Anthony Charles Beilenson (October 26, 1932 – March 5, 2017) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a
Democratic Congressman from
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...
. He served ten terms in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from 1977 until 1997.
Early life and education
Beilenson was born in
New Rochelle, New York, and grew up in an upscale suburb of
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
. He attended
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...
, where he earned
BA (1954) and
JD (1957) degrees. Beilenson then relocated to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
and became a partner in a
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. ...
law firm which represented the film industry.
Political career
Beilenson was elected to the
California State Assembly in 1963, serving until 1967, and then served in the
California State Senate from 1967 to 1976. Among his accomplishments in the California State Legislature was winning enactment of the "Beilenson Act", which requires public hearings whenever
hospitals in California are closed or reduce services. His most noteworthy accomplishment was as author of the 1967 Therapeutic Abortion Act, one of the most liberal abortion laws at that time, which legalized abortion when a woman’s mental or physical health was at risk or if pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.
In 1968 Beilenson was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, losing to
Alan Cranston.
Beilenson was then elected to and served ten terms in the
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
in the United States Congress, beginning in 1977, until his retirement in 1997. While in Congress, he served on the
House Rules Committee
The Committee on Rules, or more commonly, the Rules Committee, is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is responsible for the rules under which bills will be presented to the House of Representatives, unlike other commit ...
, and as Chairman of the
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
The United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), also known as the House Intelligence Committee, is a committee of the United States House of Representatives, currently chaired by Adam Schiff. It is the primary committ ...
, 1989–1991.
Beilenson was a member of the ReFormers Caucus of
Issue One.
Tributes
In 1998, in tribute to his long career of community and government service to California,
Lake Balboa Park, in
Van Nuys was renamed the
"Anthony C. Beilenson Park". The park, which is located along Balboa Boulevard in Van Nuys, is an water recreation facility, with Balboa Lake at its center, and containing a
universally accessible playground. The artificial lake is supplied with
reclaimed water from the Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant.
He and his wife Dolores were also honored by the
Jewish National Fund,
San Fernando Valley Region, in 1991, for Congressman Beilenson's career of service as a public official, and for Dolores Beilenson's service as co-chair of the Congressional Wives for Soviet Jewry.
Beilenson died at his home in the
Westwood neighborhood of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
on March 5, 2017, after suffering a heart attack.
He was 84.
See also
*
List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
References
External links
.
*
Join California Anthony C. Beilenson
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Beilenson, Anthony
American environmentalists
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California
Politicians from Los Angeles
1932 births
2017 deaths
California lawyers
Democratic Party California state senators
Democratic Party members of the California State Assembly
Harvard Law School alumni
Politicians from New Rochelle, New York
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Jewish members of the United States House of Representatives
Activists from New Rochelle, New York
Activists from California
People from Westwood, Los Angeles
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century American politicians
21st-century American Jews
New Rochelle High School alumni