On the recordSeptember 25, 2024
today I rise to recognize the 100th birthday of Ambassador J. William Middendorf. Ambassador Middendorf is an extraordinary Rhode Islander and an extraordinary American. Last Sunday, we had a chance to celebrate his birthday at his home in Little Compton, RI, and he was as sharp and insightful as ever. Today, along with Senator Whitehouse, I would like to take a moment to honor his impressive career in service to our country. Ambassador Middendorf, now a resident of Little Compton, RI, was born in Baltimore, MD on September 22, 1924. As a young man, he attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. In 1945, as World War II raged in Europe, Ambassador Middendorf interrupted his education to serve in the Navy as an engineering officer and navigator aboard the landing craft support ship USS LCS-53. After the war, Ambassador Middendorf continued his education and graduated from Holy Cross with a bachelor of naval science. He later attended Harvard College, where he graduated with a bachelor of arts degree, and in 1954, he earned an M.B.A from New York University's Stern School of Business. Ambassador Middendorf then became an investment banker. Eventually, as a cofounder of the prominent Wall Street firm Middendorf, Colgate and Company, he began to involve himself in politics. He took on important roles within the national Republican Party, including as treasurer of the Republican National Committee from 1965 to 1969.…
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