Don Edwards
A steadfast California congressman who served for 32 years as a powerful voice for civil liberties, constitutional rights, and intelligence oversight.
1915–2015 (age 100)·American politician·Birthday: January 6·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Don Edwards represented California's Silicon Valley for 16 terms, becoming one of the most respected and enduring liberal voices in the House. A former FBI agent and Navy officer, he brought a unique law enforcement perspective to his advocacy for civil rights. He was a principal author of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and a relentless defender of the First Amendment, often clashing with the intelligence community he once served. As chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights for over two decades, he was the congressional watchdog on issues from fair housing to government surveillance. Edwards earned a reputation for quiet, principled effectiveness, building coalitions to pass landmark legislation like the Equal Rights Amendment and the Freedom of Information Act. His long tenure provided crucial institutional memory and a moral compass on civil liberties, making him a revered figure among progressives.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Don was born in 1915, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Don Was Born
The biggest hits of 1915
#1 Movie
The Birth of a Nation
Don's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1915Born
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Started school
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1928Became a teenager
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1931Could drive
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1933Could vote
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1936Turned 21
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1945Turned 30
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1955Turned 40
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1965Turned 50
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1975Turned 60
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1985Turned 70
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1995Turned 80
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2015Died at 100
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Served as the primary House sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment for over a decade.
- Chaired the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights from 1971 to 1995.
- Played a key role in the passage and later extensions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Did You Know?
Before politics, he was an FBI agent from 1940 to 1941.
He was the first member of Congress to call for the impeachment of President Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal.
The Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge is named in his honor for his conservation work.
“The right to vote is the right upon which all other rights depend.”
