Gale W. McGee

Gale William McGee (March 17, 1915 – April 9, 1992) was an American politician, diplomat and historian who was a United States senator from Wyoming from 1959 to 1977, and United States ambassador to the Organization of American States (OAS).^[1] To date, he remains the last Democrat to have represented Wyoming in the U.S. Senate.

Gale W. McGee
United States Senator from Wyoming
In office January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1977
Preceded by	Frank A. Barrett
Succeeded by	Malcolm Wallop
9th United States Ambassador to the Organization of American States
In office March 30, 1977 – July 1, 1981
President	Jimmy Carter Ronald Reagan
Preceded by	William S. Mailliard
Succeeded by	J. William Middendorf
Personal details
Born	Gale William McGee (1915-03-17)March 17, 1915 Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
Died	April 9, 1992(1992-04-09) (aged 77) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting place	Oak Hill Cemetery Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Loraine Baker McGee ​ (m. 1939)​
Children	4
Education	State Teachers College (BA) University of Colorado (MA) University of Chicago (PhD)

Early life

McGee was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on March 17, 1915. He attended public schools and had planned to study law in college but was forced by the Great Depression to attend the State Teachers College in Wayne, Nebraska, instead. He graduated from the Teachers College in 1936 and worked as a high school teacher while studying for a master's degree in history at the University of Colorado. He continued as a college instructor at Nebraska Wesleyan University, Iowa State College, and Notre Dame. In 1946, McGee received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Chicago.^[2]

University of Wyoming

Shortly after receiving his Ph.D., McGee accepted a position as a professor of American history at the University of Wyoming. He founded and served as chair of the university's Institute of International Affairs, which brought national dignitaries to the university every summer through a grant from the Carnegie Foundation. Each summer, 21 teachers from Wyoming high schools were selected to participate. Over the next 12 years, the Institute hosted prominent policy thinkers such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Hans Morgenthau, and Henry Kissinger.^[2]

Textbook controversy

In 1947, University of Wyoming trustees, influenced by concerns raised at a Michigan conference, initiated a "Red Scare" textbook review,^[3] suspecting subversive content in school libraries. UW President George Duke Humphrey assembled a faculty panel. Professor McGee, lacking tenure, openly criticized the board's action as jeopardizing academic freedom and faced attempts by a board member to dismiss him. Ultimately, trustees Milward Simpson and Tracy McCraken opposed McGee's firing, advocating for free expression. The review found no un-American content, ending the controversy, though McGee endured social backlash and accusations of communism.^[4][5][6]

Active in Democratic Party politics, McGee was asked to run for the United States Congress in 1950,^[7] but declined, saying he wanted to get more in touch with Wyoming and its people.^[8]

Sabbaticals

In 1952, McGee's journey toward internationalism was profoundly shaped when he took a one-year leave of absence from the University of Wyoming to serve as a Carnegie Research Fellow in New York with the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).^[9] The period coincided with Stalin's death, leading McGee to reassess strategies toward the Soviet Union. During his fellowship, he interacted with influential figures such as Allen Dulles, John Foster Dulles, Dean Rusk, and John J. McCloy, which deepened his understanding of foreign policy. Additionally, his connections with prominent leaders like Richard Nixon, Adlai Stevenson II, Cyrus Vance and Henry Kissinger further shaped his views.^[2]

In 1955, McGee took another leave to work as a legislative assistant for Senator Joseph C. O'Mahoney in Washington, DC.^[10] This role allowed him to conduct research on legislative issues and explore auge his interest in a political career. O'Mahoney, connected to Senators Lyndon Johnson and John F. Kennedy, particularly in Wyoming's oil industry, recognized McGee's potential. McGee also established relationships with Sens. William Fulbright, Russell Long, and John Stennis. His rapport with Stennis helped McGee navigate his relationship with University President Humphrey, who knew Stennis when Humphrey lead the Mississippi State University.^[11][12]