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Nick Begich
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| In office 1971–1972 |
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| Preceded by | Howard Pollock |
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| Succeeded by | Don Young |
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| Born | April 6, 1932 Eveleth, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | Presumably October 16, 1972 (aged 40) Alaska, United States |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Pegge Begich |
| Children | Mark, Nichelle, Stephanie, Paul, and Nick |
| Alma mater | Saint Cloud State University, University of Minnesota, University of Colorado, University of North Dakota |
Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Begich, Sr. (April 6, 1932 – Undetermined, presumably October 16, 1972) was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from Alaska. He disappeared in a 1972 plane crash.
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Early life and education
The son of a Croatian immigrant, Nick Begich was born and raised in Eveleth, Minnesota. His father, John Begich, was born in Podlapaca, Croatia.1 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 and disappearance
Begich worked as an expeditor and then a counselor in Anchorage, Alaska. He later worked in the administrative offices of Anchorage School District, eventually becoming Superintendent of Schools at Fort Richardson. In 1962, he was elected to the Alaska Senate, where he served for eight years. He also taught political science during this time at the University of Alaska Anchorage.
In 1970, Begich was elected to Alaska's at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, defeating Republican banker Frank Murkowski (later a U.S. Senator and eventually Governor of Alaska). In 1972, he faced the Republican state senator Don Young. On October 16, 1972, he was aboard a twin engine Cessna 310 along with Congressman 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;2 the four were heading to a campaign fundraiser for Begich.
In an enormous search effort, Coast Guard, Navy, and Air Force planes searched for the party. On November 24, 1972, after thirty-nine days, the search was abandoned. Neither the wreckage of the plane nor the pilot's and passengers' remains were ever found. All were presumed dead on December 29, 1972. The accident prompted Congress to pass a law mandating emergency locator transmitters in all U.S. civil aircraft. Posthumously, Begich won the 1972 election with 56% to Don Young's 44%. However, after Begich's declared death, a special election was called which was won by Young.
Election history
| Year | Republican | Votes | Pct | Democrat | Votes | Pct | |||
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| 1968 | Howard W. Pollock (inc.) | 43,577 | 54.2% | N. J. Begich | 36,785 | 45.8% | |||
| 1970 | Frank H. Murkowski | 35,947 | 44.9% | N. J. Begich | 44,137 | 55.1% | |||
| 1972 | Don Young | 41,750 | 43.8% | N. J. Begich (inc.) | 53,651 | 56.2% |
Personal life
Nick Begich had six children, named Mark, Nichelle, Tom, Stephanie, Paul, and Nick. His son Mark Begich is the current mayor of Anchorage, Alaska and the Senator-elect to the United States Senate after defeating the Republican Party's longest ever serving U.S. Senator, Ted Stevens. Nick Begich's widow, Pegge Begich, ran for the U. S. House seat in 1984 and 1986, but was defeated. She is retired and currently lives in Nevada. The eldest son, Dr. Nick Begich, Jr., is well known in Alaska for his own political activities. He was twice elected President of both the Alaska Federation of Teachers and the Anchorage Council of Education. Nick Jr.'s current research focuses on the methods, actions, and ethics of various US government organizations.
See also
Notes
- ^ Begich, Tom. (2006-04-30). "Tom Begich: Politics first - Part of growing up in a political family with a man who was a workaholic was I didn't know my father." Interviewed by Judy Ferguson. Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved on 2007-04-04. Tom Begich says of his father, "Until I was nearly 12, I grew up with a man who was a legend, the son of Croatian immigrants, but who disappeared Oct. 16, 1972, into the clouds."
- ^ "Hale Boggs — Missing in Alaska". Famous Missing Aircraft. Check-Six. Retrieved on 2007-04-15.
- ^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved on 2008-10-24.
External links
EarthPulse one of Dr. Begich's sites dedicated to energy pollution
| United States House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by Howard W. Pollock |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alaska 1971-1972 |
Succeeded by Don Young |
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Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 22 November 2008, at 18:57.
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