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William Todd Akin (born July 5, 1947) is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2001 to 2013. He is a member of the Republican Party. Born in New York City, Akin grew up in the Greater St. Louis area. After receiving his bachelor's degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts, Akin served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and worked in the private sector in the computer and steel industries. In 1988, he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives. He served in the state house until 2000, when he was elected to the United States House of Representatives, in which he served until 2013. Akin's Congressional career ended after he lost a bid to unseat Democratic U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill in the 2012 election. Akin, who had won the Republican primary in a crowded field, led McCaskill in pre-election polls until he said that women who are victims of what he called "legitimate rape" rarely get pregnant. Akin eventually apologized for the remark but rebuffed calls to withdraw from the election. He lost to McCaskill by 54.7 percent to 39.2 percent.〔 In a book published in July 2014, Akin said that he regretted apologizing and defended his original comments. ==Early life, education, and business career== Akin was born in New York City, and raised in the St. Louis area. He is the son of Nancy Perry (née Bigelow) and Paul Bigelow Akin.〔(Announcements ), The New York Times, September 9, 1944, Section Sports, Page 21.〕 Akin's great-grandfather, Thomas Russell Akin, founded Laclede Steel Corporation of St. Louis in 1911.〔(Laclede Steel Names Chief ), The New York Times, Business and Finance Section, March 26, 1966.〕 The company eventually passed to his grandfather, William Akin, and then to his father Paul, a third-generation graduate of Harvard University who served as an officer in the Navy during World War II.〔〔 Akin graduated from John Burroughs School, a private prep school in suburban St. Louis,〔 and went on to attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts, earning a B.S. in engineering from its School of Business in 1971.〔 After graduation, Akin served as an engineer officer in the National Guard of the U.S. Army,〔( Official Manual of the State of Missouri, 1993–1994 ), p. 157〕 then served in the Army Reserve until 1980.〔( Biography ), Congressman Todd Akin, Missouri's 2nd District, retrieved 2012-08-23.〕 After leaving active duty, Akin sold large computer systems for IBM, then worked as a manager in his family's steel business.〔 Akin earned a Master of Divinity degree in 1984 from Covenant Theological Seminary where he studied Greek, Hebrew, and a socially conservative interpretation of the Christian scriptures. He did not enter the ministry. Akin is a longtime pro-life activist and former member of the board of Missouri Right to Life.〔Todd Akin Senate Campaign 2012 web site, On the Issues: Life, http://www.akin.org/issues/life, accessed 2012-11-04.〕 He was arrested for trespass at least eight times between 1985 and 1988 while demonstrating against abortion in front of abortion clinics in Illinois and Missouri. He has said the protests were peaceful and he would not apologize for standing up for his beliefs.〔 At the time of the arrests, he was using the name "William Akin"; after that period, when he ran for political office, it was as "Todd Akin".〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Todd Akin」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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