James Abourezk was a Democratic politician from South Dakota who became the first Arab American elected to the U.S. Senate.
- Died: February 24, 2023 (Who else died on February 24?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the age of 92.
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Political career
Abourezk grew up on an Indian reservation in South Dakota, the son of Lebanese immigrant parents. He served in the U.S. Navy for four years after his 1948 high school graduation, including serving at the beginning of the Korean War. After studying civil engineering and earning a law degree, Abourezk practiced law and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1971. He served a single term before his election to the U.S. Senate in 1972. As the first chairman of the Senate Committee of Indian Affairs, Abourezk became known for his work on behalf of the Native American community. This included the Indian Child Welfare Act, intended to address the problem of Native American children frequently being unnecessarily removed from their families and placed in foster care. Abourezk chose to step down after a single term in the Senate, later founding the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. He returned to his work as a lawyer and published books including “Advise and Dissent: Memoirs of South Dakota and the U.S. Senate.”
Tributes to James Abourezk
Full obituary: Argus Leader
