Proxmire, PROKS my uhr, William (1915-2005), a Wisconsin Democrat, was a United States senator from 1957 to 1989. He won a special election to fill the seat left vacant when Senator Joseph R. McCarthy died. Proxmire served as chairman of the Senate's powerful Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee from 1975 to 1981 and from 1987 to 1989.

