NEWS

Emmer bill would honor Eugene McCarthy

Kirsti Marohn
kmarohn@stcloudtimes.com
Eugene McCarthy

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer has introduced a bill that would rename the Collegeville post office at St. John's University for the late Minnesota Congressman Eugene McCarthy.

McCarthy, a graduate of St. John's, served five terms in the U.S. House and two terms in the Senate. He would have turned 100 this year, but died in 2005.

McCarthy challenged President Lyndon B. Johnson for the 1968 Democratic nomination during growing debate over the Vietnam War, leading to Johnson's withdrawal from the race.

In a news release, Emmer, R-Minnesota, called McCarthy "an incredible servant to Minnesota and our country as a whole." The bill has the support of Minnesota's entire congressional delegation.

St. John's University endorses the proposal. University President Michael Hemesath said McCarthy's service and civic engagement is legendary, and called him "a seminal figure in both state and national politics in the latter half of the 20th century."

St. John's University is home to the Eugene J. McCarthy Center for Public Policy & Civic Engagement, which aims to foster dialogue and involvement regarding politics, values and public policy.