Former Sen. George McGovern — the 1972 Democratic presidential anti-war candidate who lost to President Richard Nixon in a historic landslide election — has died. He was 90 years old.
A family spokesman, Steve Hildebrand, said in a statement that the former senator died at 5:15 a.m. in a hospice in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Text Size -
+
reset
The South Dakota liberal had a long career as an influential politician, historian and author. Best known for his strong opposition to the Vietnam War and his staggering loss to Nixon, he also had a distinguished career in public service in the House of Representatives, the Senate and with the United Nations.
(PHOTOS: George McGovern 1922-2012)
“George McGovern dedicated his life to serving the country he loved,” President Barack Obama said in a statement Sunday. “He signed up to fight in World War II, and became a decorated bomber pilot over the battlefields of Europe. When the people of South Dakota sent him to Washington, this hero of war became a champion for peace. And after his career in Congress, he became a leading voice in the fight against hunger. George was a statesman of great conscience and conviction, and Michelle and I share our thoughts and prayers with his family.”
On the issues, McGovern was a leading liberal Democrat who advocated for fighting world hunger, protecting farmers and ending the war in Vietnam.
Born in the small town of Avon, S.D. , on July 19, 1922, McGovern and his family moved to Mitchell, S.D. , in 1928. McGovern’s father was a Wesleyan Methodist reverend and both his parents were staunch Republicans. McGovern thrived on his high school debate team and went on to enroll at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell in 1940.
In college, McGovern was a popular student who was elected class president twice. He learned to fly then, as well, serving as a member of the government’s Civilian Pilot Training Program and getting his pilot’s license. McGovern later told the publication Airport Journals that “frankly, I was scared to death on that first solo flight. But when I walked away from it, I had an enormous feeling of satisfaction that I had taken the thing off the ground and landed it without tearing the wings off.”
During his university years, he also fell in love with Eleanor Stegeberg — who McGovern had first met when she and her twin sister beat him during a high school debate — and the couple married in 1943 after McGovern was called up for service in WWII.
McGovern flew 35 combat missions as a B-24 bomber pilot in Europe and earned the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was posted to the 741st Squadron, 455th Bomb Group at San Giovanni Field in Italy in September 1944 and tasked with bombing oil refineries and other strategic locations throughout Europe. His plane was dubbed the Dakota Queen after his wife, and his first daughter, Ann, was born while he was serving in the war. McGovern was discharged in July 1945 with the rank of First Lieutenant.
The young pilot had resolved during his time fighting abroad to become a history professor on his return to the U.S., and he graduated from Dakota Wesleyan in 1946. McGovern then studied at Garrett Theological Seminary for a year before enrolling in Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., for his post-graduate history degrees.
George McGovern speaking at the  for his book tour August 26, 2009. 
Former  Democratic Presidential candidate and United States Senator from South Dakota  died Sunday at the age of 90 in , South Dakota. He died at 5:15 am local time (1015 UTC).

McGovern's 1972 running mate was originally , however, due to revelations about Eagleton's psychiatric past, he was replaced by . McGovern and his running mate Shriver lost to   and  . McGovern got only 17 . In 1992, he spoke of possibly running for president one last time; however, he judged a younger candidate without his political history would be better.

McGovern was a senator for South Dakota from 1963 to 1981. He was the first Democrat elected in South Dakota to that position since 1930.

He was head of the  program under President . Later, he was  from 1998 to 2001. McGovern and  received the 2008  for creating a program for international child nutrition and education.

His family made a statement about his death: "Our wonderful father, George McGovern, passed away peacefully at the Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls, SD, surrounded by our family and life-long friends".

Many politicians have made comments and tributes about  McGovern's death:

U.S. President Barack Obama said, "George McGovern dedicated his life to serving the country he loved. ... And after his career in Congress, he became a leading voice in the fight against hunger. ...  and I share our thoughts and prayers with his family."

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said, on behalf of himself and  , "Jill and I are profoundly saddened to hear about George McGovern's passing. I was honored to serve with him, to know him, and to call him a friend. ... Above all, George McGovern was a generous, kind, honorable man. He will be missed, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family today."

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton said, "We were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our friend George McGovern. The world has lost a tireless advocate for  and dignity. We first met George while campaigning for him in 1972. ... Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends."

U.S. Senator  said, "George McGovern was a voice of clarity and conviction at a time the  when America needed it most."

Former  of the U.S.  Newt Gingrich said, on , "George actually was a very complicated person. He had served as a bomber pilot in World War II, he was not a pacifist and his argument over Vietnam was about that particular war."
 
McGovern was born as George Stanley McGovern on July 19, 1922 in , South Dakota. He was raised in , South Dakota. He married , and their marriage lasted 64 years until her death at the age of 85 in 2007. During  he served as a bomber pilot. They had five children — four daughters and one son. 



== Sources == 
*
*
*
*
*