Synar, Michael Lynn (Mike), U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma's 2nd district (1979-1995), 1950-1996

Biographical:

Michael Lynn "Mike" Synar was born in Vinita, Oklahoma on October 17, 1950. His father, Edmond Synar, served in the Air Force during World War II and was a cattle rancher in Vinita. Mike attended Muskogee Public Schools, graduating from Muskogee High School in 1968. He was extremely involved in speech and debate and 4-H and won several national 4-H awards. Mike graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1972 and was a Rotary Scholar at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland before earning his master’s degree in management from Northwestern University. Synar then returned to the University of Oklahoma, earning his law degree in 1977. In addition to practicing law in Muskogee, Synar worked as a rancher and real estate broker in the area. At the age of 27, Synar won his first election to Congress, representing Oklahoma’s Second District. Dedicated to what he saw as the public good, Synar championed many controversial causes while serving in the House. He introduced legislation to restrict the advertising and sale of tobacco products, called for public land reform, supported the Brady Bill and other anticrime initiatives, and championed many environmental issues. Synar was also known for his involvement in high-profile court cases including his successful challenge of a key portion of the Gramm-Rudman Act in Bowsher v. Synar and his role as lead prosecutor in the impeachment of Federal Judge Alcee Hastings. Often at odds with his constituents and the target of special interests, Synar failed to win re-election in 1994, losing the Democratic primary to Virgil Cooper. In the year following his defeat, Synar served as chairman of the National Bankruptcy Review Commission and started the nonprofit Campaign for America Project which focused on reforming campaign finance laws. In early 1995, he was awarded the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. Synar passed away on January 3, 1996, at the age of 45, from cancer.

Found in 5 Collections and/or Records:

Michael Lynn "Mike" Synar Collection

 Collection

Identifier: CAC-CC-051

Scope and Contents The greater part of the Synar collection, some 97,000 items, consists of legislative and research materials used by the Synar office during his years as a Congressman from Oklahoma. These materials range in date from 1979 to 1994 and include, but are not limited to, internal memos, drafts of bills, hearing materials, and background research. The materials cover a variety of topics relevant to Congress and Oklahoma but provide particular focus on issues that galvanized the Synar...

Dates: 1979-1996

Found in: Carl Albert Center Congressional and Political Collections