- William H. Bates
:"For William Horatio Bates, the alternative eye therapist, see
William Bates ."William Henry Bates (26 April 1917 –22 June 1969 ) was a member of theUnited States House of Representatives notable for his staunch support of theUnited States Navy .Born in
Salem, Massachusetts , he attended local schools and graduated from Worcester Academy in 1936. He received his undergraduate education atBrown University , Providence, R.I., graduating in 1940. Following graduation from Brown, he enlisted in theUnited States Navy in July 1940 and was commissioned as ensign in the Naval Reserve on30 January 1941 . Bates then received instruction at the Naval Reserve Supply Officer's School at the Naval Medical Center,Washington, DC , before serving successive tours of duty at theWashington Navy Yard and in "Constellation" (IX-20).Bates remained in the Supply Corps through the end of
World War II , participating in theIwo Jima campaign in the spring of 1945. After the war he returned to Massachusetts and attended the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in Boston, graduating in 1947.He remained a naval reservist, and by 1949 had become the supply officer for the 4th Naval District. While Bates was stationed there, his father, Representative
George J. Bates of the ushr|Massachusetts|6|6th Massachusetts Congressional District, was killed in a plane crash at theWashington National Airport on1 November 1949 .Bates resigned his reserve commission — he had attained the rank of lieutenant commander by that time — on
14 February 1950 , to fill the seat of his late father in theUnited States House of Representatives . For nearly two decades, until his death in 1969, Bates staunchly advocated a strong military posture for the United States. On the Joint Congressional Committee on Atomic Energy and theHouse Armed Services Committee , he vigorously supported the development of nuclear-powered naval vessels. He also vigorously backed incentive pay programs and the establishment of better housing facilities for servicemen. He constantly sought means to enhance the training, caliber, and morale of military personnel.Immediately upon his death, the submarine USS "William H. Bates" (SSN-680) was named in his honor.
External links
USRSB
state=Massachusetts
district=6
before=George J. Bates
after=Michael J. Harrington
years=February 14 ,1950 -June 22 ,1969
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