Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Abourezk, James G., 1931-
Abourezk, James
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
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Description area
Dates of existence
History
James George Abourezk was born on February 24, 1931, in Wood, South Dakota, on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. He served in the United States Navy from 1948 to 1952 during the Korean War. Following his military service, he earned a degree in civil engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 1961 and a Juris Doctor from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 1966. He then practiced law in Rapid City.
Abourezk began his political career as a Democrat, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives for South Dakota’s 2nd district from 1971 to 1973. In 1972, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served from 1973 to 1979. He was the first Arab American to serve in the Senate and became the first chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs. During his time in Congress, he authored several pieces of legislation, including the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 and the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978.
After completing one term in the Senate, Abourezk chose not to seek reelection. In 1980, he founded the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) and served as its first national chairman. He returned to his law practice and published a memoir, Advise and Dissent, in 1989. Abourezk died on February 24, 2023, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on his 92nd birthday.
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Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
Occupation: Legislators; Lawyers
Associated Groups: Democratic Party (U.S.); American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee; United States. Congress. House, 19710103-19730103; United States. Congress. Senate, 19730103-19790103