The Lee Edwards papersat the Hoover Institution Archives contains information and oral histories about Judd.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Judd, Walter Henry
1898 births
1994 deaths
20th-century American politicians
American Congregationalist missionaries
American Congregationalists
American expatriates in China
American military personnel of World War I
Physicians of the Mayo Clinic
Physicians from Minnesota
Physicians from Nebraska
Christian medical missionaries
Congregationalist missionaries in China
Military personnel from Nebraska
People from Butler County, Nebraska
People from Hennepin County, Minnesota
Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota
United States Army officers
Candidates in the 1964 United States presidential election
University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni
American anti-communists
Conservatism in the United States
Military personnel from Minnesota