Quayle, Dan (1947-…), served as vice president of the United States from 1989 to 1993, during the term of President George H. W. Bush. Before becoming vice president, Quayle represented Indiana in the U.S. Senate from 1981 to 1989. He previously had served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Early life.
Quayle, whose full name is James Danforth Quayle, was born on Feb. 4, 1947, in Indianapolis. Quayle’s maternal grandfather, Eugene Pulliam, was an influential and wealthy publisher of several newspapers in Indiana and Arizona. Quayle graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, in 1969 with a degree in political science. In 1974, he received a law degree from Indiana University in Indianapolis. While attending law school at night, Quayle worked in the offices of the governor and attorney general of Indiana and directed the state’s Inheritance Tax Division. From 1974 to 1976, he served as associate publisher of The Huntington Herald-Press, a paper published by his family.
In 1972, Quayle married Marilyn Tucker of Indianapolis. They had three children: Tucker Danforth, Benjamin Eugene, and Mary Corinne.
Political career.
Quayle was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1976 and in 1978 from a district in northeastern Indiana. In the House of Representatives, he had a consistently conservative voting record. In 1980, Quayle won election to the U.S. Senate, defeating Democratic Senator Birch E. Bayh, Jr. Quayle was reelected in 1986. He served on the Senate’s Budget, Armed Services, and Labor and Human Resources committees.
In 1988, the Republican National Convention nominated Quayle for vice president at Bush’s request. The selection sparked controversy. Much of it centered on charges that Quayle had used family influence to get into the Indiana National Guard in 1969, thereby avoiding the draft and possible combat in the Vietnam War (1957-1975). Quayle’s experience and accomplishments were also questioned, but Bush stood by his choice. In the 1988 election, Bush and Quayle defeated their Democratic opponents, Governor Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts and Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas. Questions concerning Quayle’s capabilities persisted throughout his term, but Bush loyally defended his vice president. Quayle also received support from the conservative branch of the Republican Party.
As vice president, Quayle traveled throughout the United States and to other countries to promote the Bush Administration’s policies. He also headed the National Space Council and the Council on Competitiveness. As head of the competitiveness council, Quayle sought to end government regulations he considered harmful to U.S. economic efficiency. But critics claimed many of the regulations were needed for environmental protection and other purposes.
In 1992, Bush and Quayle again became Republican nominees. But they were defeated by the Democratic candidates, Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Senator Al Gore of Tennessee.
In April 1999, Quayle announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the 2000 presidential election. In September 1999, however, he ended his campaign for the nomination because of a lack of funds and voter support. Quayle’s son Ben represented an Arizona district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013.
Quayle has written or co-written several books. They include Standing Firm (1994), The American Family: Discovering the Values That Make Us Strong (1996), and Worth Fighting For (1999).
