Mike Mansfield

Mike Mansfield
Mansfield in 1966
United States Ambassador to Japan
In office June 10, 1977 – December 22, 1988
President	Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	James Day Hodgson
Succeeded by	Michael Armacost
Senate Majority Leader
In office January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1977
Whip	Hubert Humphrey Russell B. Long Ted Kennedy Robert Byrd
Preceded by	Lyndon B. Johnson
Succeeded by	Robert Byrd
Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus
In office January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1977
Preceded by	Lyndon Johnson
Succeeded by	Robert Byrd
Senate Majority Whip
In office January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1961
Leader	Lyndon Johnson
Preceded by	Earle Clements
Succeeded by	Hubert Humphrey
United States Senator from Montana
In office January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1977
Preceded by	Zales Ecton
Succeeded by	John Melcher
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Montana's 1st district
In office January 3, 1943 – January 3, 1953
Preceded by	Jeannette Rankin
Succeeded by	Lee Metcalf
Personal details
Born	Michael Joseph Mansfield (1903-03-16)March 16, 1903 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	October 5, 2001(2001-10-05) (aged 98) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting place	Arlington National Cemetery
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Maureen Hayes ​ ​ (m. 1932; died 2000)​
Children	1
Education	University of Montana (BA, MA) University of California, Los Angeles
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Navy  United States Army  United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1918–1919 (Navy) 1919–1920 (Army) 1920–1922 (Marine Corps)
Rank	Seaman (Navy) Private (Army) Private First Class (Marine Corps)
Battles/wars	World War I

Michael Joseph Mansfield (March 16, 1903 – October 5, 2001) was an American Democratic Party politician and diplomat who represented Montana in the United States House of Representatives from 1943 to 1953 and United States Senate from 1953 to 1977. As the leader of the Senate Democratic Caucus from 1961 to 1977, Mansfield shepherded Great Society programs through the Senate; his tenure of exactly sixteen years was the longest of any party leader in Senate history, until the record was broken by Mitch McConnell in 2023.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Mansfield grew up in Great Falls, Montana. He lied about his age to serve in the United States Navy during World War I. After the war, he became a professor of history and political science at the University of Montana. He won election to the House of Representatives and served on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs during World War II.

In 1952, he defeated incumbent Republican Senator Zales Ecton to take a seat in the Senate. Mansfield served as Senate Majority Whip from 1957 to 1961. Mansfield ascended to Senate Majority Leader after Lyndon B. Johnson resigned from the Senate to become vice president. In the later years of the Vietnam War, he opposed escalation of American involvement and supported President Richard Nixon's plans for Vietnamization.

After retiring from the Senate, Mansfield served as United States Ambassador to Japan from 1977 to 1988. Mansfield is the longest-serving American ambassador to Japan in history.^[1] Upon his retirement, he was awarded the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Mansfield later served for a time as a senior adviser on East Asian affairs to Goldman Sachs.