John V. Tunney

John Varick Tunney (June 26, 1934 – January 12, 2018) was an American politician who served as a United States senator and representative from the state of California in the 1960s and 1970s. A Democrat, Tunney was known for his focus on anti-trust and environmental legislation, especially the Noise Pollution Control Act of 1972 and the anti-trust Tunney Act. Tunney also strongly supported civil rights and shepherded the 1975 expansion of the Voting Rights Act. He was the son of boxing champion Gene Tunney. Tunney was a roommate of Edward Kennedy's, a fellow Irish-American Catholic, at the University of Virginia School of Law, and became one of his best friends. Tunney won the 1970 United States Senate election in California, but he was narrowly defeated for re-election in 1976 by Republican S. I. Hayakawa. After his loss, Tunney became an environmental activist.