Winston L. Prouty

Winston Prouty was born in Newport, Vermont, to Willard Robert and Margaret (née Lockhart) Prouty.{{cite book|last1=Pope|first1=Charles Henry|title=Prouty (Proute) Genealogy|year=1910|url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/005732397|location=Boston |publisher=C. H. Pope |page=173 |via=HathiTrust|ref={{sfnRef|Prouty (Proute) Genealogy}}}} His family owned Prouty & Miller Lumber Company, a lumber and building material business.{{cite news|date=1971-09-11|work=The New York Times|title=Hard-Bitten Republican}} His family was also involved in politics; his father and grandfather both served as state legislators.{{sfn|Prouty (Proute) Genealogy|pages=171-172}} His uncle Charles A. Prouty was a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission, and another uncle, George H. Prouty served as Governor of Vermont from 1908 to 1910.{{sfn|Prouty (Proute) Genealogy|pages=171-172}}

Prouty received his early education at public schools in Newport, and attended St. Paul's School in Garden City, New York{{cite news |date=January 3, 1923 |title=Newport Locals: Winston Prouty |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71187464/prouty-school/ |work=The Caledonian-Record |location=St. Johnsbury, VT |page=5 |via=Newspapers.com}} and Bordentown Military Institute in New Jersey.{{cite book|title=Current Biography|volume=XXI|year=1960|publisher=H.W. Wilson Company}} He then studied engineering at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, from 1925 to 1927.{{cite book |editor-last=Hatch |editor-first=D. Arthur |date=1948 |title=Biographical Record of the Men of Lafayette, 1832-1948 |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nnc1.1002289687&view=1up&seq=5&skin=2021 |location=Easton, PA |publisher=Lafayette College |page=451 |via=HathiTrust}} During his college years, he became a member of the Delta Upsilon fraternity.{{cite news |work=Delta Upsilon Michigan Tech Chapter |title=Politics and Government |url=http://www.mtudu.org/delta_upsilon/famous_alumni/Politics%20and%20Gov}}

Prouty returned to Newport and joined his family's business, Prouty & Miller. He also served as a director of the National Bank of Newport and Associated Industries of Vermont. Though described as shy and reticent, in part because he was self-conscious about the loss of his right thumb in an accident at his family's business, Prouty decided on a career in politics.{{cite book |author=Joint Committee On Printing, United States Congress |date=1972 |title=Memorial Addresses: Winston L. Prouty |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VKZYAAAAMAAJ |location=Washington, D.C. |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |page=16 |via=Google Books |ref={{sfnRef|Memorial Addresses}}}}{{cite news |date=August 10, 1923 |title=Serious Accident: Winston Prouty Slips And Loses His Thumb On Butting Saw |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/71187290/prouty-thumb/ |work=Express and Standard |location=Newport, VT |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}} A Republican, he was a member of the Newport City Council from 1933 to 1937.{{sfn|Memorial Addresses|page=19}} He served as mayor of Newport from 1938 to 1941.{{sfn|Memorial Addresses|page=VII}} He was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 1940, and served from 1941 to 1949.{{sfn|Memorial Addresses|page=VII}} During his last two years in the legislature, he served as Speaker of the House. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for Lieutenant Governor of Vermont in 1948, losing to Harold J. Arthur. From 1949 to 1950, he served as chairman of the state Water Conservation Board.{{sfn|Memorial Addresses|page=VII}}

After longtime incumbent Charles Albert Plumley decided not to run in 1950, Prouty announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives from Vermont's At-large congressional district. He won the Republican nomination in a four-way race that included Governor Arthur. In the general election, he defeated his Democratic opponent, Herbert B. Comings, by a margin of 73%-26%.{{cite news|work=Clerk of the United States House of Representatives|title=Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 1952|url=http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1950election.pdf}} He was subsequently re-elected to three more terms, never receiving less than 61% of the vote.{{cite news|work=Clerk of the United States House of Representatives|title=Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 1954|url=http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1954election.pdf}} During his tenure in the House, Prouty served as a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committee.{{sfn|Memorial Addresses|page=19}} He was an advocate for the creation of the Saint Lawrence Seaway.{{sfn|Memorial Addresses|pages=6, 11}} During his tenure in the House, Prouty voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1957.{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/85-1957/s75|title=HR. 6127. |work=GovTrack.us}}

He was elected to the United States Senate in 1958; he was reelected in 1964 and 1970 and served from January 3, 1959, until his death.{{sfn|Memorial Addresses|page=VII}} In the Senate, Prouty's committee assignments included District of Columbia, Rules, Labor and Public Welfare, and Commerce, in addition to the Special Committee on Aging and the Select Committee on Small Business.{{sfn|Memorial Addresses|pages=6-7}} Issues with which he was identified included federal aid for school construction, federal funding of courses for students with special needs, arts and music education, and senior citizen needs to include health care and expansion of Social Security eligibility.{{sfn|Memorial Addresses|page=6, 11, 20, 37}} In addition, he was a longtime advocate for returning passenger rail service to Vermont.{{sfn|Memorial Addresses|page=14}} As the ranking Republican on the District of Columbia Committee, Prouty sponsored the legislation that created the district's Delegate to Congress.{{sfn|Memorial Addresses|pages=32, 57}} During his tenure in the Senate, Prouty voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1960,{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/86-1960/s284|title=HR. 8601. Passage of Amended Bill.}} 1964,{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/88-1964/s409|title=HR. 7152. Passage.}} and 1968,{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/90-1968/s346|title=To Pass H.R. 2516.}} as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/87-1962/s226|title=S.J. Res. 29. |work=GovTrack.us}} the Voting Rights Act of 1965,{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/89-1965/s78|title=To Pass S. 1564.}} and the confirmation of Thurgood Marshall to the U.S. Supreme Court.{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/90-1967/s176|title=Confirmation of Nomination of Thurgood Marshall.|work=GovTrack.us}}

Prouty died from the effects of gastric cancer at New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston on September 10, 1971.{{cite news |agency=United Press International |date=September 11, 1971 |title=Senator Prouty Dies of Stomach Cancer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-brattleboro-reformer-prouty/143504300/ |work=Brattleboro Reformer |location=Brattleboro, VT |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}} He was buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Newport.{{cite news |last=Leader |first=Andrew |date=September 16, 1971 |title=Friends, State, National Leaders Jam Prouty Service |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-free-press-service/143504368/ |work=Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}

In 1939, Prouty married Frances Currie Hearle Backus (1907–1960) of Stanstead, Quebec, who was the mother of three daughters from a previous marriage, Currie, Elizabeth, and Ann.{{cite news |date=December 5, 1960 |title=Wife of U.S. Sen Prouty, R-Vt., is Dead at 53 of Heart Attack |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-free-press-wife/143504423/ |work=Burlington Free Press |location=Burlington, VT |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |agency=United Press International |date=December 5, 1960 |title=Funeral Services Planned Today for Mrs. Prouty |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/bennington-banner-funeral/143504492/ |work=Bennington Banner |location=Bennington, VT |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}} She died in 1960, and in 1962, Prouty married Jennette Herbert Hall (1913–2002), who had been the chief aide to Congressmen Henry J. Latham of New York and Robert E. Cook of Ohio.{{cite news |agency=Associated Press |date=July 3, 1962 |title=Senator Prouty Wed to Ohioan in Washington |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/bennington-banner-ohioan/143504592/ |work=Bennington Banner |location=Bennington, VT |page=1 |via=Newspapers.com}}

In 1966, Prouty received the honorary degree of LL.D. from Lafayette College.{{cite news |date=May 26, 1966 |title=Lafayette Lists 5 Honorary Degrees |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-morning-call-degrees/143504637/ |work=The Morning Call |location= Allentown, PA |page=41 |via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite news |last=Gaines |first=Barry |date=May 13, 1966 |title=Governor Hatfield To Speak At Commnencement |url=https://digital.lafayette.edu/collections/newspaper/19660513/pdf |work=The Lafayette |location=Easton, PA |page=1}}

• List of United States Congress members who died in office (1950–99)

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{{US House succession box | state=Vermont | district=AL | before=Charles A. Plumley | after=William H. Meyer | years=1951–1959}}

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Category:1906 births

Category:1971 deaths

Category:Bordentown Military Institute alumni

Category:Lafayette College alumni

Category:People from Newport (city), Vermont

Category:Republican Party members of the Vermont House of Representatives

Category:Deaths from stomach cancer in Massachusetts

Category:Republican Party United States senators from Vermont

Category:Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Vermont

Category:Speakers of the Vermont House of Representatives

Category:20th-century United States senators

Category:20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives

Category:20th-century members of the Vermont General Assembly

Category:Delta Upsilon members