Mike Gravel

Mike Gravel (1930-2021) was an American politician and writer who represented Alaska in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1981 as a member of the Democratic Party. Born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, Gravel moved to Alaska in the late 1950s, where he became a real estate developer and entered politics. He served in the Alaska House of Representatives from 1963 to 1967 and was elected Speaker of the House. Gravel gained national recognition for his efforts to end the draft during the Vietnam War and for his role in releasing the Pentagon Papers in 1971. He made unsuccessful runs for the Democratic presidential nomination in later years.