William Henry Bates

Republican Representative of Massachusetts's 6th district

  • Representative

    Massachusetts, district 6

    January 3, 1969 - January 3, 1971

11

Congresses Served

11

House Terms

April 26, 1917 (52 years old)

Birthday

June 22, 1969

Death

  • Served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, advocating for a strong military posture, especially for the Navy.
  • Born into a political family; his father was also a Representative and served as Salem’s mayor.
  • Graduated from Worcester Academy and Brown University, later attending Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration.
  • Enlisted in the United States Navy in 1940, served during World War II, including the Iwo Jima campaign, and reached the rank of lieutenant commander in the Naval Reserve.
  • Resigned from the Navy to fill his late father’s Congressional seat in 1950.
  • Served on the Joint Congressional Committee on Atomic Energy and the House Armed Services Committee, supporting the development of nuclear-powered naval vessels, incentive pay for servicemen, and better housing for military personnel.
  • Voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960, 1964, and 1968, as well as the 24th Amendment and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
  • Died of stomach cancer in 1969.
  • Honored posthumously with a U.S. Navy attack submarine, the USS William H. Bates (SSN-680), named after him, and the Bates Bridge in Massachusetts.
  • Great-uncle to comedian John Mulaney.