Benjamin Rosenthal

Ben Rosenthal
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York
In office February 20, 1962 – January 4, 1983
Preceded by	Lester Holtzman
Succeeded by	Gary Ackerman
Constituency	6th district (1962–1963) 8th district (1963–1983) 7th district (1983)
Personal details
Born	Benjamin Stanley Rosenthal (1923-06-08)June 8, 1923 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	January 4, 1983(1983-01-04) (aged 59) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Cause of death	Cancer
Resting place	Beth David Cemetery, Elmont, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	New York University

Benjamin Stanley Rosenthal (June 8, 1923 – January 4, 1983) was an American Democratic Party politician from New York who represented the northern portion of Queens during twelve Congressional terms, from 1962 until his death. Upon his death at age 59, he was the third-most senior Representative in the New York delegation.

Biography

Born in New York City, Rosenthal attended public schools (including Stuyvesant High School), Long Island University and the City College of New York.

Military service and higher education

He served in the United States Army from 1943 to 1946. Thereafter, he received his LL.B. from Brooklyn Law School in 1949[1] and an LL.M. from New York University in 1952. He was admitted to the New York bar in 1949 and commenced practice in New York City.

Congress

Rosenthal was elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-seventh United States Congress, filling the vacancy caused by the resignation of Representative Lester Holtzman. Taking office on February 20, 1962, he was re-elected that fall, and then again to ten succeeding Congresses.

Rosenthal was a "regular" or machine Democrat, but held liberal views, opposing the Vietnam War early on and working on consumer protection issues.[2]

On May 17, 1962, Rosenthal read a statement into the Congressional Record praising the magazine Mad on its tenth anniversary.[3] (Rosenthal's district, NY-8, included the part of Manhattan where Mad's offices were.) "Mad Magazine...for the last 10 years has humorously pointed out the laughable foibles of business, labor, advertising, television, sports and entertainment – to say nothing of politics," Rosenthal said.^[citation needed]

Death and burial

Rosenthal was re-elected again in 1982, but died from complications of cancer at Georgetown University Hospital on January 4, 1983, just one day after the 98th United States Congress met for the first time. He was sworn in to that Congress from his hospital bed.[2]

Rosenthal is buried in Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, New York.

On March 1, Gary Ackerman was elected to the seat and held it through 2013.

Legacy

The Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library at Queens College, City University of New York, is named in his honor.[4] Rosenthal's papers are held by the library's Department of Special Collections and Archives.[5][6]

See also

• List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
• List of United States Congress members who died in office (1950–99)

References

1. United States Congress. "Benjamin Rosenthal (id: R000442)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
2. "Benjamin Rosenthal, Congressman from Queens for 2 Decades, Dies". The New York Times. January 5, 1983. p. D21.
3. Mad, October 1962, p. 5
4. Bloomfield, Douglas (2007). "Benjamin S. Rosenthal". In Berenbaum, Michael; Skolnik, Fred (eds.). Encyclopaedia Judaica (2nd ed.). Detroit: Macmillan Reference. ISBN 978-0-02-866097-4 – via Encyclopedia.com.
5. "Rosenthal, Benjamin Stanley, 1923-1983: Guide to Research Collections. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved May 4, 2018.
6. "The Benjamin Rosenthal Collection". Special Collections and Archives, Queens College, City University of New York. archives.qc.cuny.edu. Retrieved May 4, 2018.

External links

• Guide to the Benjamin S. Rosenthal papers, at Queens College, City University of New York, including links to selected digitized items
• Benjamin Rosenthal at Find a Grave

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Lester Holtzman	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 6th congressional district 1962–1963	Succeeded by Seymour Halpern
Preceded by Victor L. Anfuso	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 8th congressional district 1963–1983	Succeeded by James H. Scheuer
Preceded by Joseph P. Addabbo	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 7th congressional district 1983	Succeeded by Gary Ackerman