Charles W. Whalen, Jr

WHALEN, Retired Congressman Charles W., Jr. (R-Ohio), age 90, passed away on Monday, June 27, 2011 at Sibley Hospital in Washington, D.C. The former six-term House member died peacefully, surrounded by his wife, Barbara Gleason Whalen, and family. Before his election to Congress in 1966, Whalen was a member of both the Ohio Senate and the General Assembly. He also worked as a Professor of Economics at his alma mater, the University of Dayton, after earning a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. During World War II, he served as an Army first lieutenant in the India-Burma Theater. Whalen was elected to Congress over a one-term Democrat. He retained his seat handily in every general election, running unopposed in 1974. Among his strengths was going door-to-door, and in his first Congressional campaign, he covered most of the Third District's precincts. While a member of the Wednesday Group, an informal think tank of liberal and moderate House Republicans, Whalen coauthored a book with four of his colleagues: "How to End the Draft: The Case for the All-Volunteer Army." The Nixon Administration, in developing legislation on the issue, adopted most of the book's 58 recommendations. Today the U.S. has an entirely all-volunteer active duty military force. Whalen was one of the most vocal leaders in the House movement to end the Vietnam War. He and Congressman Lucien Nedzi (D-Mich.) coauthored legislation aimed at cutting off military funding for the war. Although the Nedzi-Whalen bill failed to pass, it garnered substantial support in the House. Periodic onslaughts launched to impose restraints on the press prompted Whalen to write a landmark book, "Your Right to Know," on the journalist's freedom to protect sources. It included a foreword by Walter Cronkite and was published by Random House in both hard cover and paperback. Well reviewed, the book is often referenced in journalism, political science and law school courses. Whalen coauthored two books with his wife, a former journalist: "The Fighting McCooks," a Civil War opus, and "The Longest Debate," a comprehensive look at the Civil Rights Act of 1964. While a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, he wrote "The House and Foreign Policy: The Irony of Congressional Reform". One of the most traveled members of Congress, Whalen visited more than 150 countries, including every nation in Africa, often with his wife and children at their own expense. Chuck, as many called him, was highly regarded for his ability to speak publicly in great detail without text or notesa result of having been a college debate champion at Dayton. Whalen was a sports nut and reveled in matching wits with anyone on stats and trivia. President of Oakwood High School's Class of 1938, he possessed extensive knowledge of pre-war aviation, largely due to Dayton being its birthplace. Whalen is survived by his wife of 52 years, Barbara and their six children: Charles, of Delray Beach, Florida; Daniel, of Washington, D.C.; Edward, of Reston, Virginia; Joseph, of Lambertville, New Jersey; Anne McLindon, of Bethesda, Maryland; and Mary Scherer, of Brambleton, Virginia. Survivors include seven grandchildren. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00AM on Saturday, July 2, 2011 at Holy Angels Church in Dayton, Ohio. Burial will take place at Calvary Cemetery in Dayton. Family will greet friends following the burial at Dayton Country Club 555 Kramer Rd. Oakwood.

Funeral Home:
Kettering Routsong Funeral Home
2100 E. Stroop Rd.
Kettering, OH
US 45429