Joseph McCarthy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Joseph Raymond McCarthy | |
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| United States Senator from Wisconsin |
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| In office January 3, 1947 – May 2, 1957 |
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| Preceded by | Robert M. La Follette, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | William Proxmire |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 14, 1908 Grand Chute, Wisconsin |
| Died | May 2, 1957 (aged 48) Bethesda, Maryland |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Jean Kerr McCarthy |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Joseph Raymond McCarthy (November 14, 1908 – May 2, 1957) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957. Beginning in 1950, McCarthy became the most visible public face of a period of intense anti-communist suspicion inspired by the tensions of the Cold War.
He made claims that there were large numbers of Communists and Soviet spies and sympathizers inside the federal government and elsewhere. The term "McCarthyism," coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's practices, was soon applied to similar anti-communist pursuits.
