Lee Hamilton
U.S. House of Representatives,
1965-1999
It’s hard to imagine an Indiana politician with a more storied career than the Honorable Lee Hamilton. Since 1960, Hamilton has been an advocate for Hoosiers on both the national and international stage, bringing new opportunities and lasting prosperity to the state.
It’s hard to imagine an Indiana politician with a more storied career than the Honorable Lee Hamilton. Since 1960, Hamilton has been an advocate for Hoosiers on both the national and international stage, bringing new opportunities and lasting prosperity to the state.
As a young boy, Lee Hamilton and his family moved to Evansville, where he graduated high school in 1948. He went on to earn his Bachelor’s at DePauw University, study at Goethe University in Germany, and attend law school at Indiana University.
Hamilton then began his political career in 1960, when he started working for a private law practice in Columbus, Indiana. During that time, he joined the Bartholomew County Young Democrats and even managed Birch Bayh’s successful 1962 campaign for Senate. Then, just two years later, Hamilton himself was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Lee Hamilton went on to serve as a U.S. Representative for a remarkable 17 terms. During his tenure, he secured funding for 12 post offices as well as dozens of schools, sewers, and a refurbished military base within his district. But despite his many local accolades, Hamilton’s congressional career will be most remembered for his work in foreign policy.
Hamilton served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee for 34 years, spending much of that time as Chair of the Subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East.
He was a staunch advocate for America’s presence on the global stage, and he worked tirelessly to expand and reform the United States’ overseas trade and foreign aid policies. Hamilton also promoted democracy in former Soviet Union countries and peace and stability for the Middle East.
In recognition for his service, the Honorable Lee Hamilton received the 1990 International Citizen of the Year for bringing Indiana into the global spotlight. The award was so well deserved that Governor Evan Bayh declared October 25 “International Citizens of the Year Day” across the state in honor of Hamilton and his co-recipient, Sister Marie Pierre Buttell.
Hamilton stepped away from Congress in 1999, but he still continued to work for the greater good within Indiana and abroad. He’s served on dozens of advisory boards and councils, including the CIA Advisory Board, the President’s Homeland Security Advisory Council, and the Partnership for a Secure America. He was also appointed by President George W. Bush to be the Vice Chairman of the 9/11 Commission.
Barack Obama awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Washington, DC, America – 24 Nov 2015 (Rex Features via AP Images)
But no matter how he served, Lee Hamilton always maintained a record of legislation intended for the good of all Hoosiers as well as the nation.
For this, Hamilton has received dozens of awards and accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Benjamin Harrison Advancing American Democracy Award and the U.S. Senator John Heinz Award for Greatest Public Service. In 2018, Indiana University even renamed the School of Global and International Studies as the Hamilton-Lugar School in honor of him and fellow Indiana statesman Richard Lugar.
“There are not two better respected foreign policy voices in the country [than Lee Hamilton and Richard Lugar,]” said Lee Feinstein, Founding Dean of the Hamilton-Lugar School.
“[Their] commitment to the power of diplomacy to make the world more just and secure—as well as their judgment, independence and confidence in the resilience of American democratic institutions—set the tone for our school and inspired our students, faculty and staff.”
