Mike Gravel (McGovern '84)

Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel (born May 13th, 1930) was the 43rd President of the United States from January 20th, 2001 to January 20th, 2009. He was also the 44th Vice President of the United States, served as a Senator from Alaska from 1961 to 1981, served as the Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives, and a member of the Alaska legislature.

Early Life
Mike Gravel was born on May 13th, 1930 in Springfield, Massachusetts, one of five children of French-Canadian immigrant parents, Alphonse and Marie (née Bourassa) Gravel. His parents were part of the Quebec diaspora and was raised on a working class immigrant neighborhood in southern Springfield.

Gravel would gain an education through private Catholic college-preparatory schools. He would graduate from Assumption Preparatory School in 1948. He began attending American International College but dropped out Sophomore Year to join the military in order to avoid being drafted to Korea. To his surprise, Gravel would be sent to Western Europe instead of Korea.

Counterintelligence Officer (1949 - 1954)
From 1949 to 1954, Gravel would serve a 5-year term in the United States Army Counterintelligence Corp. He would serve in France, Italy, and Germany working undercover in Communist circles. Being fluent in French, Gravel infiltrated several French Communist meetings (though sometimes his Quebecois accent would be noted). He worked as a Special Agent in the Counterintelligence Corps until he was discharged in 1954, eventually becoming a first lieutenant.

Following his discharge, Gravel entered the Columbia University School of General Studies in New York City, where he studied economics and received a B.S. in 1956. He moved to New York "flat broke"and supported himself by working as a bar boy in a hotel,driving a taxicab,and working in the investment bond department at Bankers Trust.During this time he left the Catholic religion.

Relocation to Alaska
Being discontented with the crowded New York City, Gravel planned to move to a more remote place; eventually moving to the then-territory of Alaska in 1956. Upon his arrival in Anchorage, he was able to start a successful real estate firm and made decent pay. By 1960, Gravel had established a name for himself in the city of Anchorage and in the newly formed Alaskan state.