Background
Abraham Ribicoff was born on April 9, 1910 in New Britain, Connecticut, United States, to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from Poland, Abraham A. Ribicoff, a factory worker, and Rose Sable Ribicoff.
New York, NY 10003, USA
In 1928, Abraham Alexander Ribicoff enrolled in New York University, but shortly after transferred to another university.
5801 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Abraham Alexander Ribicoff transferred to the University of Chicago. He graduated from law school in 1933.
New York, NY 10003, USA
In 1928, Abraham Alexander Ribicoff enrolled in New York University, but shortly after transferred to another university.
5801 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Abraham Alexander Ribicoff transferred to the University of Chicago. He graduated from law school in 1933.
https://www.amazon.com/Crisis-Child-Mental-Health-Challenge/dp/B002JMF1EM/?tag=2022091-20
1970
https://www.amazon.com/American-medical-machine-Abraham-Ribicoff/dp/0841502005/?tag=2022091-20
1972
https://www.amazon.com/America-Can-Make-Abraham-Ribicoff/dp/0689105037/?tag=2022091-20
1972
Abraham Ribicoff was born on April 9, 1910 in New Britain, Connecticut, United States, to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from Poland, Abraham A. Ribicoff, a factory worker, and Rose Sable Ribicoff.
Abraham Alexander Ribicoff attended local area schools, and after graduating from high school, worked to save money for college. In 1928, he enrolled in New York University, but shortly after transferred to the University of Chicago. He graduated from law school in 1933.
Ribicoff was admitted to the Connecticut Bar in 1933. He won a seat in the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1938. In the 1940s he served as a municipal judge in Hartford. He joined the U.S. House of Representatives in 1949 and became friends with John F. Kennedy. From 1955 to 1961 Ribicoff was governor of Connecticut. During his tenure, he restructured the judicial system; eradicated an outdated county government; and endorsed educational, welfare, and humane programs.
When Kennedy won the presidency, he asked Ribicoff to become Attorney General of the United States. He declined and suggested that the president name his own brother, Robert Kennedy, to that post. Instead, Ribicoff became the first member of Kennedy’s cabinet as the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. He resigned from the position in 1962 and returned to the U.S. Senate in 1963.
In 1968 Ribicoff was asked to nominate South Dakota Senator George McGovern for the U.S. presidency at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The convention had been rocked by people protesting America’s involvement in Vietnam. When Ribicoff took the podium, he condemned the way in which the Chicago police and the National Guard had violently broken up the demonstrations.
During his years with the Senate, Ribicoff worked to improve automobile safety standards, the environment, and the judiciary system; he also urged the creation of Medicare. While in the Senate, Ribicoff was a member of the Financial Joint Economic Committees and chaired the Government Affairs Committee. He retired from the Senate in 1981 and joined the firm of Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler as special counsel.
During his career, he also found time to write. Among his books are Politics: The American Way, America Can Make It, and The American Medical Machine. Not a candidate for reelection, he practiced law until his death at age 87.
Abraham Alexander Ribicoff was best remembered by many for the reaction that he provoked from Chicago’s Mayor Richard J. Daley at the 1968 Democratic national convention when he spoke out against police "Gestapo tactics in the streets." The Washington Post called him “the son of an immigrant who went on to a long and admired career in public life,” while the New York Times referred to him as “one of the best vote getters in Connecticut history.”
Abraham Ribicoff proved to be a loyal supporter of Truman administration foreign and domestic policies. Ribicoff eventually turned against the Vietnam War and the president's management of it, believing that it drained badly needed resources away from domestic programs.
Abraham A. Ribicoff married Ruth Siegel on June 28, 1931. The couple had two children - Peter and Jane. After the death of Ruth, Abraham married Lois Mathes in 1972.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, often referred to by his initials JFK, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from January 1961 until his assassination in November 1963.
