[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 18 (Wednesday, February 12, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E229-E230]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO BENTLEY KASSAL

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 12, 1997

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, and my colleagues of the House, I would like 
to take this opportunity to bring to your attention a very special 
person who is about to celebrate his 80th birthday on February 28, 
1997.
  I am speaking about Justice Bentley Kassal who has faithfully served 
the people of the State of New York for over 40 years. Bentley Kassal 
was born in New York City on February 28, 1917, to Pauline Nirenberg 
and Hyman Kassal, who arrived from Poland in 1914. He attended New York 
City public schools. He graduated from Townsend Harris High School and 
was a member of the varsity soccer and baseball teams. He was elected 
to the Townsend Harris hall of fame in April 1991 and received its Life 
Achievement Award in October 1989.

[[Page E230]]

  He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania [1937, B.A.] and 
Harvard Law School [1940, J.D.]. Justice Kassel enlisted and served for 
4 years in World War II and was awarded a Bronze Star Medal, three 
bronze arrowheads for participating in three D-day invasions, Sicily, 
Salerno, and Southern France and seven battle stars for his service in 
the African, Italian, and European theaters of war.
  In 1956, Justice Kassal was the first reform Democrat legislator 
elected to the New York State Legislature. He served from 1957 to 1963 
in the New York State Assembly. In 1960, he authored a bill 
establishing the first arts council in the United States--the New York 
State Council on the Arts.
  He was elected to the New York State civil court on January 1, 1970, 
and later to the New York State supreme court in 1976, and designated 
as an associate justice of the appellate division where he served until 
his mandatory retirement by reason of the constitutional age limitation 
on December 31, 1993. As a supreme court justice, he authored 334 
published opinions.
  Justice Kassal served as chairman of the New York State Chapter of 
Americans for Democratic Action from 1964 to 1966 and was a member of 
ADA's national board. He is also a trustee at large of the Federation 
of Jewish Philanthropies and the United Jewish Appeal, as well as a 
director of the city of New York Supreme Court Justices Association, 
the Helsinki Watch Committee, and several other organizations.
  In addition, he worked as a pro bono photographer for Save the 
Children Federation, UNICEF, Helsinki Watch Committee, Foster Parents 
Plan, Joint Distribution Committee, International Rescue Committee, 
World Monuments Fund, and numerous other charities, traveling 
throughout the world, covering 147 countries on 65 photo assignments.
  Justice Kassel is listed in 14 different ``Who's Who'' directories 
and is married to Barbara Joan Wax. New York is blessed to have this 
wonderful and devoted justice, and I am proud and fortunate to be able 
to call him my friend.

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