Joseph Tydings, former U.S. senator from Maryland, dies at 90

WASHINGTON (AP) — A champion of liberal causes and public service, former U.S. Sen. Joseph D. Tydings has died at 90.

News outlets report the Maryland Democrat died of cancer Monday in Washington, surrounded by his family and cloaked in a blanket bearing the name of his alma mater, the University of Maryland.

Born in North Carolina, Tydings was adopted by his stepfather, U.S. Sen. Millard Tydings of Maryland. He served in one of the Army’s last horse platoons during the postwar occupation of Germany before college.

At President John F. Kennedy’s urging, the federal prosecutor launched a Senate bid in 1963. During his single term, from 1965 to 1971, he opposed the Vietnam War and advocated for gun control and civil rights.

Gov. Larry Hogan praised Tydings’ record of prosecutions against public corruption, ordering flags lowered for his internment.