Slade Gorton
A cerebral and fiercely independent Republican senator from Washington, he championed environmental protection and fiscal restraint while mastering the art of the narrow election.
1928–2020 (age 92)·American politician·Birthday: January 8·The Silent Generation
Biography
Slade Gorton was a political figure who defied easy categorization. A Harvard-educated lawyer with a sharp intellect, he entered politics as Washington's attorney general, famously arguing the state's case in the landmark Boldt decision on tribal fishing rights. In the U.S. Senate, he cultivated a reputation as a thoughtful, sometimes contrarian, Republican. He was a staunch budget hawk and a supporter of free trade, but also broke with his party to champion environmental causes, playing a critical role in the legislation that created the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Gorton's career was marked by electoral drama; he won and lost his seat in razor-thin margins, becoming known for his resilience in comeback victories and his grace in narrow defeats. After leaving the Senate, he served on the 9/11 Commission, bringing his legal rigor to the investigation of the national tragedy.
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.
Slade was born in 1928, 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 Slade Was Born
The biggest hits of 1928
#1 Movie
The Singing Fool
Best Picture
Wings
Slade's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1928Born
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1933Started school
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1941Became a teenager
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Could drive
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1946Could vote
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1949Turned 21
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1958Turned 30
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 40
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 50
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 60
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 70
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 80
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2020Died at 92
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
Key Achievements
- Served three non-consecutive terms as a U.S. Senator from Washington, representing both of the state's Senate seats at different times.
- Was a principal author of the 1984 legislation that established the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area in Washington state.
- Served as a key member of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission following his Senate career.
- As Washington State Attorney General, argued and won the 'Boldt case' (U.S. v. Washington) before the Supreme Court, affirming tribal fishing rights.
Did You Know?
He was a decorated intelligence officer in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
His 2000 Senate race against Maria Cantwell was decided by a margin of just 2,229 votes after a recount.
He was an avid fly fisherman and mountaineer.
“I am a Republican, but I am a Washington state Republican.”
