Bob Dole, who overcame severe WWII wounds to lead Senate GOP and run for president, dies at 98

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Bob Dole, who overcame severe WWII wounds to lead Senate GOP and run for President, has died at age 98.

Born July 22, 1923, in Russell, Kansas, Dole represented the state of Kansas in the U.S. Senate from 1969 to 1996.  He spent the final 11 years of his tenure as the Republican leader of that body, including three years as Senate Majority Leader. Prior to his election to senate, he served in the U.S. House from 1961 to 1969.

Dole was the Republican nominee for President in 1996 and was a nominee for Vice President in 1976 when President Gerald R. Ford ran for President after the withdrawal of Vice President Nelson Rockefeller.

Dole was severely injured in combat during World War II, suffering a permanent disability in one of his arms.

On January 17, 2018, Dole was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. He was married to former U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina.

After retiring from public office, he appeared in television commercials and served on a number of councils.  Although he supported Jeb Bush in the 2016 Republican primaries, he became the only former Republican presidential nominee to endorse Donald Trump in the general election.