Bartlett, Edward Lewis (1904-1968), became one of the first United States senators from Alaska in 1959, the year Alaska became a state. He won reelection twice.
Bartlett, who preferred to be called E. L. (Bob) Bartlett, was born on April 20, 1904, in Seattle. His family moved to the Alaskan mining town of Fairbanks when he was a year old. He often said that being born outside Alaska was his greatest regret. Bartlett worked as a newspaper reporter and as a gold miner. In 1944, he was elected as the territory’s delegate to Congress. He strongly supported Alaskan statehood. He died on Dec. 11, 1968. A statue of Bartlett represents Alaska in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
