George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American politician, diplomat, and historian from South Dakota who served in both chambers of the United States Congress as a member of the United States House of Representatives for two terms representing South Dakota's 1st congressional district from 1957 to 1961, the director of Food for Peace in 1961 and 1962 under John F. Kennedy, and a member of the United States Senate for three terms from 1963 to 1981, and was the Democratic Party presidential nominee in the 1972 U.S. presidential election.
Born in Avon, South Dakota, McGovern grew up in Mitchell, South Dakota, where he became a renowned debater. He volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Forces upon the country's entry into World War II. As a B-24 Liberator pilot, he flew 35 missions over German-occupied Europe from a base in Italy. Among the medals he received was a Distinguished Flying Cross for making a hazardous emergency landing of his damaged plane and saving his crew. After the war, he earned degrees from Dakota Wesleyan University and Northwestern University, culminating in a PhD, and served as a history professor. He was elected to the U.S.