"Man of the Year" in St. Louis

The St. Louis Globe-Democrat has named as its Man of the Year an aggressive, independent-minded Congressman, who six times has beaten a Democratic majority in Missouri's Second District. The man receiving this honor for 1960 is Dartmouth Trustee Thomas B. Curtis '32 of St. Louis.

During the past four years he has been the only Republican from Missouri in either house of Congress, and as such he has kept in Missouri a semblance, though small, of two-party government. It has been the man and not the party which counted to the voters, according to The Globe-Democrat. The Second District, with its population of 600,000, is one of the largest in the United States.

The newspaper sized up Curtis' popularity this way: "Congressman Curtis has been able to win election after election for ten years, due to his fine record in Washington and his close personal attention to the needs of his constituents. Many people, who have not agreed with him, have nevertheless voted for him because of his hard-working, hard-fighting, realistic representation."

Last November, as Congressman Curtis sought a sixth term, there was speculation that he would never survive another election against an ever-increasing Democratic majority, but when the smoke of the political battle had cleared and the votes had been counted, he was on his way back to Washington with the largest majority in his career.

It was not until after World War II that Congressman Curtis became actively interested in politics. He returned from the war as a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy and rejoined the law firm now known as Biggs, Hensley, Curtis and Biggs in St. Louis. Outraged by the corruption of the big city political machines of the time, he joined the Republican party and took an active interest in civic affairs. From 1946 to 1950, the future Congressman was a member of the St. Louis County Republican Central Committee.

He was first fired with enthusiasm for public office during the Presidential primary of 1948 when he acted as campaign manager for Robert Taft in Missouri. In 1950 he ran for Congress from the old Twelfth District and won handily. Later the district was red rawn and became the Second.

Despite his busy schedule, Congressman Curtis has always stood ready to assist the College. In 1936, just one year after he received a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis, he was made a member of the Alumni Council. He was the youngest member on the Council at the time.

In 1951 he was again called upon by the College this time to fill an unexpired term as an Alumni Trustee. Congressman Curtis was elected to his first full five-year term as trustee in 1954 and was reelected for a second term in 1959. He currently represents the Trustees on the Board of Overseers of Tuck School.

Congressman Curtis does not stand alone in his love for the College, as far as his family is concerned, for three brothers have followed his footsteps: William S. Curtis '36, Ernest M. Curtis, Tuck '37, and James W. Curtis '42. The Congressman and his wife Susan have five children, ranging in age from 7 to 18.