Person:James Abourezk (2)

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  1. James George Abourezk, Esq.1931 - 2023
Facts and Events
Name James George Abourezk, Esq.
Gender Male
Birth[1] 24 Feb 1931 Wood, Mellette, South Dakota, United States
Death[2] 24 Feb 2023 Sioux Falls, Minnehaha, South Dakota, United States
References
  1. Biographies, in Govinfo.gov website.

    ABOUREZK, James George, a Representative and a Senator from South Dakota; born in Wood, Mellette County, S.Dak., February 24, 1931; attended the Wood and Mission public schools; graduated as a civil engineer from the South Dakota School of Mines, Rapid City, S.Dak., 1961; graduated from the University of South Dakota Law School, Vermillion, S.Dak. 1966; lawyer; admitted to the South Dakota bar in 1966 and commenced practice in Rapid City; served in the United States Navy 1948-1952; elected as a Democrat to the Ninety-second Congress (January 3, 1971-January 3, 1973); was not a candidate for reelection to the United States House of Representatives in 1972, but was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate and served from January 3, 1973, to January 3, 1979; was not a candidate for reelection in 1978; chairman, Select Committee on Indian Affairs (Ninety-fifth Congress); chairman, American Indian Policy Review Commission 1976; resumed the practice of law and began a career in writing; is a resident of Sioux Falls, S. Dak.

    Bibliography:
    Abourezk, James G. Advise & Dissent: Memoirs of South Dakota and the U.S. Senate. Chicago: Lawrence Hill Books, 1989;
    Abourezk, James G. ‘‘The Congressional Veto: A Contemporary Response to Executive Encroachment on Legislative Prerogative.’’ Indiana Law Journal 52 (Winter 1977): 323-43;
    Abourezk, James, and Hyman Bookbinder. Through Different Eyes: Two Leading Americans, A Jew and an Arab, Debate U.S. Policy in the Middle East. Bethesda, Md.: Adler and Adler, 1987.

  2. James Abourezk, in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia
    includes sources, last accessed Jul 2025.

    James George Abourezk (/ˈæbərɛsk/ AB-ur-esk;[1] February 24, 1931 – February 24, 2023) was an American attorney and politician from South Dakota. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in both chambers of the United States Congress for one term each, and was the first Arab to serve in the United States Senate.[2] After he left Congress, Abourezk in 1980 founded the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) with the goal of counteracting anti-Arab racism in the country.[3] He served in the United States Navy during the Korean War, but was also a critic of United States foreign policy in the Middle East, particularly with regard to the Arab–Israeli conflict. Under his leadership, the ADC became especially active following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent Gulf War, during which he became concerned about the rising rate of targeted hate crimes against Arabs and also against people mistaken for Arabs. ...

    Spouse(s)
    Mary Ann Houlton ​(m. 1952; div. 1981)​
    Margaret Bethea (m. 1982, divorced)​
    Sanaa Dieb ​(m. 1991)