Chic Hecht
Chic Hecht | |
---|---|
United States Ambassador to the Bahamas | |
In office August 23, 1989 – March 1, 1993 | |
President | George H. W. Bush Bill Clinton |
Preceded by | Carol Boyd Hallett |
Succeeded by | Sid Williams |
United States Senator from Nevada | |
In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1989 | |
Preceded by | Howard Cannon |
Succeeded by | Richard Bryan |
Member of the Nevada Senate | |
In office 1967–1975 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Mayer Jacob Hecht November 30, 1928 Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Gail Kahn |
Education | Washington University in St. Louis (BS) |
Mayer Jacob Hecht (November 30, 1928 – May 15, 2006) was an American
Early life and education
Hecht was born into a
Korean War
Hecht attended Military Intelligence School at
Hecht was a member of the National Military Intelligence Association, and was inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame in 1988.[1]
Career
After leaving military service, Hecht moved to Nevada. His business activities included retailing, the operation of a bank, and interests in hotels. He married the former Gail Kahn in 1959.
Politics
In 1966, he was elected to the Nevada Senate, the first Republican to represent his predominantly Democratic district in and around Las Vegas in more than 25 years. He was a state senator from 1967 to 1975, serving as Senate minority leader from 1969 to 1970.
U.S. Senate
In
Ambassador
After his loss, he was then appointed ambassador to the
Activism for Soviet Jews
Before the Reykjavík Summit in 1986, Hecht met with President Ronald Reagan.[8] Hecht urged Reagan to ask Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to ease emigration requirements for Soviet Jews, including those on a list that had been prepared by a member of the Council for Soviet Jewry.[9][10] Hecht reported his effort as successful:
The former senator related that Reagan told him afterwards that he had given the list to the Soviet leader at the beginning of the summit when the two men met alone. Hecht said that Reagan was told by Gorbachev, "as long as nothing is in the paper, there is no publicity, and we don't hear about it," Jews on the list would be quietly released.[10]
Hecht credited the
Relationship with John Kerry
Hecht's name reappeared in the news in the course of the
For the rest of his life, Hecht always called Kerry on
Later career
After finishing his time as ambassador to the Bahamas in 1994, Hecht returned home to Las Vegas to focus on his business activities. On May 24, 2016, his brother, businessman and philanthropist Martin Hecht, died in Palm Springs, California. The Hecht Synagogue at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was constructed through funds raised for over a decade by Martin.[15] Opened in 1981 and dedicated in 1985 in the presence of the Hecht brothers and Senator Jesse Helms, it was named after the Hechts' then 96-year-old father.[16]
Personal life
Hecht was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2005. He died of the cancer on May 15, 2006, at the age of 77. Hecht was survived by his wife and two daughters, Lori and Lesley.[3]
See also
References
- ^ a b "HECHT, Jacob Chic". bioguide.congress.gov.
- ^ "United States Census, 1930", FamilySearch, retrieved March 7, 2018
- ^ a b Vogel, Ed (2006-05-16). "Hecht, former U.S. senator, dies in LV". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
- ^ "Chic Hecht, 77, Former Senator and Businessman From Nevada, Is Dead". New York Times. 18 May 2006. Retrieved 12 October 2014.
- ^ "Nomination of Chic Hecht To Be United States Ambassador to the Bahamas | The American Presidency Project". www.presidency.ucsb.edu.
- ^ Reidy, Chris (July 12, 1989). "Graham Loses Battle On Hecht Ex-senator Confirmed As Ambassador To The Bahamas". Orlando Sentinel. Sentinel Washington Bureau. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
- ^ "U.S. Senate: U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 101st Congress - 1st Session". www.senate.gov.
- ^ "Senator-Hecht and President Reagan".
- ^ "EDITORIAL: Chic Hecht, at 77". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2006-05-18.
- ^ a b "Jewish Sightseeing". 2006-06-20.
- ^ "Obituary: Senator Jacob ("Chic") Hecht (1929-2006)". Chabad.org. 2006-05-15.
- ^ a b Searer, Kirsten (2004-02-06). "Former GOP Sen. Hecht owes life to Democratic candidate Kerry". Las Vegas Sun.
- ^ "Politics Home Page : Roll Call". Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
- ^ "Campaign Line". Archived from the original on December 9, 2004.
- ^ "Cape businessman Martin Hecht remembered for faith, generosity". 2016-05-24. Archived from the original on 2016-10-05. Retrieved 2016-05-24.
- ^ "Behind the Headlines the Transformation of Jesse Helms". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. December 26, 1985. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
External links
- United States Congress. "Chic Hecht (id: H000439)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Jacob Chic Hecht at The Political Graveyard
- Appearances on C-SPAN