William Hathaway

For the American poet, see William K. Hathaway.

William Hathaway
United States Senator from Maine
In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1979
Preceded by	Margaret Chase Smith
Succeeded by	William Cohen
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine's 2nd district
In office January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1973
Preceded by	Clifford McIntire
Succeeded by	William Cohen
Personal details
Born	William Dodd Hathaway (1924-02-21)February 21, 1924 Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	June 24, 2013(2013-06-24) (aged 89) McLean, Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	Harvard University
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army Air Corps
Years of service	1942–1946
Battles/wars	World War II

William Dodd Hathaway (February 21, 1924 – June 24, 2013) was an American politician and lawyer from Maine.

Life and career

Hathaway was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He served in World War II in the United States Army Air Corps, where he was shot down while bombing the Ploiești, Romania oil fields during Operation Tidal Wave and was a prisoner of war for over two months. He was awarded the Air Medal, the Purple Heart, and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After the war he attended Harvard University, graduating in 1949, and Harvard Law School, graduating in 1953. He then moved to Maine and practiced law in Lewiston.

He served as Assistant County Attorney for Androscoggin County from 1955 to 1957, and was a Hearing Examiner for the State Liquor Commission from 1957 to 1961.

A Democrat, in 1964 he was elected to the U.S. House, and he served from 1965 until 1973. This was a time of resurgence for Democrats in Maine, at that time a traditionally Republican state. This same period saw the growth of the political careers of Edmund S. Muskie and Kenneth M. Curtis.

In 1972 Hathaway was the successful Democratic nominee for the United States Senate seat held by Margaret Chase Smith. In 1973, Hathaway was one of the three senators who opposed the nomination of Gerald Ford to be Vice President. (The other two were Thomas Eagleton and Gaylord Nelson.) Hathaway was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1978, losing to three-term 2nd district Congressman and future Secretary of Defense William Cohen by 22 percentage points.

Hathaway resided in the Washington, D.C. area after leaving the Senate and worked as a lobbyist and lawyer. In 1990 he was appointed by President George H. W. Bush to the Federal Maritime Commission, and he served as Chairman from 1993 to 1996.

Hathaway was known and loved by the employees of the U.S. Senate, especially the Senate elevator operators. He was a constant source of humor and good will to those that worked on the Capitol elevators.

He retired in 1996 and continued to live in the Washington, D.C. area.

In June 2002, at the age of 78, Hathaway was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism during Operation Tidal Wave.

Hathaway was married to Mary Lee Bird of Horse Shoe, North Carolina and Akron, Ohio for over 61 years until her death in 2007. Hathaway had two children, Susan and Fred.

Hathaway died on June 24, 2013 at the age of 89 of pulmonary fibrosis. This was exactly 69 years to the day after he was shot down during World War II.

Notes

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

External links

• United States Congress. "William Hathaway (id: H000346)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.