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Roman HruskaRoman Lee Hruska (August 16 1904 - April 25 1999) was an American politician from the state of Nebraska. A Republican, Hruska was known as one of the most powerful conservatives in the United States Senate during the 1960s and 1970s. He was often known as a particularly hard-working, old-fashioned and traditional politician. Hruska was born in David City, Nebraska. His ancestors were Czech immigrants, and he was proud of his Czech heritage. He attended the University of Omaha and the University of Chicago and graduated from the Creighton University law school. He settled in Omaha, Nebraska and became a lawyer. He soon entered politics, becoming a member of the Douglas County, Nebraska board of commissioners. He served as a regular member from 1944 to 1945 and as chairman from 1945 to 1952. He was vice-president of the National Association of County Officials from 1951 to 1952, and served for a time as a member of the Nebraska Board of control and the board of regents of the University of Omaha. Hruska was elected to the United States House of Representatives from the Omaha-dominated second district of Nebraska. He served only one term, as he ran for a United States Senate seat in 1954 which was vacated by the death of Hugh Butler. Hruska won, and was reelected in 1958, 1964 and 1970 and served in the Senate until his retirement in 1976. He did not run for reelection to a fourth full term. Hruska became an influential member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee. He voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Though Congress was controlled by Democrats for his entire time in the Senate, he was known as a skillful legislator, and was said to have influenced much of the federal criminal justice system's changes during his era. He was the ranking minority member of the Judiciary Committee at the time of his retirement. Hruska is best remembered in American political history for a 1970 speech he made to the Senate urging them to confirm the nomination of Harold Carswell to the Supreme Court. Responding to criticism that Carswell had been a mediocre judge, Hruska claimed that many people were mediocre and that they should be represented. This speech was criticized by many, and Carswell was eventually defeated. Hruska moved back to Omaha in 1976, and lived there until his death. On April 10, 1999, he fell, broke his hip, and died from complications during treatment for it. Hruska was married to Victoria Kuncl Hruska. They had three children: Jana, Quenton and Roman, Jr.
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