Historical records matching Nick Begich, U.S. Congress
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About Nick Begich, U.S. Congress
Nicholas died on Oct 15, 1972; plane crash in Alaska, where he was the congressman; Hal Boggs of LA was helping him campaign for re-election when the plane with the two congressmen and two other men went down and was never found; Pegge ran for the house seat in 1984, won the primary, but was defeated in general election.
Posted by Virginia McClure
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Begich
Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Begich, Sr. (April 6, 1932 – undetermined, presumed dead October 16, 1972) was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from Alaska. He disappeared in a plane crash in Alaska in 1972. His son Mark Begich is currently the junior U.S. Senator from Alaska.
Begich was born and raised in Eveleth, Minnesota. His father, John Begich (Begić), was born in Podlapača, Croatia[1] and his mother, Anna (née Martinich), was also Croatian.[2] He attended Saint Cloud State University and the University of Minnesota before pursuing his doctorate at the University of Colorado and the University of North Dakota. Career
Begich worked as an expeditor and then a counselor in Anchorage, Alaska. He later worked in the administrative offices of Anchorage School District,[dubious – discuss] eventually becoming Superintendent of Schools at Fort Richardson. In 1962, Begich was elected to the Alaska Senate, where he served for eight years. Begich also taught political science during parts of this period at the University of Alaska at Anchorage.[dubious – discuss]
In 1970, Begich was elected to Alaska's only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating the Republican banker Frank Murkowski – who later served as a U.S. Senator and then the Governor of Alaska. In 1972 for his re-election, Begich was opposed by the Republican state senator Don Young.
Posthumously, Begich won the 1972 election with 56% to Don Young's 44%. However, after Begich was declared dead, a special election was held and Mr. Young won this seat and still serves in this position as of 2013.
Disappearance
On October 16, 1972, he was aboard a twin engine Cessna 310 along with House Majority Leader Hale Boggs of Louisiana when the plane disappeared during a flight from Anchorage to Juneau. Also on board were Begich's aide, Russell Brown; and the pilot, Don Jonz.[3] The four were heading to a campaign fundraiser for Begich.
In an enormous search effort, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force search and rescue planes looked for the four men and their airplane. On November 24, 1972, after proceeding for thirty-nine days, the air search was called off. Neither the plane nor any of its four occupants were ever found. All were declared dead on December 29, 1972. The accident prompted Congress to pass a law mandating emergency locator transmitters in all United States civil aircraft.[citation needed]
Personal life
Nick Begich had six children, named Mark, Nichelle, Tom, Stephanie, Paul, and Nick Jr. His son Mark Begich is currently the junior U.S. Senator from Alaska. Mark won this position after defeating the Republican Party's longest serving Senator, Ted Stevens, who was killed in a plane crash nearly two years later.
Nick's brother Joseph Begich served 18 years in the Minnesota House of Representatives from their hometown of Eveleth.[5]
Nick Begich's widow, Pegge Begich, ran for the House of Representatives seat in 1984 and 1986, but she was defeated by the incumbent, Mr. Young. She is now retired and lives in Nevada. Their eldest son, Nick Begich, Jr., has been twice elected as the president of both the Alaska Federation of Teachers and the Anchorage Council of Education[citation needed]. He is also a noted conspiracy theorist, concentrating on the High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program. He authored the research book Angels Don't Play this H.A.A.R.P. and appeared on the TV show Conspiracy Theory.
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Nick Begich, U.S. Congress's Timeline
| 1932 |
April 6, 1932
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Eveleth, St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States
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| 1962 |
March 30, 1962
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Anchorage, Anchorage, Alaska, United States
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| 1972 |
October 15, 1972
Age 40
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Alaska, United States
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