Jim Jeffords
A Vermont independent in spirit and action, his dramatic party switch upended control of the U.S. Senate.
1934–2014 (age 80)·American politician·Birthday: May 11·The Silent Generation
Biography
Jim Jeffords built a political career on a stubborn, Yankee brand of moderation. For over a quarter-century, the Vermont Republican navigated Washington as a throwback: a fiscal conservative with a progressive heart, particularly on education and the environment. His quiet, almost shy demeanor belied a firm independence. That independence culminated in a seismic 2001 decision. Disaffected by his party's rightward shift and a proposed tax cut he felt ignored critical needs, Jeffords left the GOP, became an Independent, and caucused with Democrats. This single move transferred control of the evenly divided Senate, reshaping the political landscape of the early 2000s. While his act was decried as betrayal by some, in Vermont it was seen as pure Jeffords: putting conscience and constituency over party loyalty.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Jim was born in 1934, placing them squarely in The Silent 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 Jim Was Born
The biggest hits of 1934
#1 Movie
It Happened One Night
Best Picture
It Happened One Night
Jim's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1934Born
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1939Started school
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1947Became a teenager
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1950Could drive
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1952Could vote
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1955Turned 21
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
1964Turned 30
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1974Turned 40
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1984Turned 50
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1994Turned 60
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 70
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 80
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
Key Achievements
- His switch from Republican to Independent in 2001 shifted majority control of the U.S. Senate from the GOP to the Democrats.
- Authored and championed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), landmark legislation for special education.
- Served Vermont in Congress for over 30 years, first in the House (1975-1989) and then in the Senate (1989-2007).
- Was a principal author of the National School Lunch Act, improving child nutrition programs.
Did You Know?
He was an accomplished baritone singer who performed with the Boston Pops and at presidential inaugurations.
Jeffords served in the U.S. Navy as a legal officer before entering politics.
He owned a farm in Shrewsbury, Vermont, where he bred Morgan horses.
His father was the Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court.
“I can no longer in good conscience support the administration's tax policy and its increasingly large, deep, and disproportionate tax cuts.”
