Jesse Helms

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Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr., (born October 18, 1921) is a former five-term Republican U.S. Senator from North Carolina and a former Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. On April 2, 2006, Helms's wife of 63 years, Dorothy Jane "Dot" Coble Helms, announced that he is afflicted with dementia and had been moved to a convalescent facility near their Raleigh home. Mrs. Helms said that she visits him daily, and that he has some moments of lucidity. Helms made his last public appearance in September 2005.

1 Family and education
2 Early career
3 Senate career
4 Since retirement
5 External links

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Family and education

Helms was born in Monroe, North Carolina, where his father, called "Big Jesse," served as chief of police. Jesse and Dot Helms are the parents of three children: Jane (Mrs. Charles R. Knox), Nancy (Mrs. Randy Griggs) of Raleigh, and Charles Helms of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.They have seven grandchildren.

Helms attended Wingate (NC) Junior College (now Wingate University) and Wake Forest College but did not graduate. He also holds honorary Doctor of Law degrees from many universities including: Bob Jones University, Grove City College, Campbell University, and Wingate University.

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Early career

Helms's first full time job out of college was as a sports reporter with The News & Observer of Raleigh, North Carolina. Here he met Dorothy Coble, who was the News & Observer's society reporter. They married in 1942. During World War II, Helms served stateside as a recruiter in the United States Navy. After the war, he pursued his twin interests, journalism and politics (at this time, within the Democratic Party). Helms became the city news editor of the Raleigh Times and would later move on to radio and television.

Helms began his career in politics as an unofficial researcher for conservative Democrat Willis Smith, who ran for the U.S. Senate in 1950. After the election, Senator Smith hired Helms to be his administrative assistant in Washington, DC. In 1952, Helms worked on the presidential campaign of Senator Richard B. Russell, Jr., of Georgia, who was seeking the Democratic nomination.

From 1953 through 1960, Helms was executive director of the North Carolina Bankers Association. He went on to become the executive vice-president, vice chairman of the board and assistant chief executive officer of Raleigh-based Capitol Broadcasting Company, from 1960 until his election to the Senate. Meanwhile, Helms won a seat on the nonpartisan Raleigh City Council in 1957, serving for four years.

Helms became famous as a conservative commentator through his daily editorials, arousing the ire of many blacks and others on Capitol Broadcasting Company's WRAL-TV and the Tobacco Radio Network. His editorials were broadcast by more than 70 radio stations in North Carolina and were reprinted regularly in more than 200 newspapers throughout the United States. These editorials are often cited as proof that Helms is "prejudiced." For example, in one he calls the University of North Carolina the "University of Negroes and Communists."

Helms worked on the unsuccessful 1960 Democratic gubernatorial campaign of I. Beverly Lake, Sr. In 1970, Helms left the Democratic Party to become a Republican.

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Senate career

In 1972, Helms announced his candidacy for a seat in the United States Senate. He won the Republican primary with 60.1 percent of the vote and eliminated two intraparty opponents. Meanwhile, the Democrats retired the ailing Senator B. Everett Jordan, who lost his primary, 55.3 percent to 44.6 percent, to Congressman Nick Galifianakis of Durham. Benefiting from Richard Nixon's landslide re-election, Helms became the first Republican elected to the U.S. Senate from North Carolina in the 20th century. Galifianakis' name may have worked against his candidacy, but Helms pinned the "liberal" label on him. Helms polled 795,248 (54 percent) to Galifianakis' 677,293 (46 percent).

In 1978, Helms successfully defended his seat against state Insurance Commissioner John Ingram in a low-turnout off-year election. Helms received 619,151 votes (54.5 percent) to Ingram's 516,663 (45.5 percent). In 1984, in one of the most expensive contests in North Carolina history, Helms narrowly defeated Governor Jim Hunt, thanks in part to (then-President) Ronald Reagan's support and status. Helms polled 1,156,768 (51.7 percent) to Hunt's 1,070,488 (47.8 percent). In 1990 and in 1996, Helms won against Harvey Gantt, a black man who had been mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, thanks to a late-running ad in the 1990 campaign, which challenged the merits of unpopular affirmative action programs. Helms obtained 1,087,331 votes (52.5 percent) to Gantt's 981,573 (47.4 percent). In his victory statement, the jovial Helms poked fun at the major North Carolina newspapers for their unhappiness over his victory. "There's no joy in Mudville tonight," Helms quipped, citing a line from "Casey at the Bat," to the cheers of his supporters, including the then Charlotte, North Carolina, Mayor and later Congresswoman Sue Myrick.

In 1996, Helms drew 1,345,833 (52.6 percent) to Gantt's 1,173,875 (45.9 percent). Helms never won more than 54.5 percent of the vote. Though his last election marked his greatest total vote, it was the 1984 victory over Governor Hunt that was the most stunning. At the time, Hunt had served two terms, and he would later serve two more, making him one of a handful of U.S. governors to have served 16 years. Hunt and Helms's original colleague, Senator Sam Ervin, were the strongest North Carolina Democrats of the second half of the 20th century. Helms was the most successful Republican politician in modern North Carolina history and in the do-or-die struggle with Hunt, Helms prevailed, much to the consternation of his opponents in North Carolina and nationwide. Though Helms was particularly popular among older, conservative constituents and was considered an "Old South" politician, he often spoke of going out of his way to listen to young people who visited in his office or in the Capitol.

As a senator, Helms became one of the leaders of the increasingly influential conservative movement within the Republican Party, giving Ronald Reagan crucial support in 1976 in the pivotal North Carolina GOP primary that paved the way for Reagan's presidential election in 1980. While representing North Carolina in Washington for 30 years, Helms was known for his constituent services. A consistent champion for North Carolina industry, Helms fought to protect declining industries such as tobacco and textiles and was an ally of growth industries, such as banking and pharmaceuticals.

Helms became chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee in the 1980s. He was also an advocate of the tobacco industry in Congress since much of the North Carolina economy relies on tobacco. Tobacco companies such as RJ Reynolds and Philip Morris have supported him, including giving generously to his Jesse Helms Center at Wingate University. When Republicans regained control of Congress after the 1994 elections, Helms became chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In that role, he pushed for reform of the United Nations and blocked payment of U.N. dues by the United States. Particularly as he gained seniority and clout, Helms became known as "Senator No" because he would obstruct a variety of Democratic bills and presidential appointments.

In 1994, Helms created a sensation when he told broadcasters Rowland Evans, Jr., and Robert Novak that President Bill Clinton was "not up" to the tasks of being commander-in-chief and suggested that Clinton "better not show up around here {Fort Bragg} without a bodyguard", on the anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination. [1]

Helms opposed the Martin Luther King holiday bill in 1983 on grounds that King had two associates with communist ties. He was condemned by many for his habit of calling all black people "Fred." Though popular with the capitol staff, Helms once irritated a colleague, Democratic Senator Carol Moseley-Braun of Illinois, by singing part of "Dixie" on a capitol elevator. Helms's seemingly nostalgic remembrances of segregation also led many to call him a racist. Even the sympathetic conservative magazine National Review admitted he was prejudiced against blacks. He did, however, hire Claude Allen, who is black, as his press secretary.

In 1998, Helms was the subject of Dear Jesse, a feature-length documentary by Tim Kirkman that examines the similarities and differences between the filmmaker and the Senator. With the 1996 Helms-Gantt senate campaign as the backdrop, Dear Jesse is a filmed "letter" to the senator from the openly gay filmmaker, and features interviews with writers, activists, artists, politicians and citizens across the state about Helms's legacy, particularly with regard to his stances on the arts, AIDS funding and GLBT rights. Like Helms, Kirkman was born in Monroe, North Carolina. Dear Jesse was nominated for Emmy, GLAAD, and Independent Spirit Awards.

Helms, who has had recurring health problems, including heart disease, did not seek re-election in 2002. His Senate seat was won by Elizabeth Dole, the former Cabinet secretary and wife of his long-time colleague, former Senator Bob Dole. Helms remains to date the longest-serving popularly elected U.S. senator in North Carolina history.

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Since retirement

Since retiring from the Senate in 2003, Helms has been in poor health. In September 2005, Random House published his memoir Here's Where I Stand. Helms has also been recruited by pop star Bono in recent charity work. In 2004, he spoke out for the election of Republican Congressman Richard Burr, who, like Elizabeth Dole two years earlier, defeated the Democrat Erskine Bowles to win the North Carolina Senate seat. In April 2006 news reports disclosed he had vascular dementia -- which leads to failing memory and cognitive function, as well as a number of physical difficulties. He has since been moved into a convalescent center near his home. His wife was quoted to say that "he has his good days and his bad days. He still sees friends. Company is good for him. He is still signing books. But he is not able to conduct any business or make any speeches."<ref>http://www.newsobserver.com/114/story/424539.html</ref>

There has been a void in leadership in the conservative movement in North Carolina, especially since Helms retired," said former Raleigh Mayor Tom Fetzer, a Helms ally. "We need a new generation of conservative leaders to come forward and accept the mantle."

As if if to capture the old Jesse Helms magic, a conservatie conference was held near Research Triangle Park on April 7-8, 2006. The conference held one panel discussion called "Helms's Principles," in which former aides recalled anecdotes about the man who helped build his state's modern Republican Party. Republicans argue that Democrats maintain their power in North Carolina by controlling the redistricting process and thus creating Democrat-friendly districts and obtaining the lion's share of political contributions from business. http://www.newsobserver.com/114/story/427034.html

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