Benjamin Arthur Gilman was an American politician and Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Middletown, New York, from January 3,1973, to January 3,2003.
23 Facts About Benjamin Gilman
2.
Benjamin Gilman served in the United States Army Air Corps from 1942 until 1945 during World War II.
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Benjamin Gilman was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1967 to 1972, sitting in the 177th, 178th and 179th New York State Legislatures.
4.
Benjamin Gilman was a member of the New York State Southeastern Water Commission.
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Benjamin Gilman first won election to Congress in 1972 to represent New York's 26th congressional district.
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New York's congressional districts had been redrawn in reapportionment, and in the general election Gilman defeated incumbent congressman John G Dow, a Democrat who had been serving in New York's 27th congressional district,.
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Benjamin Gilman subsequently served in Congress from January 3,1973, until January 3,2003.
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Benjamin Gilman was widely regarded as a moderate Republican in the mold of New York's Nelson Rockefeller Benjamin Gilman was active on foreign affairs issues, serving as a Congressional delegate to the United Nations, serving under Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick in 1981.
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Benjamin Gilman was co-chair of the Committee on Irish Affairs and participated on the International Task Force on Narcotics.
10.
Benjamin Gilman was a recipient of the Secretary's Distinguished Service Award, a gold medal and certificate which represents the highest civilian honor bestowed by the State Department.
11.
Benjamin Gilman became involved with World hunger in the 1970s, authoring the legislation creating a presidential Commission Against Hunger, to which he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter.
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Benjamin Gilman is one of only 12 foreigners, and one of only 3 Americans not of Indian origin, to have received the award.
13.
Congressman Benjamin Gilman helped gain passage of the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000, establishing exchange programs for American students to study abroad.
14.
Congressman Benjamin Gilman retired from Congress in 2003 after New York's 20th congressional district, which he had represented, was broken up and dispersed among the 17th, 18th, 19th and 22nd Congressional Districts in the redistricting that followed the 2000 census and reapportionment.
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At the time of his retirement, Benjamin Gilman was the oldest sitting representative in the US House.
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Benjamin Gilman was the senior Republican representing New York, and the second-most senior Member from New York overall behind only Charles B Rangel.
17.
On March 28,2008, Benjamin Gilman participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Benjamin Gilman Center for International Education in his hometown of Middletown, New York, on the campus of SUNY Orange, known as Orange County Community College.
18.
On Jun 14,2011, Benjamin Gilman was awarded the Top Honor Prize, and recognized by the World Peace Prize Awarding Council for being a lifelong champion of human rights: fighting world hunger, narcotic abuse and trafficking.
19.
Benjamin Gilman was married three times: to the former Jane Prizant, a lawyer and daughter of a well-known actor of the Yiddish theater, to Rita Kelhofer, and to Georgia Tingus.
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Benjamin Gilman's children were Jonathan Gilman, Susan Gilman-Harts, Harrison Gilman, David Gilman and Ellen Gilman.
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Benjamin Gilman died on December 17,2016, at the Castle Point Veteran's Hospital in Fishkill, New York from surgical complications, eleven days after his 94th birthday.
22.
Benjamin Gilman was survived by his third wife, Georgia, by three of his five children: sons Jonathan and Harrison, and daughter Susan.
23.
Benjamin Gilman is survived by a stepdaughter, Nicole Pappas, and a stepson, Peter Tingus.