ABSTRACT
In 1936 both Franklin Roosevelt and George W. Norris were seeking reelection. In the late 1930s as hostility to Roosevelt mounted in Congress, when many Republicans and Southern Democrats joined forces to curb and even eliminate several domestic New Deal programs, Norris, serving as an Independent remained steadfast. Roosevelt carried the entire Northwest and California as well. In 1944 he served as honorary chair of a citizens' political action committee endorsing Roosevelt for a fourth term. Roosevelt had asked both men to serve as delegates to the London Economic Conference. A Progressive League headed by Charles A. Beard, with Norris serving as honorary chairman, championed his cause and did so again in both 1936 and 1940. In 1932 Norris engaged in an extensive campaign tour on behalf of the Democratic candidate. Roosevelt's relations with the Senate progressives was at best an uneasy one, Norris being the notable exception.
