| George Albert Kasem | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Member of the United States House of Representatives | In office January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1961 | ||
| Preceded by | Patrick J. Hillings | ||
| Succeeded by | John H. Rousselot | ||
| Personal details | |||
| Born | George Albert Kasem April 6, 1919 Drumright, Oklahoma | ||
| Died | February 11, 2002 (aged 82) Carlsbad, California | ||
| Political party | Democratic | ||
| Alma mater | University of Southern California (B.A. 1949, LL.B. 1951) | ||
| Profession | Attorney | ||
George Albert Kasem (April 6, 1919 – February 11, 2002) was a U.S. Representative from California's 25th congressional district. He was of Lebanese descent and was the first Arab American elected to the United States Congress.[1]
Early life[]
Born in Drumright, Oklahoma, Kasem was the son of Abdullah Kasem and Nabeha (Bader) Kasem.[2] His family moved to Los Angeles, California when he was a boy, and Kasem graduated from John H. Francis Polytechnic High School in 1938.[3] After graduation, Kasem worked as a clerk in a grocery store and became active in the local Retail Clerk's Union.[3]
Military service[]
In 1941, he joined the United States Army Air Forces for World War II.[3] Kasem was trained as a weather observer and forecaster at military schools in Macon, Georgia and Grand Rapids, Michigan.[3] He served in Sudan, Egypt, and Iraq, and remained in the service until being discharged at the end of the war in 1945.[3]
Post-World War II[]
He graduated from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California in 1949, and received his law degree from USC in 1951.[3] Kasem was admitted to the bar and became an attorney in Baldwin Park.[3]
Member of Congress[]
Kasem was elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-sixth Congress (January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1961).[3] He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election to the Eighty-seventh Congress in 1960.[1] During his term, Kasem advocated enhanced funding of the San Gabriel Valley Flood Control project, increased federal aid to education, and improved medical care for the elderly.[1] He caused controversy while on a visit to Beirut, when he gave a speech in which he indicated that the creation of and support for Israel was the most effective way to bring about peace in the Middle East.[1]
Later career[]
After leaving Congress, Kasem resumed the practice of law.[1] He served as commissioner in Citrus Municipal Court, West Covina, California from 1978 to 1984.[1]
He died in Carlsbad, California.[1]
Family[]
Kasem was survived by his wife Catherine, to whom he was married for 54 years.[1] They were the parents of a daughter, Janet Orr, and had two grandchildren.[1]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "George A. Kasem, 82; First Arab American in House". Los Angeles Times. February 14, 2002. http://articles.latimes.com/2002/feb/14/local/me-kasem14. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ↑ U.S. House of Representatives (1960). Official Congressional Directory. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office. p. 18. https://books.google.de/books?id=rtGGAAAAMAAJ&dq=george+kasem+army+air+forces&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=kasem.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 Congressional Directory, p. 18.
External links[]
- George A. Kasem at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- George A. Kasem at The Political Graveyard
This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.
The original article can be found at George A. Kasem and the edit history here.