Dante Fascell

Dante Fascell
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 4th, 12th, 15th and 19th district
In office January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by	William C. Lantaff
Succeeded by	Harry Johnston
Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs
In office 1984–1993
Preceded by	Clement John Zablocki
Succeeded by	Lee H. Hamilton
Personal details
Born	March 9, 1917 Bridgehampton, New York
Died	November 28, 1998(1998-11-28) (aged 81) Clearwater, Florida
Political party	Democratic

Dante Bruno Fascell (March 9, 1917 – November 28, 1998) served as an American politician from the state of Florida.

Early life

Fascell, born in Bridgehampton, New York in 1917, moved to Florida in 1925. He graduated from the University of Miami law school in 1938. Fascell was a brother of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity and the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. While a University of Miami law student, Fascell was inducted into its Iron Arrow Honor Society, the University of Miami's highest honor.

Fascell served in the Florida National Guard during World War II, serving in the African, Sicilian, and Italian Campaigns.

Political career

Fascell's constituents elected him to the Florida House of Representatives in 1950. In 1954 he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in a district representing Dade County, Florida. Fascell refused to sign the Southern Manifesto in 1956. Fascell began as a supporter of the Vietnam War, but he soon spoke out against the war. Fascell cosponsored the War Powers Act of 1973 and he won aid for Cuban-Americans who had settled in his district. He served as the chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs from 1984 to 1993.^[1] He worked to repeal the Clark Amendment, allowing the U.S. government to send aid to UNITA rebels in Angola, as a partner in the Black, Manafort, Stone and Kelly lobbying firm.^[2]

Fascell worked to champion the creation of Biscayne National Park, south of Miami. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. The visitor center in the park is named after Representative Fascell. Similarly, a public park located in South Miami is named for him.^[3] The Dante B. Fascell North-South Center Act of 1991 established the prestigious think-tank at the University of Miami.

During the time between 1981 and 1988, Shirley Mae Albertus was Fascell's administravtive assistant.

Fascell retired from the House after his 19th term ended in 1993. On October 29, 1998 he was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President William J. Clinton.^[4] He died the following month from colorectal cancer, at the age of 81.

References

1. ^ http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=F000041
2. ^ Calvo Ospina, Hernando (2002). Bacardi: The Hidden War. p. 46. 
3. ^ http://www.cityofsouthmiami.net/index.php?src=gendocs&ref=VisitourParks&category=ParksRec
4. ^ "The White House - Office of the Press Secretary". http://clinton6.nara.gov/1998/10/1998-10-29-dante-fascell-awarded-presidential-medal-of-freedom.html. Retrieved 2009-12-08. 

External links

• Dante Fascell at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by William C. Lantaff	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 4th congressional district 1955–1967	Succeeded by Albert S. Herlong, Jr.
Preceded by William C. Cramer	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 12th congressional district 1967–1973	Succeeded by J. Herbert Burke
Preceded by District Created	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 15th congressional district 1973–1983	Succeeded by E. Clay Shaw, Jr.
Preceded by District Created	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 19th congressional district 1983–1993	Succeeded by Harry Johnston
Political offices
Preceded by Clement J. Zablocki Wisconsin	Chairman of House Foreign Affairs Committee 1984–1993	Succeeded by Lee H. Hamilton Indiana

Persondata
Name	Fascell, Dante
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	March 9, 1917
Place of birth	Bridgehampton, New York
Date of death	November 28, 1998
Place of death	Clearwater, Florida