Roman Hruska

Hruska was born in David City, Nebraska, one of 11 children of Czech immigrant parents. In 1917, his family moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where he graduated from high school. He attended the University of Omaha (now University of Nebraska–Omaha) and the University of Chicago Law School and graduated from the Creighton University School of Law in 1929. He returned to Omaha to practice law.[1]

In 1944, Hruska first entered politics when he accepted a seat on the Douglas County, Nebraska, Board of Commissioners in place of a friend who recently resigned. He served as a regular member from 1944 to 1945 and as chair from 1945 to 1952.[1] During his time on the board of commissioners, Hruska also sat on the advisory committee of the Nebraska Board of Control from 1947 to 1952.[2] He was president of the Nebraska Association of County Officials from 1950 to 1951 and vice president of the National Association of County Officials from 1951 to 1952.[2]

Hruska was elected to the United States House of Representatives from the Omaha-dominated second district of Nebraska in 1952. He served only part of one term, as he ran for a United States Senate seat in 1954, which was vacated by the death of Hugh Butler.[1] Hruska won, and was reelected in 1958, 1964 and 1970 and served in the Senate until his retirement in 1976. His opponent in 1958 and 1970 was Frank B. Morrison. Hruska did not run for reelection to a fourth full term.

Even after Nixon resigned, Hruska defended him and claimed Watergate only became a scandal as part of a partisan effort to attack Nixon.[3]

Hruska became an influential member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee. Hruska voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957,[4] 1960,[5] 1964,[6] and 1968,[7] as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,[8] the Voting Rights Act of 1965,[9] and the confirmation of Thurgood Marshall to the U.S. Supreme Court.[9][10] Though Congress was controlled by Democrats for his entire time in the Senate, he was known as a skillful legislator, and was said to have influenced much of the federal criminal justice system's changes during his era. He was the ranking minority member of the Judiciary Committee at the time of his retirement.

On October 10, 1978, President Carter signed into law a bill which renamed the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) located in Clay County, Nebraska, after former Senator Roman L. Hruska. The Roman L. Hruska Federal Courthouse in Omaha is also named in his honor.

Hruska moved back to Omaha in 1976, and lived there until his death. On April 10, 1999, he fell, broke his hip, and died fifteen days later from complications during treatment. He was buried in Bohemian Cemetery in Omaha.

Hruska was married to Victoria Kuncl Hruska. They had three children: Jana, Quentin and Roman, Jr.