Washington -- U.S. Representative Barbara Cubin (R-WY) today earned House passage of a bill honoring former Wyoming Senator Gale McGee, a Democrat who served in office from 1959 - 1977. 

“As a professor, a Senator, and a statesman, Gale McGee dedicated thirty years of his life serving the people of Wyoming and their fellow American citizens,” Representative Cubin said.  “I am very pleased that my colleagues have recognized Senator McGee’s remarkable service by quickly passing legislation to name a postal facility in his honor.”

The bill, H.R. 335, will name the United States Postal office located at 152 North 5th Street in Laramie the "Gale W. McGee Post Office.”  United States Postal Service facilities require an act of Congress to be named in an individual’s honor. 

The House passed H.R. 335 by unanimous consent, making it among the first 60 to be favorably considered by the House in the 110th Congress. 

“I am pleased to be moving ahead with my legislative agenda,” Cubin said.  “I have a great deal of confidence in my ability to work with my colleagues across the aisle to pass legislation that will benefit Wyoming citizens.”

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1915, McGee moved to Wyoming in 1946 to serve as an American History professor at the University of Wyoming.  Gale and his wife Lorraine had three of their four children during his tenure in Laramie. 

“McGee was known as a respected community member and a professor so popular that students would reportedly ‘hang from the rafters’ to attend his lectures,” Cubin said. 

In 1958, McGee was elected to the U.S. Senate in his first-ever attempt to run for public office.  He was the first Freshman in Senate history to be granted a coveted seat on the Appropriations Committee, where he would serve throughout his entire 18 year Senate career.  McGee also served as Chairman of the Senate Post Office and Civil Service Committee.  As Committee Chairman, he was widely credited with preventing a nationwide rail strike in 1973, and for spearheading the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970.  After his Senate career was over, McGee later served as U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States from 1977 to 1981.

In August of 2006, the Laramie City Council recognized Senator McGee’s service by passing a resolution supporting the naming of their local post office in his honor. 

“Due to that local support, I was proud to introduce H.R. 335, and I am even more proud that the entire House has recognized this fine man’s service to Wyoming and our nation by passing this bill today,” Cubin remarked.

Gale McGee died on April 9th 1992, and his wife Lorraine passed just last March.