Sidney R. Yates

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Sidney Richard Yates (August 27, 1909 – October 5, 2000) was a politician from the state of Illinois.

Yates was born in Chicago, Illinois and he graduated from the University of Chicago. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. From 1949 to 1963 and 1965 to 1999, Yates served in the House of Representatives as a Democrat. Although the boundaries of his district changed over the years it was invariably centered on the lakefront wards of Chicago.

Yates was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate in 1962 against Republican incumbent and Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen. He briefly served at the U.N. before returning to the House after the 1964 election. Yates served on the Appropriations Committee throughout his career and chaired the Interior Subcommittee from 1975-1995. On this committee he supported environmental programs and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Yates remained on good terms with liberal reformers and machine politicians in Chicago throughout his career. He also served on the Foreign Operations subcommittee and was a strong advocate of American support for Israel. He worked hand-in-hand with his chief of staff, Mary Bain, to preserve federal funding for the arts and for Natural Heritage Preservation programs, and to establish the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest person ever to serve in the House.