Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 21st district
In office January 3, 1947 – December 31, 1954
Preceded by
James H. Torrens
Succeeded by
Herbert Zelenko
Personal details
Born
Jacob Koppel Javits
(1904-05-18)May 18, 1904 New York City, U.S.
Died
March 7, 1986(1986-03-07) (aged 81) West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
Resting place
Linden Hills Jewish Cemetery, New York City, U.S.
Political party
Republican
Other political affiliations
Liberal
Spouses
Marjorie Joan Ringling
(m. 1933; div. 1936)
Marian Ann Borris
(m. 1947)
Relations
Jacob Emden (ancestor) Eric M. Javits (nephew)
Children
3
Alma mater
Columbia University (BA) New York University (LLB)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance
United States
Branch/service
United States Army
Years of service
1942–1946
Rank
Lieutenant colonel
Unit
Chemical Corps
Battles/wars
World War II
Jacob Javits's voice
Javits expressing his hopes for reform in the Republican party Recorded November 6, 1974
Jacob Koppel Javits (/ˈdʒævɪts/JAV-its; May 18, 1904 – March 7, 1986)[1] was an American lawyer and politician. During his time in politics, he represented the state of New York in both houses of the United States Congress. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as the state's Attorney General.[2] Generally considered a liberal Republican, he was often at odds with his own party. A supporter of labor unions, Great Society and civil rights, he played a key role in the passing of civil rights legislation. An opponent of the War in Vietnam, he drafted the War Powers Resolution in 1973.
Born to Jewish parents, Javits was raised in a tenement on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He graduated from the New York University School of Law and established a law practice in New York City.[3] During World War II, he served in the United States Army's Chemical Warfare Department. Outraged by the corruption of Tammany Hall, Javits joined the Republican Party and supported New York Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1946 and served in that body until 1954. In the House, Javits supported President Harry S. Truman's Cold War foreign policy and voted to fund the Marshall Plan. He defeated Franklin Delano Roosevelt Jr. in the 1954 election for Attorney General of New York,[4] and defeated Democrat Robert F. Wagner Jr. in the 1956 United States Senate elections.
In the Senate, Javits supported much of Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society programs and civil rights legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He voted for the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution but came to question Johnson's handling of the Vietnam War. To rein in presidential war powers, Javits sponsored the War Powers Resolution. Javits also sponsored the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, which regulated defined-benefit private pensions.[5] In 1980, Javits lost the Republican Senate primary to Al D'Amato, who campaigned to Javits's right. Nonetheless, he ran in the general election as the Liberal Party nominee. He and Democratic nominee Elizabeth Holtzman were defeated by D'Amato. Javits died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1986.
^r. Doerner, William (March 17, 1986). "Minority Power: Jacob K. Javits: 1904-1986". Time.
^"Jacob Koppel Javits (1904-1986)".
^"About - Javits Center".
^Cite error: The named reference Pearson was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Jacob K. Javits - Pensions & Investments". December 14, 2006.
Morris Javits, a descendant of the 18th-century rabbi Jacob Emden who was known as the Ya'avetz, which was later anglicized to Javits. Javits grew up...
The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, commonly known as the Javits Center, is a large convention center on Eleventh Avenue between 34th Street and 38th...
Fort Tryon Park is the Jacob K. Javits Playground, which primarily serves Hudson Heights and is named after U.S. senator JacobJavits. The play area contains...
Borris Javits, sometimes Marion (January 19, 1925 – February 28, 2017) was an American arts patron. She was married to the politician Jacob K. Javits from...
standards for the identification and servicing of gifted students. The JacobJavits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act was passed in 1988 as part...
JacobJavits was defeated in the primary by Al D'Amato. D'Amato went on to win a plurality in the general election over Elizabeth Holtzman and Javits...
James Buckley in a three-way race. Murray Baron Jacob Javits, incumbent U.S. Senator While Javits did not face any challengers for the Republican nomination...
(November 2, 1947 – August 11, 1976), was a senior aide to Senator Jacob K. Javits (R-NY). Rosenthal was murdered in a terrorist attack in Istanbul, Turkey...
Goodell was nearly as liberal as New York's other Republican senator, JacobJavits. In the Senate, Goodell authored and sponsored a large number of bills...
Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator JacobJavits won against Democratic challenger Ramsey Clark in a three-way election. JacobJavits, incumbent U.S. Senator Ramsey...
support for the eight-employee threshold from other senators such as JacobJavits (R-NY), the Senate amended the threshold to fifteen, and the House subsequently...
Henry M. Jackson, National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, Senator JacobJavits and Congressman Charles Vanik met to discuss the finalization of the...
Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) Act; Republican New York Senator Jacob K. Javits concurrently sponsored a bill providing "Medicare for All". In 1971...
amongst other things, control over labor unions associated with the JacobJavits Convention Center in Manhattan. BELLOMO became the Acting Boss of the...
York was held on November 6, 1962. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator JacobJavits won against Democratic challenger James B. Donovan. James B. Donovan...
Dillon Richard N. Goodwin W. Averell Harriman William vanden Heuvel JacobJavits Lady Bird Johnson Nicholas Katzenbach William P. Rogers Arthur M. Schlesinger...
Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Washington DC Metro system, and the JacobJavits Center. GAF Energy is a manufacturer of residential solar roofs. The...
JacobJavits won against Democratic challenger Paul O'Dwyer and Conservative Party challenger James L. Buckley in a three-way election. While Javits did...
election would be called in 1975. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator JacobJavits won against Democratic challenger Ramsey Clark in a three way election...
the Tower Amendment and passed an amendment proposed by U.S. Senator JacobJavits directing HEW to include "reasonable provisions considering the nature...
Global Information
United States
United States Army
Lieutenant colonel