Floyd Fithian

Early life education and career

Born and raised in Vesta, Johnson County, Nebraska, Fithian graduated from Vesta High School, in 1947. After graduating, Fithian joined the United States Navy in 1951, where earned the rank of a Lieutenant when he left in 1955. Fithian served in the United States Navy Reserve from 1955 to 1971, and later retired from with the rank of a Commander.

He attended Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in 1951 and was the first in his family to graduate from college. He also attended the University of Nebraska, where he received his Master of Arts in 1955, and his Ph.D. in American History in 1964. He taught at Nebraska Wesleyan University before, moving to Lafayette, Indiana in 1964 where he was an Associate Professor of History at Purdue University. During his time at Purdue, he managed and operated a small farm in Tippecanoe County.

United States House of Representatives

In 1972, Fithian ran for the United States House of Representatives, challenging Republican incumbent Congressman Earl Landgrebe to represent Indiana's 2nd congressional district. Fithian lost in the general with 91,533 votes (45.33%), to Landgrebe's 110,406 votes (54.67%). Fithian challenged Landgrebe to a rematch in 1974, running for the 94th United States Congress. Landgrebe who had been an ardent supporter of President Richard Nixon until the very end of his presidency, saw backlash from those in his district. Fithian won the general election in the Democratic landslide year of 1974, winning 61% of the vote, to Landgrebe's 38%. Fithian ran well district wide, but particularly in Tippecanoe County with the votes of Purdue students, faculty and staff providing a large margin in the county.

He was reelected to three more terms, serving from January 3, 1975, to January 3, 1983. Fithian defeated Republican Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, William W. Erwin in 1976. He won with 56% of the vote against Republican Jay Phillip Oppenheim, Independent candidate William Costas, American Party candidate James Hensley Logan in 1978, and defeated Indiana State Senator and Lake County Commissioner Ernest Niemeyer in 1980.

During his tenure, Fithian served on the House Small Business Committee, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the House Committee on Agriculture and the House Committee on Government Operations where he served on the House Select Committee on Assassinations to investigated the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

1982 United States Senate Election

After the 1980 Census, Fithian's district was split into more conservative territory, with Fithian ultimately announcing he would retire from the House and run for Secretary of State of Indiana. But briefly after he launched his candidacy for Secretary of State, he announced he would run for the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate. He faced Indiana State Senator Michael Kendall, who he earlier encouraged to run for the Senate. Fithian won the Democratic primary with 59% of the vote, and went on to face one term incumbent Richard Lugar in Indiana's 1982 Senate election. On November 2, 1982, he was defeated by Lugar who won 53% of the voted, compared to Fithian's 46%.

Later political career and death

After his defeat, served as Chief of Staff for Senator Paul Simon of Illinois from 1983 to 1992, and worked as the campaign manager for Simon's 1988 presidential campaign. He is the only former House member to subsequently serve as a staffer in the Senate. Fithian also worked for Senator Lloyd Bentsen as the finance director when he was the head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee from 1983 to 1985. After working for Simon, he joined the Department of Agriculture working as Secretary of the Farm Credit Administration.

Fithian died on June 27, 2003, in Annandale, Virginia. He is interred in Arlington National Cemetery.