 | Achieve the Honorable During his years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Skelton became known as a bipartisan negotiator and a champion of the Armed Services. Throughout the decades, he helped steer the nation through its most dangerous challenges, from Communism to terrorism; took a leading role in the reform of the Department of Defense; dedicated himself to fulfilling the interests of his constituents; and eventually rose to become chair of the House Armed Services Committee during such pivotal events as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to detailing Skelton's political career and its accompanying challenges and triumphs, Achieve the Honorable provides inside glimpses into the lives of political titans like Harry Truman, Richard Nixon, and Bill Clinton. Along the way, we are treated to Skelton's engaging humor and shrewd insight into twentieth- and twenty-first-century U.S. politics. A native of Lexington, Missouri, Ike Skelton served as the U.S. representative of Missouri's Fourth District from 1977 to 2011 and was the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee from 2007 to 2011. Since then, he has been a partner with the Husch Blackwell law firm, based in Washington, D.C., and Kansas City. Skelton, a member of the Academy of Missouri Squires and an honorary U.S. marine, has received a number of awards, including the U.S. Army's Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, the U.S. Navy's Distinguished Public Service Medal, U.S. Air Force Exceptional Civilian Service Award, and the West Point Sylvanus Thayer Award. |
