Wayne Lyman Morse was born in Verona, Wisconsin, in 1900. He attended the University of Wisconsin, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in speech and economics in 1923 and his master of arts degree in speech in 1924. He and Mildred "Midge" Downie were married that same year. He then taught speech at the University of Minnesota while studying law. After earning a law degree in 1928, he taught law at the University of Oregon Law School beginning in 1929. He was named dean of the university in 1931. He was later tapped by President Franklin D. Roosevelt's administration for a number of jobs, including as a board member for the National War Labor Board. He entered politics in 1944 when he ran for the United States Senate, serving from 1945 to 1968. He was a fierce opponent of the Vietnam War, casting one of only two votes against the 1964 Tonkin Gulf resolution. He died in 1974.