US politician, born in Watkins, MN. He studied at St John's University, MN, and Minnesota University, then taught at St John's (1940--3) before working in military intelligence during World War 2, after which he was elected to the US House of Representatives (1948). He became nationally known when he challenged President Lyndon B Johnson in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination (1968), a decision which ultimately led to Johnson's withdrawal. McCarthy was eventually defeated by Robert F Kennedy.