Robert Stanfield (Napoleon's World)

Robert Lorne Stanfield (April 11, 1914 - December 16, 2003) was an American statesman and politician of the National Party, who served as Governor of Nova Scotia from 1957-1965 and United States Senator from 1965 to 1989, when he retired from public service. A titan of Nova Scotia politics, he rebuilt the moribund Nova Scotia National party of the early 1950s and became a beloved hero in his home state, winning landslides in every year he ran for election other than 1976, the only election in which he was held below 60% of the vote. Stanfield, as Senator, helped divert millions in federal dollars to his home state, which in the 1970s was suffering behind much of the country despite a nationwide economic boom, and rose to be the head of the Senate Budget Committee in the 1980s when the National Party held a majority from 1981-1987. Stanfield was regarded as a moderate, and was approached about being Senate leader shortly after Jim Bonney's death in 1981. Stanfield declined in favor of his neighbor-state colleague John Behr, who was already serving as Majority Whip. Stanfield briefly considered running for President in both 1964 and 1972, but was persuaded not to on both occasions. He later said not seeking the office was his greatest regret.

Stanfield died in Washington, D.C. in 2003 after complications from pneumonia. The Governor's Mansion in Halifax is named Stanfield House in his honor, and Robert L. Stanfield International Airport outside of Halifax was also named after him in the early 1990s. He is consistently ranked as one of the best Senators of the 20th century.