Timeline of William V. Roth, Jr.'s Life
July 21, 1921 William Victor Roth, Jr. (WVR), born in Great Falls, Montana 1939 WVR graduated from Helena High School 1943 Graduated from the University of Oregon; enlisted in U.S. Army June 6, 1944 Received orders overseas January 22, 1945 WVR is promoted to captain in U.S. Army September 17, 1945 Awarded the Bronze Star 1946 Discharged from the U.S. Army 1947 Graduated from Harvard University with MBA 1949 Graduated from Harvard University with law degree 1949 Became lawyer for Hercules Chemical Company in Virginia 1950 Admitted to the California State Bar 1951 Mrs. William V. Roth, Sr. (Clara Nelson), dies 1952-1954 Chairman and president of the Sixth District Young Republican Federation of Virginia 1955 WVR named senior legal counsel and was transferred to the headquarters of the Hercules Chemical Company in Wilmington, Delaware 1956 Elected Chairman of the Delaware Young Republicans 1958 Admitted to the Delaware State Bar 1960 Unsuccessfully ran for lieutenant governor of Delaware 1961 Elected chairman of the Republican State Committee of Delaware 1965 Delaware chairman of the 1965 multiple sclerosis fundraising campaign 1965 WVR marries Jane Richards November 8, 1966 Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives October 1966 Son William V. “Bud” Roth III is born 1967 Sworn in as congressman-at-large for Delaware 1967 Member of the House Republican Committee on Western Alliances that honored former President Dwight D. Eisenhower 1968 Compiled a comprehensive list of Federal domestic assistance programs. The Roth Catalog was published in the Congressional Record. This was updated yearly by the General Accounting Office as the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 1968 Reelected to U.S. House of Representatives 1969-2000 Bill Roth Youth Leadership Conference August 1969 Daughter Katharine K. Roth is born 1970 Introduced the Program Information Act 1970 Won the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Senator John J. Williams. Senator Williams left office one day early giving Senator Roth seniority 1973 Vietnam War ends 1973 Vice President Spiro Agnew resigns, WVR suggests former Senator John J. Williams for Vice President 1974 President Richard M. Nixon resigns, Vice President Gerald R. Ford assumes presidency 1976 Reelected to the U.S. Senate 1977 William V. Roth, Sr., dies, age 93 1978 Roth-Kemp Tax Reduction Act 1979 Roth-Kemp Tax Cuts II 1979 Co-founded the Save-Our-Bucks Taskforce (SOBs)
1980 Named chairman of the 1980 Republican National Convention’s platform subcommittee on economic policy May 16, 1980 Dedication of the J. Caleb Boggs Federal Building in Wilmington, Delaware 1981-1986 Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Government Affairs Committee 1981-1986 Chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee 1982 AT&T anti-trust lawsuit 1982 Elected to a third term in the U.S. Senate 1985 Wife Jane Richards Roth becomes judge of the U.S. Third Circuit Court January 29, 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster 1986 Introduced the Child Sexual Abuse and Pornography Act 1987 Introduced the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness Act 1987 Nomination of Robert Bork to the U.S. Supreme Court 1988 Cosponsored the Ocean Dumping Reform Act 1988 Elected to a fourth term in the U.S. Senate 1988 Sponsored the Ban on Plastic Guns bill 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill 1989 Introduced the Deceptive Mailings Prevention Act 1989 Introduced the Save America Tax Act 1989 Introduced the Videotapes in Nursing Homes Act 1989 Whistleblower Protection Act 1989 WVR awarded the Ansel Adams Award 1990 Introduced the Peace Dividend Act 1990 Introduced the Older Worker Benefit Protection Act 1990 Introduced the Base Conversion, Community Development, and Worker Opportunity Act 1991 The Savings and Investment Incentive Act 1991 Co-sponsored a senate resolution with Senator Al Gore, Jr., designating April 22 as Earth Day 1991 North American Free Trade Agreement Worker Adjustment Assistance Act 1991 Sponsored the Department of Defense Acquisition Reorganization Act 1991 Senate Resolution to form the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF) 1991 Bentsen-Roth Super IRA 1992 Sponsored the Mike Mansfield Fellowship Act 1992 American Automobile Labeling Act 1993 Introduced legislation to create a cabinet-level post for the Environmental Protection Agency 1993 Sponsored the Real Jobs for America Act 1993 Goals 2000: Educate America Act 1993 Sponsored the Professional Boxing Corporation Act 1994 Reelected to the U.S. Senate 1994 Sponsored the Savings and Investment Act 1995 Chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee 1995 Bob Packwood resigns as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee 1995-2000 Roth chairman of the Senate Finance Committee 1997 Roth IRA passed into law 1997 Senate Finance Committee hearing on China Most Favored Nation trade status 1997 WVR elected president of North Atlantic Assembly, the parliamentary arm of NATO 1997 NATO Enlargement 1997-1998 Senate Finance Committee hearings on IRS investigation 1998 IRS Reform and Restructuring Act 1998-1999 Impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton 1999 Roth wrote The Power to Destroy
1999 50th
NATO Summit in Washington, D.C.
1999 Sponsored the Dog and Cat Protection Act 1999 Sponsored the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Wilderness Act 2000 Defeated in his bid for a sixth term in the U.S. Senate 2001 WVR donates congressional papers to the Historical Society of Delaware September 6, 2001 WVR and former President George H. W. Bush host a gala event at the Historical Society of Delaware to raise funds to preserve the congressional papers of William V. Roth, Jr. December 13, 2003 Following a brief illness, William V. Roth, Jr., dies suddenly in Washington, D.C. |
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