Laird, Melvin Robert, Jr.
(1 Sept. 1922–16 Nov. 2016)
- Edward A. Goedeken
Extract
Laird, Melvin Robert, Jr. (1 Sept. 1922–16 Nov. 2016), congressman and secretary of defense, was born in Omaha, Nebraska, the son of Melvin R. Laird and Helen Connor Laird. Laird’s father was a clergyman and businessman, who also served as a Wisconsin State senator. His mother was a member of the University of Wisconsin board of regents and a Republican delegate to the ...