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Abraham Kazen

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Abraham Kazen, Jr., usually known as Chick Kazen (January 17, 1919-November 29 1987) was a U.S. Representative from Texas from 1967-1985. He was born in Laredo, Texas.

Education

A lifelong Laredo resident, Kazen graduated in 1937 from Laredo High School (renamed Martin High School). He then attended the University of Texas at Austin from 1937-1940. In 1941, Kazen graduated from the Cumberland University Law School in Lebanon, Tennessee (since removed to Birmingham, Alabama.

Military Service

He served as a Air Force pilot at Lubbock Air Force Base in 1942, and during the Second World War he served in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy as a pilot in Troop Carrier Command. He was discharged with the rank of captain in 1953.

Public Service

He served in the Texas House of Representatives, 1947-1952, and was elected to the Texas Senate in 1952. He served continuously for fourteen years through 1966 and was elected president pro tempore of the State Senate in 1959. He served as Acting Governor of Texas on August 4, 1959, and a member of Texas Legislative Council for sixteen years.

He was elected to Congress as a Democrat in 1967, representing the newly created 23rd District, a monstrous district stretching across two time zones--from El Paso in the west to San Antonio in the east. It had been created when Texas' previous congressional map was tossed aside under the Wesberry v. Sanders decision. He was reelected eight more times before being defeated in the 1984 Democratic primary by his more liberal opponent,Bexar County Judge Albert Bustamante of San Antonio. To date, Kazen is the last white Democrat to have represented a significant portion of San Antonio in the U.S. House. Bustamante was in turn unseated in 1992 by the Republican Henry Bonilla of San Antonio.

Kazen retired to Laredo after his defeat. He was an uncle of U.S. District Judge George P. Kazen of Laredo. He died in Austin and is buried in Catholic Cemetery in Laredo.

Kazen is honored through the naming of the Kazen Center, the student union bilding, at Laredo Community College.

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