Joseph Yale Resnick (July 13, 1924 – October 6, 1969) was an American inventor,

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

veteran and Democratic member of 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 New York ( 28th congressional district). He served two terms from 1965 to 1969.

Early life and career

Resnick was born in

Ellenville, New York Ellenville is a village within the town of Wawarsing, Ulster County, New York, United States. Its population was 4,135 at the 2010 census. Geography The village of Ellenville is about 90 miles northwest of New York City and 90 miles southwest ...

, the son of Anna (Zaida) and Morris Resnick. He served as a radio officer in the

United States Merchant Marine United States Merchant Marines are United States civilian mariners and U.S. civilian and federally owned merchant vessels. Both the civilian mariners and the merchant vessels are managed by a combination of the government and private sectors, an ...

. He also helped found Channel Master, which became a leading producer of television antennas after Resnick invented an antenna which was inexpensive, easy to assemble and install, and did not require the expertise of a specially trained technician. He was also the inventor of the first TV antenna that improved reception by rotating towards the direction of the broadcast signal. Before winning election to Congress Resnick served on the Ellenville school board.

Tenure in Congress

Resnick was elected to Congress in 1964 from New York's 28th congressional district, a heavily Republican district, defeating 14-year Republican incumbent J. Ernest Wharton. He served from January 3, 1965 until January 3, 1969. During his tenure in Congress, Resnick took on the

American Farm Bureau Federation The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), also known as Farm Bureau Insurance and Farm Bureau Inc. but more commonly just the Farm Bureau (FB), is a United States-based insurance company and lobbying group that represents the American agri ...

and subsequently wrote a book on the subject. He was a champion of civil rights and also supported the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

. He played a central role in passing the

Animal Welfare Act of 1966 The Animal Welfare Act (Laboratory Animal Welfare Act of 1966, ) was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 24, 1966. It is the main federal law in the United States that regulates the treatment of animals in research and exhibi ...

, which empowered the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

(USDA) to protect and regulate the use of animals in research facilities.Where's Pepper?
Daniel Engber, '' Slate'', June 1, 2009. He unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for a seat in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

in 1968, finishing third behind

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 ...

councilman Paul O'Dwyer and Nassau County executive

Eugene Nickerson Eugene Hoffman Nickerson (August 2, 1918 – January 1, 2002) was the Democratic county executive of Nassau County, New York, from 1962 until 1970. Nickerson was the only Democrat to be elected county executive in Nassau County until 2001. Late ...

. Resnick's seat in the House was filled by Hamilton Fish IV, whom Resnick had defeated in the 1966 election.

Death and legacy

Resnick was found dead in a

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...

hotel room on October 6, 1969. The cause of death was ruled to be a myocardial infarction. He was buried at the Hebrew Aid Society Cemetery in

Wawarsing, New York Wawarsing is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 12,771 at the 2020 census. The name Wawarsing was once believed to mean "a place where the streams wind" in the Lenape language, referring to the geography in the h ...

. The Joseph Y. Resnick Airport in Resnick's hometown of Ellenville,

Ulster County Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster. History ...

, is named for him.Jane Anderson, Shawangunk Journal
New Lights For Ellenville? -- What The Feds' Funding Of Resnick Airport Might Mean
August 8, 2013

References

External links

Retrieved on 2010-01-04 *Kingston Daily Freeman
Resnick is Dead at 44
October 7, 1969 {{DEFAULTSORT:Resnick, Joseph Y. 1924 births 1969 deaths People from Ellenville, New York Military personnel from New York (state) United States Merchant Mariners of World War II School board members in New York (state) Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) 20th-century American politicians

Early life and career

Tenure in Congress

Death and legacy

See also

References

External links