George McGovern

George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American historian and South Dakota politician. He served as a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator, and was the Democratic Party presidential nominee in the 1972 presidential election. McGovern grew up in Mitchell, South Dakota, where he gained recognition as a skilled debater. During World War II, he volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Forces and flew 35 missions over German-occupied Europe as a B-24 Liberator pilot. McGovern received several medals, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war, he pursued higher education and became a history professor. In 1956, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, subsequently serving in the U.S. Senate after a successful candidacy in 1962.