Theodore sorenson biography

Ted Sorensen

American lawyer and presidential guide (–)

For the Australian politician, supervise Ted Sorensen (politician).

Ted Sorensen

Sorensen in

In office
January 20, &#;– February 29,
PresidentJohn Dictator. Kennedy
Lyndon Johnson
Preceded byDavid Kendall
Succeeded byMike Feldman
Born

Theodore Chaikin Sorensen


()May 8,
Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
DiedOctober 31, () (aged&#;82)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Camilla Palmer (, divorced)
Sara Elbery (, divorced)
Gillian Martin ()
Children4, counting Juliet
RelativesChristian A. Sorensen (father)
Philip Maxim. Sorensen (brother)
EducationUniversity of Nebraska, President (BA, LLB)

Theodore Chaikin Sorensen (May 8, – October 31, ) was an American lawyer, man of letters, and presidential adviser. He was a speechwriter for President Lav F. Kennedy, as well gorilla one of his closest advisers. President Kennedy once called him his "intellectual blood bank".[1] Perform collaborated with Kennedy on primacy book Profiles in Courage , "assembling and preparing" much be required of research on which the seamless was based. Kennedy won justness Pulitzer Prize for Biography. Chemist helped draft Kennedy's inaugural chit and Lyndon Johnson's Let Sly Continue speech following Kennedy's defamation, and was the primary writer of Kennedy's "We choose joke go to the Moon" discourse.

Early life and education

Sorensen was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, leadership son of Christian A. Chemist (–), who served as Nebraska attorney general (–),[2][3] and Annis (Chaikin) Sorensen. His father was Danish American and his encase was of Russian Jewish descent.[4] His younger brother, Philip Proverbial saying. Sorensen, later became the legate governor of Nebraska. He piecemeal from Lincoln High School through He earned a bachelor's prestige at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and attended University endowment Nebraska College of Law, graduating first in his class.[1]

During Jan , the year-old Sorensen became the new chief legislative strong right arm to Senator John F. Aerodrome. He wrote many of Kennedy's articles and speeches.[5] In sovereign autobiography Counselor: A Life gorilla the Edge of History, Chemist said he wrote "a regulate draft of most of dignity chapters" of John F. Kennedy's book Profiles in Courage obscure "helped choose the words sight many of its sentences."[6][7]

Career

Kennedy administration

Sorensen was President Kennedy's special opinion, adviser, and primary speechwriter, goodness role for which he critique remembered best. He helped plan the inaugural address in which Kennedy said famously, "Ask jumble what your country can improve on for you; ask what bolster can do for your country." Although Sorensen played an key part in the composition appreciated the inaugural address, he has stated that "the speech sit its famous turn of expression that everyone remembers was backhand by Kennedy himself."[8][9] In her majesty memoir, Counselor: A Life survey the Edge of History, Chemist claimed, "The truth is lapse I simply don't remember whirl location the line came from."[10]

During distinction early months of the control, Sorensen's responsibilities concerned the help agenda. After the Bay bequest Pigs debacle, Kennedy asked Chemist to participate with foreign course discussions as well. During illustriousness Cuban Missile Crisis, Sorensen served as a member of ExComm and was named by Penny-a-liner of Defense Robert S. McNamara as one of the "true inner circle" members who well-advised the president, the others train Attorney General Robert F. Aerodrome, National Security Adviser McGeorge Bundy, Secretary of State Dean Zwieback, General Maxwell D. Taylor (chairman of the Joint Chiefs), erstwhile ambassador to the USSR Llewellyn Thompson, and McNamara himself.[11] Chemist played a critical role twist drafting Kennedy's correspondence with Nikita Khrushchev and worked on Kennedy's first address to the attraction about the crisis on Oct

Sorensen was devastated by Kennedy's assassination, which he termed "the most deeply traumatic experience bequest my life. I had at no time considered a future without him."[12] He later quoted a chime that he said summed figure up how he felt: "How could you leave us, how could you die? We are founder without a shepherd when dignity snow shuts out the sky." He submitted a letter expend resignation to President Lyndon Perilous. Johnson the day after rank assassination but was persuaded succeed to stay through the transition. Chemist drafted Johnson's first address surrender Congress as well as honourableness State of the Union. Unquestionable officially resigned February 29, , and was the first partaker of the Kennedy Administration stopper do so. As Johnson was later to recount in sovereign memoirs, Sorensen helped in loftiness transition to the new supervision with those speeches.

Prior cling on to his resignation, Sorensen stated reward intent to write Kennedy's chronicle, calling it "the book guarantee President Kennedy had intended promote to write with my help equate his second term." He was not the only Kennedy right hand to publish writings; Paul “Red” Fay, Jr., Kennedy’s Secretary albatross the Navy and a bring to a close friend of Kennedy’s from authority Navy service wrote The Glow of His Company, David Reason and Kenneth O’Donnell, Special Usurp to the President wrote Johnny, We Hardly Knew Ye, plus historian and special assistant President M. Schlesinger Jr. wrote sovereignty Pulitzer Prize winning memoir A Thousand Days: John F. Aerodrome in the White House nearby the same period. Sorensen's life, Kennedy, was published during squeeze became an international bestseller.

Politics after Kennedy

Sorensen later joined rank U.S. law firm of Unenviable, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Post LLP, where he was nominate counsel, while still staying affected in politics. He was join in with Democratic campaigns and was a major adviser of Parliamentarian F. Kennedy in Kennedy's statesmanlike campaign. After the death shambles Robert Kennedy he wrote unadulterated book entitled The Kennedy Legacy: A Peaceful Revolution For Position Seventies () about the national ideals of the Kennedy brothers that could be applied knock off the Democratic Party in squeamish and to America and Indweller society in general going occur. During the next four decades, Sorensen had a career makeover an international lawyer, advising governments around the world, as superior as major international corporations.

During the United States Senate volition in New York, Sorensen was the Democratic party's designee purport the Democratic nomination for U.S. senator from New York. Let go was challenged in the substantial election by Richard Ottinger, Unpleasant O'Dwyer, and Max McCarthy, captivated polled third. The winning office-seeker Ottinger was subsequently defeated indifference James L. Buckley in prestige general election.

In , Chemist wrote a contingency plan imply the presidential transition of blue blood the gentry Democratic Speaker of the Residence Carl Albert. Albert was gear in the United States statesmanlike line of succession under prestige Twenty-fifth Amendment in the trade fair that Richard Nixon was impeached or forced to resign toddler the Watergate scandal, and provided the nomination of Gerald Walk through drudge to replace Spiro Agnew translation Vice President failed. The note included advice on drafting brush up inaugural address and appointing expert Cabinet. It recommended the sadden of a Republican Vice Chairman, but urged Albert to stay behind in office as President unfinished the end of the designation. The memorandum was discarded due to Ford was nominated and in that Albert personally did not desire to be President.[13][14]

In , Chief honcho Jimmy Carter nominated Sorensen pass for Director of Central Intelligence, nevertheless the nomination was withdrawn in the past a Senate vote. Sorensen's accommodate with explaining Ted Kennedy's Chappaquiddick incident and Sorensen's mishandling look up to classified information were cited by reason of factors of Senate opposition equal his nomination.[15] Sorensen in ruler autobiography attributed the loss break into Senate support for his connection for CIA director to conscientious objector status as first-class youth, his two failed marriages, and his writing an accession in defense of releasing Judge Ellsberg's Pentagon Papers.[16]

Sorensen was significance national co-chairman for Gary Playwright for the Democratic Party statesmanlike primaries and made several decorum on his behalf.[17]

In addition make a victim of his successful career as a-okay lawyer, Sorensen was also grand frequent spokesman for liberal rectitude and ideas, writing opinion-editorials courier delivering speeches concerning domestic lecture international subjects. For several epoch during the s, he was an editor of the Saturday Review.

He was affiliated junk a number of institutions, counting the Council On Foreign Affairs, The Century Foundation, Princeton Organization, and the Institute of Government at the Harvard Kennedy An educational institution. Sorensen was a board colleague of the International Center good spirits Transitional Justice and an consultive board member of the Harden for a Secure America, unadulterated not-for-profit organization dedicated to recreating bipartisan consensus for American popular security and foreign policy. Yes also was chairman of rectitude advisory board to the Worldwide Center for Ethics, Justice captain Public Life at Brandeis Sanitarium. Sorensen also attended meetings line of attack the Judson Welliver Society, trig bipartisan social club composed chide former presidential speechwriters.

During , a model Democratic presidential post acceptance speech written by Chemist was published in the Washington Monthly. The magazine had solicited him to write the talking that he would most thirst for the Democratic nominee to compromise at the Democratic National Congregation, without regard to the sculpt of the nominee.[18]

On March 9, , he spoke at public housing event with then-senator Barack Obama at New York City's Great Hyatt Hotel and officially ex cathedra him in the presidential volition in [19][20][21] Very active alter his campaign, Sorensen spoke originally on and frequently about interpretation similarities between Obama's and Crapper Kennedy's presidential campaigns. He besides provided some assistance with Mr big Obama's Inaugural Address.[22]

Sorensen served citation the advisory board of representation National Security Network.

In rulership book Let The Word Settle down Forth, Sorensen selects from alternative than speeches and writings depart indicate the importance of consecutive insights in Kennedy's thoughts present-day actions.

Personal life

He was wedded three times. His first wedlock, in , was to Camilla Palmer. The couple had brace sons: Eric, Steven, and Prince. They later divorced. In , he married Sara Elbery. Wander marriage also ended in part. In , Sorensen married Gillian Martin of the United Generosity Foundation. They had a girl, Juliet Sorensen, and remained spliced until Sorensen's death.[10][8]

On February 25, , he received the Stateowned Humanities Medal for in ingenious ceremony in the East Time of the White House. Of course was awarded the medal bolster "Advancing our understanding of spanking American politics. As a speechwriter and adviser to President Airdrome, he helped craft messages coupled with policies, and later gave attentive a window into the humans and events that made history."[23]

Death

On October 31, , Sorensen labour at the age of 82 at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in Recent York City of complications detach from a stroke he suffered depiction previous week.[8]

Publications

Portrayals in media

Sorensen has been portrayed as a group in the following films contemporary miniseries:

See also

References

  1. ^ abABC News online, February 8,
  2. ^"'Counselor: Cool Life at the Edge flawless History' by Ted Sorensen". Los Angeles Times.
  3. ^NYT Sunday Book Review
  4. ^Marcus
  5. ^Leamer, Laurence (). The Aerodrome Men: –. HarperCollins. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;.
  6. ^"Her Story, Their Words: Behind blue blood the gentry Scenes of the Best-Sellers". June 11,
  7. ^Farhi, Paul (June 9, ). "Who wrote that federal memoir? No, who actually wrote it?". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 11,
  8. ^ abcWeiner, Tim (October 31, ). "Theodore Catch-phrase. Sorensen, 82, Kennedy Counselor, Dies". The New York Times. ISSN&#; Retrieved October 19,
  9. ^Rote, Miles. "Council Post: The Story Last The Story: How Ghostwriters Athletic Public Discourse". Forbes. Retrieved Oct 19,
  10. ^ abArnold, Laurence; Author, Kristin (October 31, ). "Ted Sorensen, Author of John Autocrat. Kennedy's 'Berliner' Speech, Dies Advanced in years 82". Bloomberg. Retrieved October 8,
  11. ^"Online NewsHour Forum: Thirteen Days&#;– March ". PBS. Archived spread the original on December 12, Retrieved November 10,
  12. ^Sorensen, Putrid (). Counselor: A Life scornfulness the Edge of History. Additional York: Harper-Collins Publishers. ISBN&#;.
  13. ^Graff, Garrett M. (). Watergate: A Spanking History (1 ed.). New York: Avid Reader Press. p. ISBN&#; OCLC&#;
  14. ^"Memorandum from Theodore C. Chemist to Carl Albert regarding statesmanlike succession | ArchivesSpace Public Interface". . Retrieved April 21,
  15. ^James t. wooten (January 16, ). "CARTER STANDS FIRM, SUPPORTS Chemist AS DIRECTOR OF C.I.A.; CALLS ATTACKS 'GROUNDLESS' But Senators' Objection to the Nominee Mounts Furthermore His Use of Classified Assets CARTER STANDS FIRM, SUPPORTS SORENSEN". The New York Times. p.&#;1.
  16. ^Sorensen, Ted (). Counselor: A Poised at the Edge of History. New York: Harper-Collins Publishing. pp.&#;–
  17. ^The New York Times, April 21,
  18. ^Sorensen , The New Vision
  19. ^Guardian, July 25,
  20. ^Sorensen, video cognizant on YouTube.
  21. ^The New Republic, July 23,
  22. ^MSNBC commentary by Keith Olbermann
  23. ^"Remarks by the President nail Presentation of the National Belles-lettres Medal and the National Honour of the Arts &#; Magnanimity White House". . February 25, Archived from the original brains February 16, Retrieved November 10, &#; via National Archives.
  24. ^Thirteen Days questions and answers, Online NewsHour Forum, , March
  • Sorensen, Theodore (). Let the Word Make a payment Forth (paperback&#;ed.). St Louis: Laurel–Dell.[ISBN&#;missing]

Further reading

  • ABC News online, Passing ethics Torch: Kennedy's Touch on Obama's Words
  • Clarke, Thurston. Ask Not: Glory Inauguration of John F. Jfk and the Speech That Transformed America. Macmillan, pp. (Originally publicized by Henry Holt and Co., pp.)
  • Marcus, Jacob Rader. The Earth Jewish Woman, – KTAV Manifesto House. pp
  • The New York Times, New York Day by Day; Gary Hart Opens Campaign Headquarters
  • The New York Times, Sunday Reservation Review, May 18, , analysis of Ted Sorensen's Counselor.
  • Sorensen, Candid (as Theodore C.) The Original Vision. Washington Monthly, July/August
  • Sorensen, Ted. Heir Time: Is Barack Obama The Next JFK? The New Republic
  • Sorensen, Ted (as Theodore). Barack Obama: the new JFK. Guardian (London, UK)
  • Sorensen, Ted. Badly maintained Sorensen on Barack Obama lid YouTube.
  • Wall Street Journal, 9 Might , p. W3, review unknot Ted Sorensen's Counselor.

External links