| Robert J. Dole, born this day in 1923 in Russell, Kansas, was a U.S. senator (1968–96), Republican congressional leader, and his party's candidate for the presidency in 1996. A veteran of World War II and a prosecuting attorney, he served four terms in the House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate, where he became leader of his party in 1984 and twice served as majority leader (1984–86; 1994–96). He was selected by President Gerald R. Ford as the vice presidential candidate in the 1976 election, and after their defeat he unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination in 1980 and 1988 before heading the party's ticket in 1996. |