Age, Biography and Wiki

Vance Hartke (Rupert Vance Hartke) was born on 31 May, 1919 in Stendal, Indiana, U.S., is an American politician (1919–2003). Discover Vance Hartke's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Learn How rich is he in this year and how he spends money? Also learn how he earned most of networth at the age of 84 years old?

Popular As Rupert Vance Hartke
Occupation N/A
Age 84 years old
Zodiac Sign Gemini
Born 31 May, 1919
Birthday 31 May
Birthplace Stendal, Indiana, U.S.
Date of death 27 July, 2003
Died Place Fairfax, Virginia, U.S.
Nationality United States

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 31 May. He is a member of famous politician with the age 84 years old group.

Vance Hartke Height, Weight & Measurements

At 84 years old, Vance Hartke height not available right now. We will update Vance Hartke's Height, weight, Body Measurements, Eye Color, Hair Color, Shoe & Dress size soon as possible.

Physical Status
Height Not Available
Weight Not Available
Body Measurements Not Available
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Who Is Vance Hartke's Wife?

His wife is Martha Hartke

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Martha Hartke
Sibling Not Available
Children 7

Vance Hartke Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2023-2024. So, how much is Vance Hartke worth at the age of 84 years old? Vance Hartke’s income source is mostly from being a successful politician. He is from United States. We have estimated Vance Hartke's net worth, money, salary, income, and assets.

Net Worth in 2024 $1 Million - $5 Million
Salary in 2024 Under Review
Net Worth in 2023 Pending
Salary in 2023 Under Review
House Not Available
Cars Not Available
Source of Income politician

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Timeline

1919

Rupert Vance Hartke (May 31, 1919 – July 27, 2003) was an American politician who served as a Democratic United States Senator from Indiana from 1959 until 1977.

Hartke won election to the Senate after serving as the mayor of Evansville, Indiana.

In the Senate, he supported the Great Society and became a prominent opponent of the Vietnam War.

Hartke was born on May 31, 1919, in Stendal, Indiana, the son of Ida Mary (Egbert), an organist, and Hugo Leonard Hartke, a teacher.

His paternal grandparents were German, as were all of his maternal great-grandparents.

He attended public schools in Stendal.

1940

He graduated from Evansville College (now the University of Evansville) in 1940, and from 1942 until 1946 Hartke served in the United States Navy and United States Coast Guard, rising from seaman to lieutenant.

1948

Hartke graduated from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 1948.

After joining the Indiana State Bar in 1948, Hartke began practicing law in Evansville.

1950

He also worked as deputy prosecuting attorney of Vanderburgh County (1950–1951) and Mayor of Evansville (1956–1958) and integrated the city swimming pools before being elected to the United States Senate in 1958 and reelected in 1964 and 1970 (1959–1977).

In the Senate, Hartke was best known for his opposition to the Vietnam War and his chairmanship of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.

Hartke had a fallout with President Lyndon Johnson when he became one of the first opponents of the Vietnam War.

1958

Hartke was elected to the Senate in 1958 at age 39, defeating Republican Governor Harold Handley.

He became known as a hard-working, liberal Democrat with a strong relationship with Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson.

In his first term, Hartke was a member of the Finance and Commerce committees.

1964

During his first term, Hartke lobbied for programs like Medicare and Medicaid, and supported the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Hartke was re-elected over state Senator Russell Bontrager in 1964, becoming only the third Indiana Democrat, after Benjamin Franklin Shively in 1914 and Frederick Van Nuys in 1938, to be popularly elected to a second term in the Senate.

He helped create student loan programs and new veterans benefits during his second term.

He helped to establish Amtrak as chairman of the Subcommittee on Surface Transportation.

After his sister, Ruth E. Hartke, was killed in a head-on crash in Ohio (2 Sep 1964) while working his campaign, Hartke used his chairmanship of Commerce Transportation Subcommittee to make automakers equip cars with seat belts and other safety equipment.

He also was instrumental in creating the International Executive Service Corps, an organization, modeled after the Peace Corps that sent retired U.S. businessmen to poor countries to help turn small businesses into larger ones.

Hartke was credited with important roles in the passage of measures that created or supported student loan programs, veterans' benefits and the Head Start Program.

He also developed an organization modeled on the Peace Corps that helped small overseas businesses.

Senator Hartke introduced a bill to create the George Washington Peace Academy and a Department of Peace.

The concept became known as the first cornerstone for the campaign that led to the creation of the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Hartke was praised for winning passage of a measure making kidney dialysis more widely available.

1970

In 1970, after a very bitter and tight race against Republican Congressman Richard L. Roudebush and a ballot recount, Hartke won a third term by 4,200 votes.

1972

Hartke ran for president in the 1972 Democratic primaries but withdrew after the first set of primaries.

In 1972, Hartke was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination against fellow Senators Edmund Muskie and George McGovern.

Four years later, after narrowly surviving a primary challenge by freshman Eighth District Congressman Philip Hayes, Hartke was defeated for reelection by Indianapolis Mayor Richard Lugar in a landslide.

1976

He left the Senate after being defeated in his 1976 re-election campaign by Richard Lugar.

1980

A statement entered into the Congressional Record in honor of his 80th birthday credited the measure with saving 500,000 lives.

His opposition to the Vietnam War was not popular in Indiana.

1994

In 1994, Hartke pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor election fraud charge in southeastern Indiana's Dearborn County.

At the previous November's general election, a Kentucky-based casino firm had employed him as a consultant to support them during a casino-legalization referendum.

Hartke wrote three books — The American Crisis in Vietnam, You and Your Senator and Inside the New Frontier , the last co-authored with John M. Redding.

Hartke and his wife, Martha, had seven children.

2008

Their daughter, Anita Hartke, was the 2008 Democratic candidate for the United States House of Representatives from the 7th congressional district of Virginia.

She lost to the Republican incumbent, Eric Cantor.

2012

Until the election of Joe Donnelly in 2012, Hartke was the most recent Indiana Democrat, aside from a member of the Bayh family, to have won and served in the Senate.