George Aiken

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George David Aiken (August 20, 1892 – November 19, 1984) was an American politician and horticulturist.

He was the 64th governor of Vermont (1937–1941), before serving in the United States Senate for 34 years from 1941 to 1975. He was a member of the Republican Party.

He was the Senate's senior member at the time of his resignation. In Vermont, Governor Aiken fought the New Deal over its provisions for hydroelectricity and flood control.

He was one of four Republican cosponsors of the Full Employment Act of 1946 as a Northeastern Republican senator in the Senate.

Aiken sponsored the food allotment bill of 1945, which was a forerunner of the food stamp scheme.

In 1947, he advocated federal education and aimed for a minimum wage of 65 percent.

Aiken was an immigrant in 1941 but he embraced the Truman Doctrine in 1947 and 1948, as well as the Marshall Plan.

He took a middle course on the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s, condemning Lyndon Johnson's rise and supporting Richard Nixon's stifling policies.

Aiken was a devoted promoter of the small farmer.

He opposed rigid price supports as acting chairman of the Senate agriculture committee in 1947.

However, he had to compromise, and the Hope-Aiken act of 1948 introduced a decreasing range of price supports.

Aiken was one of seven Republican senators who protested in writing Senator Joseph McCarthy's policies in 1950, warning against those who seek "victory through selfish political exploitation of fear, bigotry, mistrust, and intolerance."

Early life

George David Aiken was born in Dummerston, Vermont, to Edward Webster and Myra Aiken (née Cook). He and his parents moved to Putney, Connecticut, where his father grew fruits and vegetables, and his father served in local positions including school board member, select board member, and member of the Vermont House of Representatives. Aiken began his education in Putney's public schools, and he graduated from Brattleboro High School in 1909. Aiken began an early interest in agriculture and became a member of the Grange's Putney branch in 1906. He borrowed $100 to plant a patch of raspberries in 1912; within five years, his plantings grew to five hundred acres and included a nursery. Aiken grew small fruits in Putney from 1913 to 1917, with George M. Darrow as "Darrow & Aiken" on the label. Aiken was involved in wildflower raising in 1926. In 1933, he published Pioneering With Wildflowers and Berries, 1936. He was also president of the Vermont Horticultural Society (1917–1918) and the Windham County Farm Bureau (1935–1936).

Aiken married Beatrice Howard, who died in 1966, and she survived until her death in 1966. Dorothy Howard, Marjorie Evelyn (who married Harry Cleverly), Barbara Marion, and Howard Russell were among the three children, as well as Howard Russell, a son. Lola Pierotti, Aiken's long-serving administrative assistant, was married in 1967. Lola Aiken lived in Republican politics until her death in 2014 at the age of 102.

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Early political career

Aiken served in Putney from 1920 to 1937 as a member of the school board. In 1922, he unsuccessfully ran for the Vermont House of Representatives. He ran for office in 1930. He was elected in 1932 and served from 1931 to 1935. Three generations of his family's lineage had also served in the state legislature. He became known as a state representative for his opposition to the private power companies over the issue of dam building. Aiken was elected Speaker of the House in 1933, despite the Republican establishment's resistance. He introduced the Poor Debtor Law as Speaker Peter Coveney to shield people who were unable to pay their bills during the Great Depression.

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