Roth, William Victor, Jr. (1921-2003), was a member of the United States Senate from 1971 to 2001. Roth, a Republican, represented Delaware. As chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, he pushed a bill to expand allowable tax-free savings through individual retirement accounts (IRA’s). Roth also chaired the Committee on Governmental Affairs from 1981 to 1987 and from 1995 to 1997. During the 1995-1997 session, he pushed a paperwork reduction bill that became a law. He also served on the Joint Economic Committee and the Joint Committee on Taxation.
Roth was born on July 22, 1921, in Great Falls, Montana. In 1943, during World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He served in the Pacific and received the Bronze Star for heroism during battle. He was discharged in 1946 with the rank of captain.
In 1944, Roth received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon. He earned a master’s degree in 1947 and a law degree in 1949, both from Harvard University. He began to practice law in California in 1950. In 1958, he moved to Delaware to work as a lawyer for a chemical firm.
In 1960, Roth ran for lieutenant governor of Delaware but narrowly lost. From 1961 to 1964, he chaired the Delaware Republican State Committee and was a member of the Republican National Committee. In 1966, Roth was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He was reelected in 1968. Roth won his first election to the U.S. Senate in 1970. He took office in 1971. In 2000, in his fifth term in the Senate, Roth lost to his Democratic opponent in a bid for reelection. He left office when the term expired in 2001. Roth died on Dec. 13, 2003.
