Nick Begich is presumed to have died in the crash of a light aircraft in Alaska in 1972; his body was never found.
12 Facts About Nick Begich
2.
Nick Begich's father, John Begich, was born in Podlapaca, Udbina, Croatia, Nick Sr.
3.
Nick Begich earned a Bachelor of Arts from Saint Cloud State University in 1952 and a Master of Arts from the University of Minnesota 1954.
4.
Nick Begich took graduate courses at the University of Colorado Boulder and University of North Dakota.
5.
In 1962, Nick Begich was elected to the Alaska Senate, where he served for eight years.
6.
Nick Begich taught political science during parts of this period at the University of Alaska at Anchorage.
7.
In 1968, Nick Begich ran for Alaska's only House seat and lost to the incumbent Representative, Republican Howard Pollock.
8.
In 1970, Pollock ran for Governor of Alaska and Nick Begich ran again for the seat and was now successful by defeating the Republican banker Frank Murkowski, who later served as a US Senator and then as Governor of Alaska.
9.
In 1972 for his re-election, Nick Begich was opposed by Republican state senator Don Young.
10.
However, after Nick Begich was declared dead, a special election was held.
11.
Nick's brother Joseph Begich served 18 years in the Minnesota House of Representatives from their hometown of Eveleth.
12.
Nick Begich ran for the House of Representatives seat in 1984 and 1986, but was defeated by the incumbent, Don Young.