Long-time Congressman Lee Hamilton dies at 94

Lee Hamilton, a long-time area Congressman, national security expert, statesman and former Columbus attorney has died at the age of 94 at his Bloomington home.

Hamilton, a Democrat, served in Congress for 34 years, representing Indiana’s ninth congressional district, first getting elected in 1964 until his retirement in 1999.

An Evansville native, Hamilton graduated from DePauw University and the IU School of Law and practiced law in Columbus for 10 years before getting elected to Congress.

After leaving Congress, he continued in prominent national security roles including acting as co-chair of the commission tasked to look into the 9-11 attacks.

He maintained deep ties to Indiana University, establishing the Center on Congress at IU, serving as senior adviser for the IU Center on Representative Government; a distinguished scholar at the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies; and a professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

Hamilton wrote two books after his retirement “How Congress Works and Why You Should Care” in 2004 and “Strengthening Congress” in 2009. Both were published by the Indiana University Press.

Up until late January, he was still writing a weekly newsletter and column “Comments on Congress” through the IU Center on Representative Government.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Nancy, in 2012. His daughter, Tracy Souza of Columbus, released a statement from the family:

“We are very grateful for the life and example of public service our Dad led. He continued to do what he loved- going to the office the day before he died. He passed peacefully at home and is survived by a family who loved him enormously.”

Souza said that a service of remembrance will be held at a later time.

Photo: President George W. Bush addresses the press during a meeting with the Iraq Study Group in the Cabinet Room, Dec. 6. 2006. With the President are the group’s co-chairmen former Rep, Lee Hamilton, left, and former Secretary of State James Baker. Photo courtesy of https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/