Member of The U.S. Congress and Senate
On August 31, 1943, Engle was elected as a Democrat to represent California's 2nd congressional district in the 78th Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Harry L. Englebright. He was elected to a full term in 1944 and was reelected to the following six Congresses, serving until January 3, 1959. While in the United States House of Representatives he was Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on War Claims for the 79th Congress and Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs for the 84th Congress and the 85th Congress.
Engle was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 1958 and began his service there January 3, 1959. However, on August 24, 1963, he underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor, which left him partially paralyzed, forcing him to miss several Senate sessions.
On April 13, 1964, the gravity of Engle's health problems were clearly evident as he attempted to introduce a resolution calling for a delay in the construction of an atomic power plant near San Francisco. He was given permission, but was unable to speak, forcing a colleague to present the resolution instead.
Engle officially ended his re-election campaign on April 28, 1964, just four days after undergoing his second brain operation in eight months. However, he chose not to endorse either of the remaining Democratic challengers, California State Controller Alan Cranston and former Presidential press secretary Pierre Salinger. That decision came as a result of the state Democratic leaders refusing to endorse him unless he provided details concerning his health.
Read more about this topic: Clair Engle
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