- In full:
- Daniel Ken Inouye
- Died:
- December 17, 2012, Bethesda, Maryland (aged 88)
- Political Affiliation:
- Democratic Party
- Awards And Honors:
- Presidential Medal of Freedom (2013)
- Medal of Honor (2000)
Daniel Inouye
-
Who was Daniel Inouye?
Daniel Inouye (1924–2012) was a prominent American politician from Hawaii. He was the first Japanese American to serve as a U.S. representative (1959–63) and later as a U.S. senator (1963–2012).
A decorated World War II veteran, Inouye served with the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, composed of Nisei soldiers. He was seriously wounded in Italy in 1945, resulting in the amputation of his right arm. Inouye received the Distinguished Service Cross and other honors; later, President Bill Clinton awarded him the Medal of Honor in 2000 for his WWII service.
In the Senate, Inouye gained national attention through his involvement in the Watergate Committee and the Iran-Contra Affair investigation. He also chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee and served as president pro tempore of the Senate. In 2013, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What role did Daniel Inouye have in the United States government?
Daniel Inouye was a prominent figure in the United States government, serving as both the first U.S. Representative of Hawaii (1959–63) and a U.S. Senator (1963–2012). He was also the first Japanese American to serve in both houses of Congress.
During his time in the Senate, Inouye served on the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, also known as the Watergate Committee (1973–74). In 1976, he chaired the newly formed Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He also chaired the Senate Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition, which investigated the Iran-Contra Affair. From 1987 to 2005, he was chairman and vice chairman of the Select Committee on Indian Affairs. In 2009, he became chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and president pro tempore of the Senate in 2010.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Which state did Daniel Inouye represent as a senator?
Daniel Inouye, a Democratic politician, served as a U.S. Senator representing Hawaii. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives after Hawaii gained statehood in 1959 and then to the U.S. Senate in 1962, holding his seat until his death in 2012. Inouye was the first Japanese American to serve in both the House and Senate. During his time in the Senate, he became known for his advocacy and served on several prominent committees, including the Watergate Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What was significant about Daniel Inouye's military service?
Daniel Inouye's military service was significant for several reasons. After assisting victims of the Pearl Harbor attack, he joined the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, a unit comprised of Nisei (second-generation Japanese Americans). In 1945, he was seriously wounded in Italy, resulting in the amputation of his right arm. Inouye's military service earned him the Distinguished Service Cross and other honors. In 2000, he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Bill Clinton. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team was the most-decorated unit in U.S. military history for its size and length of service.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What were some important things Daniel Inouye worked on as a senator?
During his time as a U.S. Senator, Daniel Inouye, a Democratic politician and the first Japanese American to serve in both the House and Senate, became known for his mild demeanor while still strongly advocating for his positions.
Inouye gained national recognition through his service on the Watergate Committee (1973–74). In 1976, he took the lead as the first chairman of the newly formed Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Additionally, in 1987, Inouye chaired the Senate Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition, which investigated the Iran-Contra Affair. He also served as both chairman and vice chairman of the Select Committee on Indian Affairs from 1987 to 2005.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Daniel Inouye's life and career impact the United States and Hawaii?
Daniel Inouye, a Japanese American, significantly impacted both Hawaii and the United States through his political career. As Hawaii's first U.S. Representative (1959-63) and later as a U.S. Senator (1963-2012), he championed his state's interests at the national level. Inouye's service on the Watergate Committee and as chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence raised his national profile. He also headed the Senate Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition, which investigated the Iran-Contra Affair. Inouye's mild demeanor belied his tenacious advocacy, and he left a lasting legacy of leadership and dedication to public service.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Daniel Inouye (born September 7, 1924, Honolulu, Hawaii [U.S.]—died December 17, 2012, Bethesda, Maryland) was an American Democratic politician who was the first U.S. representative of Hawaii (1959–63) and who later served as a U.S. senator (1963–2012). He was the first Japanese American to serve in both bodies of Congress.
Inouye was born to working-class parents of Japanese ancestry. His father had moved to Hawaii as a child, and his mother was born there. Following the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Inouye, who was a Red Cross medical aide, assisted in caring for victims of the raid. Intending to become a surgeon, he enrolled in the premedical program at the University of Hawaii. However, he left in March 1943 to join the 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the U.S. Army, a unit composed solely of Nisei (second-generation Japanese Americans), and he eventually attained the rank of second lieutenant. Inouye was seriously wounded in Italy in 1945, and his injuries necessitated the amputation of his right arm. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and several other honours as well as a promotion to captain.
After nearly two years in an army hospital in Michigan, Inouye resumed his studies at the University of Hawaii, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in government and economics (1950). He then attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., receiving a law degree in 1952. Inouye subsequently returned to Honolulu and briefly practiced law before becoming the deputy public prosecutor for the city (1953–54). In 1954 he was elected to the Hawaii Territorial House of Representatives, where he served as the Democratic majority leader (1954–58). In 1958 he became a senator for the territory. After Hawaii’s accession to statehood in 1959, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Inouye was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962 and continued to win reelection into the 21st century.
During his tenure in the Senate, Inouye developed a reputation as a mild and genteel politician who nonetheless doggedly advocated for his positions. He first came to national prominence when serving on the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities (popularly known as the Watergate Committee; 1973–74), and in 1976 he was the first to helm the newly formed Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. In 1987 Inouye served as chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition, which investigated the Iran-Contra Affair. He was also variously chairman and vice chairman of the Select Committee on Indian Affairs (1987–2005).
In 2000 U.S. Pres. Bill Clinton awarded him the Medal of Honor for his service in World War II. In January 2009 Inouye was appointed chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee following the resignation of West Virginia Sen. Robert C. Byrd; he also replaced Byrd as president pro tempore of the Senate after Byrd’s death in 2010. In 2013 Inouye was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.