Jack Kemp Biography Quotes 10 Report mistakes

Early Life and Education
Jack French Kemp was born on July 13, 1935, in Los Angeles, California. Raised in a middle-class family in Southern California, he developed an early love for athletics and leadership that would frame his public persona throughout life. He attended Occidental College in Los Angeles, where he played quarterback, studied physical education, and sharpened an interest in American history and public affairs. After college he served in the military reserve and was called to active duty during the Berlin Crisis of 1961, an experience that reinforced his sense of civic responsibility. In the off-seasons of his early professional years, he also worked with his family's small trucking business, an experience he often cited as shaping his perspective on work, entrepreneurship, and upward mobility.

Professional Football Career
Kemp became one of the standout quarterbacks of the American Football League. He began with the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers before being claimed by the Buffalo Bills, where his leadership and field generalship became defining. Under head coach Lou Saban and with owner Ralph Wilson Jr. guiding the franchise, Kemp led the Bills to back-to-back AFL championships in 1964 and 1965. He was a multiple-time AFL All-Star and became known as a tough, cerebral competitor whose strength lay in reading defenses, rallying teammates, and elevating those around him. In Buffalo, he worked alongside stars such as Cookie Gilchrist and a formidable offensive line, and he earned a reputation as a unifying presence in the locker room.

His leadership extended beyond the field. Kemp served as president of the AFL Players Association, where he advocated for fair treatment, improved benefits, and the dignity of all players. He was outspoken in his support for civil rights and for the inclusion of Black teammates at a time when players and teams were still confronting discrimination in parts of the country. The combination of his union leadership, his championship credentials, and his engagement with social issues shaped a political identity that would travel with him into public office.

Entry Into Politics
Retiring from football, Kemp transitioned into politics in western New York. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1970 and began serving in 1971. A Republican influenced by growth-oriented thinkers, he became one of the most visible congressional voices for a brand of conservative economics aimed at broad-based prosperity. He rapidly built relationships across ideological lines, and he approached legislative fights with the same optimism that had characterized his huddles in Buffalo.

Congress and Supply-Side Economics
In Congress Kemp championed reducing tax rates, broadening ownership, and fostering enterprise in distressed neighborhoods. Working closely with Senator William Roth of Delaware, he co-authored the Kemp-Roth tax cut proposal, which became the intellectual and political foundation for the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 signed by President Ronald Reagan. Kemp's arguments drew on the work of economists and policy entrepreneurs such as Arthur Laffer and Jude Wanniski, and he was a relentless advocate for the idea that lower marginal tax rates could spur investment, job creation, and revenue growth.

Kemp also sought to connect conservative economics with civil rights and urban opportunity. He partnered with Democratic Representative Charles Rangel to champion enterprise zones, a policy aimed at encouraging private investment and employment in communities left behind by deindustrialization. He supported strong enforcement of fair housing laws and argued that growth and inclusion were compatible aims. As a member of the House leadership and a prolific public speaker, he became known for optimism, a forward-leaning embrace of immigration, and efforts to broaden the Republican Party's appeal.

Presidential Ambitions and Cabinet Service
Kemp sought the Republican presidential nomination in 1988, arguing for an upbeat, growth-first agenda. Though he did not prevail, his candidacy helped define debates within the party and further elevated his national profile. President George H. W. Bush appointed him Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in 1989, a role Kemp held until 1993.

At HUD he emphasized expanding homeownership, enforcing fair housing, and promoting neighborhood revitalization. He advanced the HOPE initiative, which aimed to give low-income residents opportunities to purchase public and assisted housing. Kemp used the post to press again for enterprise zones and community empowerment, arguing that markets and civil rights could reinforce one another. He worked with mayors and local leaders across party lines, and his advocacy earned him a reputation as a results-oriented, urban-focused conservative.

1996 Vice Presidential Campaign
In 1996 Senator Bob Dole selected Kemp as his Republican vice presidential running mate. The Dole-Kemp ticket argued for tax relief, economic growth, and reform-minded conservatism against President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. Although the ticket lost the general election, Kemp's selection underscored his role as a leading voice on growth economics and outreach to working-class and minority voters. He campaigned tirelessly, projecting the same optimism that had been his hallmark in Congress.

Later Work and Public Policy
After leaving government, Kemp remained a force in public debate. He co-founded the policy organization Empower America with William Bennett and Jeane Kirkpatrick, continuing to promote pro-growth tax policy, education reform, and democratic capitalism worldwide. He wrote columns, delivered speeches across the country, and mentored a generation of younger policymakers and advocates who shared his belief that opportunity should be widely shared.

Kemp continued his engagement on housing and civil rights. In 2008 he co-chaired, with former HUD Secretary Henry Cisneros, a national commission examining the state of fair housing, offering recommendations to strengthen enforcement and expand access to opportunity. He remained an advocate for immigration as an engine of American dynamism and for policies that would link entrepreneurship with neighborhood revitalization.

Personal Life and Legacy
Kemp married Joanne Main in 1958, and their family became an enduring source of stability and purpose. Their son Jeff Kemp followed his father into professional football as an NFL quarterback, while Jimmy Kemp pursued public policy and civic work. Kemp often said that his experience as a husband, father, athlete, and small-business worker shaped his understanding of the American dream.

His legacy rests on a distinctive synthesis: a conservative who celebrated growth but insisted it must reach every zip code; a former union leader who championed markets while pressing for civil rights; a partisan competitor who worked with Democrats such as Charles Rangel and Henry Cisneros; and a quarterback-turned-statesman who saw politics as a team sport. Allies such as Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush valued his energy and ideas, and even opponents often remarked on his civility and enthusiasm. In Buffalo, his name remains intertwined with a proud championship era; in Washington, it is associated with supply-side tax reform and a persistent call to expand ownership and opportunity.

Illness and Death
In early 2009 Kemp announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer. He died on May 2, 2009, in Bethesda, Maryland, at age 73. Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum, including from Bob Dole and leaders in both parties, reflecting respect for his optimism, civility, and conviction that policy could open doors for people in every community. His ideas on enterprise zones, tax reform, and fair housing continue to influence debates about how to expand opportunity, and his example endures as that of a public servant who sought to connect conservative principles to the aspirations of all Americans.

Our collection contains 10 quotes who is written by Jack, under the main topics: Witty One-Liners - Motivational - Ethics & Morality - Work Ethic - Equality.

Other people realated to Jack: Charles Rangel (Politician), Pete du Pont (Politician), Wendie Malick (Actress), Phil Crane (Politician), Kenneth Blackwell (Politician)