Henry Hyde

Former Illinois Representative Henry Hyde presided over the House during the Impeachment of Bill Clinton. He introduced the Hyde Amendment in 1976, which prohibited the use of federal funds for abortion.

1. Born: April 18, 1924 in Chicago, Illinois
2. Served in Congress from 1975 to 2006
3. Party: Republican
4. Spouse: Jeanne Simpson Hyde (deceased), Judy Wolverton
5. Alma mater: Duke University, Georgetown University, Loyola University
6. Had four children
7. Died: November 29, 2007
8. Received Presidential Medal of Freedom in early November, 2007

Hyde played basketball for Georgetown, where he lost in the championship round in 1943. During World War II, he served in the Navy and later became a Commander in the Naval Reserve. He earned a degree in law and eventually worked on Nixon's presidential campaign.

After serving as majority leader in the Illinois House of Representatives, Hyde was elected to the U.S. House from Illinois' 6th district in 1974, a position he would remain in until shortly before his 2007 death.

• Google News: Henry Hyde
• The Gate: Former Rep. Henry Hyde Dead At 83 (November 29, 2007)
• The Swamp: Henry Hyde's son here for dad's Medal of Freedom (November 5, 2007)
• WhiteHouse.gov: President Bush Announces Recipients of Presidential Medal of Freedom (November 5, 2007)

• Daily Herald: "Former U.S. Rep Henry Hyde awarded highest civilian honor" (November 5, 2007)
  • Text from Bush's speech on Hyde: "This scholarly man has walked with kings and kept the common touch...He was a gallant champion of the weak and forgotten and a fearless defender of life, in all of its seasons."

• MittRomney.com: Governor Mitt Romney On Henry Hyde And The Presidential Medal Of Freedom (November 5, 2007)
• The New York Times: Henry J. Hyde News

• Google Images: Henry Hyde

• April 18, 1924: Born in Chicago, Illinois

• 1943: Helps take the Georgetown Hoyas Basketball team to the Final Four

• 1965-1969: Allegedly carried on an affair with Cherie Snodgrass, a married woman

• 1975: Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and joins the Judiciary Committee

• 1985: Becomes the ranking Republican on the House Select Committee on Intelligence

• 1997: Introduced the Hyde Amendment

• 2005: Endorses Peter Roskam as successor

• November 29, 2007: Dies from complications associated with open heart surgery

• The Onion: Lewinsky Subpoenaed To Re-Blow Clinton On Senate Floor (1999)