31 Facts About Henry Hyde

Henry John Hyde was an American politician who served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 2007, representing the 6th District of Illinois, an area of Chicago's northwestern suburbs.

Henry Hyde was Chairman of the Judiciary Committee from 1995 to 2001, and the House International Relations Committee from 2001 to 2007.

Henry Hyde is most famous for writing the Hyde Amendment, as a vocal opponent of abortion.

Henry Hyde's father was English and his mother was Irish Catholic.

Henry Hyde attended Duke University, where he joined the Sigma Chi Fraternity, graduated from Georgetown University and obtained his JD degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Henry Hyde remained in the Naval Reserve from 1946 to 1968, as an officer in charge of the US Naval Intelligence Reserve Unit in Chicago.

In 1955, Henry Hyde joined the Knights of Columbus, and was a member of Father McDonald Council 1911 in Elmhurst, Illinois.

Henry Hyde was married to Jeanne Simpson Hyde from 1947 until her death in 1992; he had four children and four grandchildren.

Henry Hyde made his first run for Congress in 1962, losing to Democratic incumbent Roman Pucinski in the 11th District.

Henry Hyde was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1967 and served as Majority Leader from 1971 to 1972.

Henry Hyde served in the Illinois House until 1974, when he was elected to the US House of Representatives in November, 1974 as one of the few bright spots in what was a disastrous year for Republicans in the wake of the Watergate scandal.

Henry Hyde faced a bruising contest against former Cook County state's attorney Edward Hanrahan, but was elected by 8,000 votes.

Henry Hyde was one of the most vocal and persistent opponents of abortion in American politics and was the chief sponsor of the eponymous Henry Hyde Amendment to the House Appropriations bill that prohibited the use of federal funds to pay for elective abortions through Medicaid.

Henry Hyde said such lists are counterproductive because they create irrevocable discord among legislators, any of whom can be subject to a "single issue" attack of this kind.

An original sponsor of the Brady Bill requiring background checks for gun buyers, Henry Hyde broke with his party in 1994 when he supported a ban on the sale of semi-automatic firearms.

Henry Hyde was involved in debates over US-Soviet relations, Central America policy, the War Powers Act, NATO expansion and the investigation of the Iran-Contra affair, and sponsored the United Nations Reform Act of 2005, a bill that ties payment of US dues for United Nations operations to reform of the institution's management.

Henry Hyde was a member of the House Judiciary Committee for his entire tenure in the House.

Henry Hyde was its Chairman from 1995 until 2001, during which time he served as the lead manager during the President Clinton impeachment trial.

From 1985 until 1991, Henry Hyde was the ranking Republican on the House Select Committee on Intelligence.

In 1981, after leaving the House Banking Committee, Henry Hyde went on the board of directors of Clyde Federal Savings and Loan, whose Chairman was one of Henry Hyde's political contributors.

Four years later, before pretrial investigation and depositions, the government settled with the defendants for $850,000 and made an arrangement exempting Henry Hyde from paying anything.

Henry Hyde argued that the House had a constitutional and civic duty to impeach Bill Clinton for perjury.

Henry Hyde served as chief House manager at the President's trial in the Senate; he became known for his remarks in his closing argument:.

Henry Hyde admitted to the affair and attributed the relationship as a "youthful indiscretion".

Henry Hyde was 41 years old and married when the affair occurred.

Henry Hyde said the affair ended when Snodgrass' husband confronted Mrs Henry Hyde.

In 2006, Henry Hyde made the following observation in regard to the Bush Administration's proclaimed objective of promoting democracy in the Middle East:.

Henry Hyde was named a Papal Knight of the Order of St Gregory the Great by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006, in recognition of his longtime support for political issues important to the Roman Catholic Church.

Henry Hyde received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, on November 5,2007, awarded by President Bush.

Henry Hyde was hospitalized, recovering from open-heart surgery, and could not attend the ceremony in person.

Henry Hyde died November 29,2007 at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago following complications from open heart surgery at Provena Mercy Medical Center in Aurora, Illinois several months earlier.