- Born
- Died
- Birth nameThomas Phillip O'Neill Jr.
- Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, Jr. (December 9, 1912 - January 5, 1994) was a Massachusetts politician who won the House seat vacated by John F. Kennedy when he ran for the Senate in 1952. An outspoken liberal Democrat, O'Neill became one of the most influential members of the House of Representatives, rising to become Speaker of the US House of Representatives in 1977. He held the post until his retirement from Congress in 1987, after 34 years in the House. He was the second longest serving Speaker in history after Sam Rayburn.
During the Presidential administration of Ronald Reagan, Tip O'Neill, whose nickname was that of a famous baseball player of the 19th Century, as well as a reference to his first two initials, "TP", was the face of the Democratic Party and of liberalism. He was beloved in his district and in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and will long be remembered for his commitment to the liberal welfare state championed by Democratic Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson, a commitment that frequently caused clashes with Democratic President Jimmy Carter, a fiscal conservative.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Jon C. Hopwood
- SpouseMildred Anne Miller(June 17, 1941 - January 5, 1994) (his death, 5 children)
- Turned against the Vietnam War after a student demonstrator asked him if he had ever been briefed by the other side of the issue. O'Neill admitted he had not, and after talking with soldiers, sailors, admirals, and CIA agents, who all told him the war could not be won, he followed his conscience.
- When John F. Kennedy was president, he made sure that Tip O'Neill was always invited to all the parties at the White House.
- Before being elected Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1977, Tip O'Neill was House Majority Whip from 1971-1973, and House Majority Leader from 1973-1977.
- As a teenager, he had a job as a grounds-keeper at Harvard University, for which he was paid 17 cents an hour.
- Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (1977-1987).
- I've known personally every president since Jack Kennedy and I can honestly say that Ronald Reagan was the worst. But, he'd have made a hell of a king!
- All politics is local.
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