19 Facts About Abraham Ribicoff

Abraham Alexander Ribicoff was an American Democratic Party politician from the state of Connecticut.

Abraham Ribicoff represented Connecticut in the United States House of Representatives and Senate and was the 80th Governor of Connecticut and Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in President John F Kennedy's cabinet.

Abraham Ribicoff was Connecticut's first and to date only Jewish governor.

Abraham Ribicoff enrolled at New York University in 1928, then transferred to the University of Chicago after the Prentice Company made him the Chicago office manager.

Abraham Ribicoff was elected as a Democrat to the 81st and 82nd Congresses, serving from 1949 to 1953.

Abraham Ribicoff supported an amendment to the state constitution that enhanced the governing powers of local municipalities.

Easily reelected in 1958, Abraham Ribicoff had by now become active on the national political scene.

Abraham Ribicoff reportedly declined the position of attorney general for fear that he might create needless controversy within the emerging Civil Rights Movement because he was Jewish, and he instead chose to be secretary of health, education, and welfare.

Abraham Ribicoff reflected that he had sought out the position of HEW Secretary mainly out of concern for education and "realized that the problems of health and welfare were so overriding that education was relegated to the back burner" during his tenure.

Abraham Ribicoff served in the Senate from January 3,1963, until January 3,1981.

Abraham Ribicoff supported Johnson at first but eventually turned against the Vietnam War and the president's management of it, believing that it drained badly needed resources away from domestic programs.

Abraham Ribicoff allied with consumer advocate Ralph Nader in creating the Motor Vehicle Highway Safety Act of 1966, which created the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Abraham Ribicoff is negligent; he is careless; he is reckless.

Abraham Ribicoff spent the remaining years of his Senate career fighting for such issues as school integration, welfare and tax reform, and consumer protection.

Abraham Ribicoff again refused, publicly stating that he had no ambitions for higher office.

Later in 1972, following the death of his wife, Abraham Ribicoff married Lois Mell Mathes, who became known as "Casey".

On May 3,1979, Abraham Ribicoff announced his intention to retire at the end of his third term.

In 1981, Abraham Ribicoff fulfilled his pledge to retire from the Senate and took a position as special counsel in the New York law firm of Kaye Scholer LLP and divided his time between homes in Cornwall Bridge, Connecticut, and Manhattan.

Abraham Ribicoff was co-chairman of the 1988 Base Realignment and Closure Commission.