Walter Henry Judd (September 25 1898, Rising City,
Nebraska
– February 13, 1994, Mitchellville, Maryland
) was an American politician and statesman.
After serving in the United States Army in World War I, he earned
his
medical degree at the
University of Nebraska in 1923, then
was Traveling Secretary for the
Student Volunteer Movement. He
was medical missionary in China, 1925-31 and 1934-1938. He came
back to the United States to urge Americans not to be isolationists
but to support
China against
Japanese aggression.
Elected to the
U.S. Congress from Minnesota
in 1942, where he became a respected and eloquent
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.
Dr. Judd gave the
keynote address at the 1960 Republican National
Convention in Chicago
. In
1964 Judd's name was placed in nomination at the
Republican National Convention for
President and he received a smattering of votes. In 1981, he
received the
Presidential
Medal of Freedom (the nation's highest civilian award).
He was an
outspoken anti-communist and critic of U.S. rapprochement
with China at the expense of the Republic of China
on Taiwan
.
Throughout the 1970s and 80s, he was actively involved in the
Council Against Communist Aggression in Washington DC. He was known
for his eloquent oratory and expertise in US foreign policy. He
died in 1994.
He was the last person to attempt to run for president on a major
party ticket to be born in the 19th century, though he did not make
it past the primaries. While, this is technically still possible,
it is likely never to happen again, since a candidate would be
110.
Walter Judd Freedom Award
The Fund for American
Studies, an educational and internship program that works in
partnership with Georgetown University, annually presents the 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,
and George J.
Viksnins, Emeritus Professor at Georgetown
University
.
References
Lee Edwards,
Missionary for Freedom: The Life and Times of
Walter Judd (New York: Paragon, 1990).
External links
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