George A. Kasem
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]
Born in Drumright, Oklahoma, Kasem graduated from John H. Francis Polytechnic High School, Los Angeles, California, 1938. B.S., University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 1949. LL.B., University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, 1951. He was in the United States Army Air Forces from 1941 to 1945. He was a lawyer in private practice.
Kasem was elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-sixth Congress (January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1961). He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection to the Eighty-seventh Congress in 1960. He served as commissioner, Citrus Municipal Court, West Covina, California from 1978 to 1984. He died of pneumonia on February 11, 2002, in Carlsbad, California.[1]
References
United States House of Representatives | ||
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Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 25th congressional district 1959–1961 |
Succeeded by John H. Rousselot |
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- 1919 births
- 2002 deaths
- American politicians of Lebanese descent
- California Democrats
- California lawyers
- Deaths from pneumonia
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from California
- People from Creek County, Oklahoma
- Politicians from Los Angeles, California
- United States Army Air Forces personnel
- University of Southern California Law School alumni
- 20th-century American politicians