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{{Infobox officeholder | name= Leo Isacson
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Leo Isacson
| nationality=[[United States|American]]
| nationality = [[United States|American]]
| image=Leo Isacson.jpg
| image = Leo Isacson.jpg
| caption=
| caption =
| state1= [[New York (state)|New York]]
| state1 = [[New York (state)|New York]]
| district1= [[New York's 24th congressional district|24th]]
| district1 = [[New York's 24th congressional district|24th]]
| party=[[American Labor Party|American Labor]]
| party = [[American Labor Party|American Labor]]
| term_start1 = February 17, 1948
| term_start1 = February 17, 1948
| term_end1 = January 3, 1949
| term_end1 = January 3, 1949
| preceded1= [[Benjamin J. Rabin]]
| preceded1 = [[Benjamin J. Rabin]]
| succeeded1= [[Isidore Dollinger]]
| succeeded1 = [[Isidore Dollinger]]
| state_assembly2= New York
| state_assembly2 = New York
| district2= 13th [[Bronx County, New York|Bronx]]
| district2 = 13th [[Bronx County, New York|Bronx]]
| term_start2= January 1, 1945
| term_start2 = January 1, 1945
| term_end2= December 31, 1946
| term_end2 = December 31, 1946
| preceded2= '''new district'''
| preceded2 = '''new district'''
| succeeded2=[[William J. Drohan]]
| succeeded2 = William J. Drohan
| birth_date={{birth date|1910|4|20}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1910|4|20}}
| birth_place=[[New York City|New York]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[New York City|New York]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S.
| death_date={{death date and age|1996|9|21|1910|4|20}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1996|9|21|1910|4|20}}
| death_place=[[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]], U.S.
| death_place = [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]], U.S.
| spouse = Rose (1937–88, her death)<br>Violet (1990–96, his death)
| spouse=Rose Isacson
⚫
| children = 2
Violet Isacson
⚫
| alma_mater = [[New York University]]<br>[[New York University School of Law]]
⚫
| children= 2
⚫
| alma_mater=[[New York University]]<br>[[New York University School of Law]]
}}
}}
'''Leo Leous Isacson''' (April 20, 1910 – September 21, 1996) was a New York attorney and politician who represented the [[South Bronx]] in the United States House of Representatives.
⚫
'''Leo Leous Isacson''' (April 20, 1910 – September 21, 1996) was a New York attorney and politician. He was notable for winning a 1948 election to the [[United States House of Representatives]] from [[New York (state)|New York]]'s twenty-fourth district ([[Bronx]]) as the candidate of the [[American Labor Party]] in what at that time the ''[[New York Times]]'' called "a test of [[Harry S. Truman|Truman]]-[versus]-[[Henry A. Wallace|Wallace]] strength" with regard to the upcoming U.S. Presidential elections and a "test today of the third-party movement headed by Henry A. Wallace."<ref name=NYTobit>{{cite news |first=David |last=Stout |title=Leo Isacson, 86, Upset Winner of a Bronx ongressional Seat |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/25/nyregion/leo-isacson-86-upset-winner-of-a-bronx-congressional-seat.html |date=September 25, 1996 |accessdate=November 21, 2017}}</ref><ref name=Mayor>{{cite news |title=Mayor to Support Bronx Democrat: He and Mrs. Roosevelt to Speak |newspaper=The New York Times |page=26 |date=February 4, 1948 }}</ref><ref name=Quickens>{{cite news |title=Political Activity Quickens in Nation: Bronx Vote Watched as Key to Wallace Power - Negroes Here Get Municipal Posts |newspaper=The New York Times |page=22 |date=February 17, 1948 }}</ref><ref name=BioGuide>{{cite news |title=Isacson, Leo, (1910 - 1996) |website=Biographical Guide of the United States Congress |url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=I000046 |accessdate=November 24, 2017}}</ref>

⚫
Isacson was notable for winning a 1948 special election to the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] as the candidate of the [[American Labor Party]]. The ''[[New York Times]]'' called the election a "test today of the third-party movement headed by [[Henry A. Wallace]]" and a preview of the then-upcoming [[1948 United States presidential election|1948 presidential election]] between, among others, Wallace and President [[Harry S. Truman]].<ref name="NYTobit">{{cite news |first=David |last=Stout |title=Leo Isacson, 86, Upset Winner of a Bronx ongressional Seat |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/25/nyregion/leo-isacson-86-upset-winner-of-a-bronx-congressional-seat.html |date=September 25, 1996 |accessdate=November 21, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Mayor">{{cite news |title=Mayor to Support Bronx Democrat: He and Mrs. Roosevelt to Speak |newspaper=The New York Times |page=26 |date=February 4, 1948 }}</ref><ref name="Quickens">{{cite news |title=Political Activity Quickens in Nation: Bronx Vote Watched as Key to Wallace Power - Negroes Here Get Municipal Posts |newspaper=The New York Times |page=22 |date=February 17, 1948 }}</ref><ref name="BioGuide">{{cite news |title=Isacson, Leo, (1910 - 1996) |website=Biographical Guide of the United States Congress |url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=I000046 |accessdate=November 24, 2017}}</ref>


==Early life==
==Early life==
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==Career==
==Career==
[[File:Women voter outreach 1935 English Yiddish.jpg|thumb|right|Women supporting [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], [[Herbert H. Lehman]], and the [[American Labor Party]] teach other women how to vote in 1936, the year in which Isacson first joined the ALP]]
Isacson was [[admission to the bar in the United States|admitted to the bar]] in 1933 or 1934 and commenced practice in New York City. He defended labor and tenant cases.<ref name=NYTobit /><ref name=BioGuide /><ref name=Nominations />
Isacson was [[admission to the bar in the United States|admitted to the bar]] in 1933 or 1934 and commenced practice in New York City. He defended labor and tenant cases.<ref name=NYTobit /><ref name=BioGuide /><ref name=Nominations />


In 1936, Isacson became a member at the founding of the American Labor Party (ALP, which sought to advance the cause of trade unions).<ref name=NYTobit />
In 1936, Isacson was a founding member of the [[American Labor Party]], which sought to advance the cause of trade unions.<ref name=NYTobit />


===New York State Assembly===
===New York State Assembly===
⚫
In 1944, he was elected to represent the 13th Bronx District in the [[New York State Assembly]] as the candidate of the ALP with the endorsement of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]. Most of his votes in the 1944 election came on the Republican ticket. He served from 1945 to 1946 as a member of the [[165th New York State Legislature]], but lost re-election to a Republican in 1946.<ref name=NYTobit /><ref name=BioGuide />
[[File:NewYorkAssemblyChamber.jpg|thumb|right|[[New York State Assembly]]'s lower chamber, where Isacson served from 1945 to 1946]]
⚫
In 1944, he was elected to represent the (Bronx Co., 13th D.) in the [[New York State Assembly]] as the candidate of the ALP and the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], and he served from 1945 to 1946 as a member of the [[165th New York State Legislature]]. He lost re-election in 1946.<ref name=NYTobit /><ref name=BioGuide />


On January 6, 1947, the ALP named Isacson their "legislative representative."<ref>
On January 6, 1947, the ALP named Isacson their "legislative representative."<ref>
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|accessdate=20 October 2019}}</ref>
|accessdate=20 October 2019}}</ref>


===1948 special Bronx election===
===1948 Congressional special election===
On February 17, 1948, Isacson won a stunning victory over Democrat Karl Propper, formerly president of the Bronx Bar Association, in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of [[Benjamin J. Rabin]].<ref name=Nominations />
[[File:William O'Dwyer.jpg|thumb|right|[[New York City]] Mayor [[William O'Dwyer]] supported Karl Propper against Isacson]]
⚫
On February 17, 1948, Isacson won a stunning victory over Democratic nominee [[Karl Propper]]. Propper, formerly president of the Bronx Bar Association, and his supporters included [[Eleanor Roosevelt]] and New York City Mayor [[William O'Dwyer]],<ref name=Mayor /> in a special election was held to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of [[Benjamin J. Rabin]] to the [[New York Supreme Court]].<ref name=Nominations /> Isacson received public support, first on January 24 from the Greater New York [[Congress of Industrial Organizations|CIO]] Council,<ref name=CIOback>{{cite news |title=Wallace Appeals for Isacson Votes: Third-Party Candidate Assails Truman's Foreign Policy in Broadcast Here |newspaper=The New York Times |page=23 |date=February 11, 1948 }}</ref> then on February 11 by radio<ref name=WallaceRadio>{{cite news |title=CIO to Back Isacson: Plans Active Drive for ALP Nominee in 24th District |newspaper=The New York Times |page=23 |date=January 25, 1948 }}</ref> and February 15 in a speech<ref name=Mayor /> from former U.S. Vice President [[Henry A. Wallace]].<ref name=NYTobit /><ref name=BioGuide />
[[File:Benjamin J. Davis NYWTS.jpg|thumb|right|In the late 1940s, [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] targeted alleged communist supporters, from unions to politicians (including ALP congressman [[Vito Marcantonio]] and Leo Isacson, as well as [[Communist Party of the USA|Communist]] leaders like [[Robert G. Thompson|Robert Thompson]] and [[Benjamin J. Davis, Jr.|Benjamin J. Davis]] (above)]]
During the election, the Greater New York CIO Council charged that [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] agents had been visiting offices of "left wing" CIO locals to "intimidate them and curtail their political activity in behalf of Henry A. Wallace." In contrast, the [[Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America]] (ACWA), a more conservative CIO union opposed to Wallace, confirmed that FBI agents had visited many of its locals to investigate possible violations of the [[Hatch Act of 1939]], regarding political activities, and declared the FBI had given the ACWA a "clean bill of health." The spokesman said similar inquiries had been made among other CIO and AFL unions pursuant to the law. The Council also telegrammed [[United States Attorney General|U.S. Attorney General]] [[Tom C. Clark]] to ask him to call off further FBI investigation. The Council admitted that, while FBI agents had always asked permission to check records of CIO-PAC contributions, these records were already available from the [[Secretary of State of New York]] and the [[New York City Board of Elections]], leading the Council to question the FBI's motives. The Council claimed that the FBI's investigation was "an obvious and reprehensible attempt to intimidate and harass unions and union members in the exercise of their political rights, particularly with respect to the 1948 Presidential and Congressional elections." [[Nathan Witt]], the Council's legal counselor, disagreed, stating, "There could not possibly be any technical violation in 1948 except for the Isacson election and the FBI agents made clear they were not investigating that."<ref>{{cite news |title=CIO Charges FBI Intimidates Men: Says Agents Are Visiting 'Left Wing' Locals in Attempt to Scare Wallace Backers |newspaper=The New York Times |page=13 |date=February 27, 1948 }}</ref>


⚫
Propper's supporters included [[Eleanor Roosevelt]] and New York City Mayor [[William O'Dwyer]].<ref name="Mayor" /> Isacson received public support from the Greater New York [[Congress of Industrial Organizations|CIO]] Council (CIO)<ref name="CIOback">{{cite news |title=Wallace Appeals for Isacson Votes: Third-Party Candidate Assails Truman's Foreign Policy in Broadcast Here |newspaper=The New York Times |page=23 |date=February 11, 1948 }}</ref> and former U.S. Vice President [[Henry A. Wallace]], who was mounting a third-party campaign for President.<ref name="NYTobit" /><ref name="Mayor" /><ref name="BioGuide" /><ref name="WallaceRadio">{{cite news|date=January 25, 1948|title=CIO to Back Isacson: Plans Active Drive for ALP Nominee in 24th District|page=23|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>
During the campaign, Mayor O'Dwyer made front-page headlines when he urged Wallace to leave the [[Progressive Party (United States, 1948)|Progressive Party]] and rejoin the Democratic Party. In a speech, O'Dwyer said, "The election of 1948 will result in the choice of either the Democratic or the Republican party," ruling out any chance of election of the Wallace ticket and reminded voters that "the Democratic party is by its very nature the party of labor, of small business, small farmers and independents–the backbone of our economy, the overwhelming mass of our population."<ref name=Rejoin>{{cite news |first=Warren |last=Moscow |title=Wallace Is Urged by Mayor to Drop Third-Party Race: O'Dwyer Asks Him to Rejoin Democrats |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1948/02/13/archives/wallace-is-urged-by-mayor-to-drop-thirdparty-race-odwyer-asks-him.html |page=1 |date=February 13, 1948 }}</ref> Wallace rejected O'Dwyer's plea in his speech the next day and stood side by side with Isacson in front of crowds. Meanwhile, Liberal Party co-founder [[Adolf A. Berle]] denounced Wallace as a "front for an international intrigue." He claimed Wallace wanted to "appease [[Soviet Union|Russia]]"–in the same way [[Neville Chamberlain]] sought to appease [[Nazi Germany]].<ref name=Reject>{{cite news |first=Willam R. |last=Conklin |title=Wallace Rejects Bid to Rejoin Party: Says Democratic Command Is 'Scared to Death'-Speaks in Bronx and Harlem |newspaper=The New York Times |page=1 |date=February 16, 1948 }}</ref>


==== Support from Henry Wallace ====
⚫
Two days before the election, the ''New York Times'' analyzed the shifting background of the Progressive Party: <blockquote> The question involved in the special election is how strongly the Labor [ALP] party vote will hold up after withdrawal of the [[Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America]] and other [[anti-Communist]] unions from the Labor party because of its support of Mr. Wallace's candidacy for President, which has left the [[Communist Party of the USA|Communists]] and other left-wing elements in complete control of that party's organization.<ref name=Test>{{cite news |first=James A. |last=Hagerty |title=Wallace Will Test Strength Tuesday: Showing of His Candidate for House Seat to Be Watched Closely by Politicians |newspaper=The New York Times |page=46 |date=February 15, 1948 }}</ref> </blockquote> Isacson beat Propper 22,697 votes or 55.8% to 12,598 votes or 31%, with [[Dean Alfange]] of the newly formed [[Liberal Party of New York|Liberal Party]] at 3,840 votes<ref name=Mayor /> and Republican [[Joseph A. De Nigris]] with 1,482.<ref name=Mayor /><ref name=Sweeping>{{cite news |first=Warren |last=Moscow |title=Wallace Man Wins Sweeping Victory in Bronx Election |newspaper=The New York Times |page=1 |date=February 18, 1948 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Leo Isacson |url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/leo_isacson/405902 |publisher=Govtrack US Congress |accessdate=July 25, 2013}}</ref> New York CIO Council secretary Saul Mills said shortly before the election: <blockquote>This is the first test of labor's independent political strength in the crucial 1948 elections. We are confident we can prove that strength and give the '48 campaign a proper sendoff with the election of Leo Isacson.<ref name=CIOback /></blockquote>
The special election drew attention to Wallace's third-party bid for the presidency. During the campaign, Mayor O'Dwyer made front-page headlines when he urged Wallace to leave the [[Progressive Party (United States, 1948)|Progressive Party]] and rejoin the Democratic Party.<ref name="Rejoin">{{cite news|last=Moscow|first=Warren|date=February 13, 1948|title=Wallace Is Urged by Mayor to Drop Third-Party Race: O'Dwyer Asks Him to Rejoin Democrats|page=1|newspaper=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1948/02/13/archives/wallace-is-urged-by-mayor-to-drop-thirdparty-race-odwyer-asks-him.html}}</ref> Wallace rejected O'Dwyer's plea in his speech the next day and stood side by side with Isacson in front of crowds.


Meanwhile, Liberal Party co-founder [[Adolf A. Berle]] denounced Wallace as a "front for an international intrigue." He claimed Wallace wanted to "appease [[Soviet Union|Russia]]" in the same way [[Neville Chamberlain]] sought to appease [[Nazi Germany]].<ref name="Reject">{{cite news|last=Conklin|first=Willam R.|date=February 16, 1948|title=Wallace Rejects Bid to Rejoin Party: Says Democratic Command Is 'Scared to Death'-Speaks in Bronx and Harlem|page=1|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>
==="Wallace" victory===
[[File:Henry-A.-Wallace-Townsend.jpeg|thumb|right|[[Henry A. Wallace]] supported Isacson for Congress]]
⚫
The ''Washington Post'' declared "Henry A. Wallace yesterday jolted Democratic hopes of holding New York in November" with the election of the ALP's Isacson and noted that it was "Wallace's first test at the polls since he broke with the Democratic Administration to form a third party and make his own bid for the Presidency."<ref>{{cite news |first=Robert C. |last=Albright |title=ALP Candidate Tops Rivals' Total Vote: Wide Implications Seen by Politicians |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=1 |date=February 18, 1948 }}</ref>


==== FBI investigation and labor schism ====
The ''New York Times'' stated that the election of the ALP's Isacson over the Democratic candidate Propper would have many effects, including that:
The special election exposed a rift between [[New York City]] labor unions. During the election, the CIO charged that [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] agents had been visiting offices of "left wing" CIO locals to "intimidate them and curtail their political activity in behalf of Henry A. Wallace." The CIO also telegrammed [[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]] [[Tom C. Clark|Tom Clark]] to ask him to call off further FBI investigation.
# Wallace, as a third-party presidential candidate, would poll a much larger vote than expected, i.e., that Truman had little chance of winning New York State in the 1948 general elections

⚫
# Wallace had a better chance in other states, as did other third-party candidates for Congressional and local offices
The [[Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America]] union, opposed to Wallace, confirmed that FBI agents had visited many of its locals to investigate possible violations of the [[Hatch Act of 1939|Hatch Act]] (which prohibited certain political activities) and declared the FBI had given the ACWA a "clean bill of health."<ref name=":0">{{cite news|date=February 27, 1948|title=CIO Charges FBI Intimidates Men: Says Agents Are Visiting 'Left Wing' Locals in Attempt to Scare Wallace Backers|page=13|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>
# New York Governor [[Thomas E. Dewey]] might not clinch the Republican nomination but rather U.S. Senator [[Robert A. Taft]]

While the CIO admitted that FBI agents had always a right to check records of CIO-PAC contributions, these records were already publicly available, meaning the investigations were designed to intimidate local union chapters against supporting Isacson and Wallace. The CIO legal counselor [[Nathan Witt]] stated, "There could not possibly be any technical violation in 1948 except for the Isacson election, and the FBI agents made clear they were not investigating that."<ref name=":0" />

⚫
Two days before the election, the ''New York Times'' analyzed the shifting background of the Progressive Party:<blockquote> The question involved in the special election is how strongly the Labor [ALP] party vote will hold up after withdrawal of the [[Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America]] and other [[anti-Communist]] unions from the Labor party because of its support of Mr. Wallace's candidacy for President, which has left the [[Communist Party of the USA|Communists]] and other left-wing elements in complete control of that party's organization.<ref name="Test">{{cite news|last=Hagerty|first=James A.|date=February 15, 1948|title=Wallace Will Test Strength Tuesday: Showing of His Candidate for House Seat to Be Watched Closely by Politicians|page=46|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> </blockquote>New York CIO Council secretary Saul Mills said shortly before the election:<blockquote>This is the first test of labor's independent political strength in the crucial 1948 elections. We are confident we can prove that strength and give the '48 campaign a proper sendoff with the election of Leo Isacson.<ref name=CIOback /></blockquote>Isacson beat Propper 22,697 votes to 12,598, with [[Dean Alfange]] of the new [[Liberal Party of New York|Liberal Party]] at 3,840 votes<ref name="Mayor" /> and Republican Joseph A. De Nigris with 1,482.<ref name="Mayor" /><ref name="Sweeping">{{cite news|last=Moscow|first=Warren|date=February 18, 1948|title=Wallace Man Wins Sweeping Victory in Bronx Election|page=1|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Leo Isacson|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/leo_isacson/405902|accessdate=July 25, 2013|publisher=Govtrack US Congress}}</ref>

====Aftermath and analysis====
⚫
The ''Washington Post'' declared that the election "jolted Democratic hopes of holding New York in November" with the election of the ALP's Isacson and noted that it was "Wallace's first test at the polls since he broke with the Democratic Administration to form a third party and make his own bid for the Presidency."<ref>{{cite news |first=Robert C. |last=Albright |title=ALP Candidate Tops Rivals' Total Vote: Wide Implications Seen by Politicians |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=1 |date=February 18, 1948 }}</ref> [[Henry A. Wallace|Wallace]]'s [[Progressive Party (United States, 1948)|Progressive Party]] welcomed Isacson's election.<ref name="NYTobit" />

The ''New York Times'' said Isacson's election could have an effect on the national and local politics in that:
# Wallace would poll a much larger vote than expected in New York, reducing Truman's chances in the state and his prospects nationally
⚫
# Wallace and other third-party candidates for Congressional and local offices would perform better than expected
# U.S. Senator [[Robert A. Taft]], rather than New York Governor [[Thomas E. Dewey]], might win the Republican presidential nomination
# Both the Democratic National Committee and the Bronx Democratic organization had suffered a major setback
# Both the Democratic National Committee and the Bronx Democratic organization had suffered a major setback
# The New York State Assembly would ask Mayor O'Dwyer to hold off on a rise in fare for mass transportation<ref>{{cite news |first=James A. |last=Hagerty |title=Big Aid to Wallace Is Seen in Victory of Bronx Protegee |newspaper=The New York Times |page=1 |date=February 19, 1948 }}</ref>
# The New York State Assembly would ask Mayor O'Dwyer to hold off on a rise in fare for mass transportation<ref>{{cite news |first=James A. |last=Hagerty |title=Big Aid to Wallace Is Seen in Victory of Bronx Protegee |newspaper=The New York Times |page=1 |date=February 19, 1948 }}</ref>


The next day, Wallace announced that his Progressive Party had won a place in the California primaries.<ref>{{cite news |title=Wallace Party Enters California |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=2 |date=February 19, 1948 }}</ref>


Two days later, the ''Washington Post'' was still assessing the implications of Bronx congressional election: <blockquote>The outcome of Tuesday's special election in New York's Twenty-fourth Congressional District confirms what most political commentators have for some time surmised that Henry Wallace, if he wishes to do so, can deprive the Democratic candidate of New York State's 47 electoral votes next November. Thus, as a political portent, the election possesses great significance which will not be lost upon the kingmakers in either of the major parties.<ref>{{cite news |title=Wallace's Strength |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=10 |date=February 19, 1948 }}</ref></blockquote> The ''Post'' also believed that (in retrospect, just four months before declaration of the [[State of Israel]]) "According to all seasoned political observers, it was the Palestine issue that gave the victory to Leo Isacson, the Henry Wallace-American Labor Party candidate, in the special congressional election in the Bronx. This overwhelming upset of the strong Bronx machine of Edward J. Flynn indicates what political dynamite there is in Palestine, for a President now eagerly seeking reelection and clearly dependent on carrying such States as New York" (the "President" here referring to Truman).<ref>{{cite news |first1=Joseph |last1=Alsop |authorlink1=Joseph Alsop |first2=Stewart |last2=Alsop |authorlink2=Stewart Alsop |title=Matter of Fact: The Horns Are Sharp |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=21 |date=February 20, 1948 }}</ref>
Two days later, the ''Washington Post'' was still assessing the implications of Bronx congressional election: <blockquote>The outcome of Tuesday's special election in New York's Twenty-fourth Congressional District confirms what most political commentators have for some time surmised that Henry Wallace, if he wishes to do so, can deprive the Democratic candidate of New York State's 47 electoral votes next November. Thus, as a political portent, the election possesses great significance which will not be lost upon the kingmakers in either of the major parties.<ref>{{cite news |title=Wallace's Strength |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=10 |date=February 19, 1948 }}</ref></blockquote> The ''Post'' also believed that, "According to all seasoned political observers, it was [[United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine|the Palestine issue]] that gave the victory to Leo Isacson, the Henry Wallace-American Labor Party candidate, in the special congressional election in the Bronx. This overwhelming upset of the strong Bronx machine of Edward J. Flynn indicates what political dynamite there is in Palestine, for a President now eagerly seeking reelection and clearly dependent on carrying such States as New York."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Alsop|first1=Joseph|authorlink1=Joseph Alsop|last2=Alsop|first2=Stewart|authorlink2=Stewart Alsop|date=February 20, 1948|title=Matter of Fact: The Horns Are Sharp|page=21|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>


On February 21, 1948, the Progressive Party formed its Michigan chapter.<ref>{{cite news |title=Wallace Backers United in Michigan |newspaper=The New York Times |page=31 |date=February 22, 1948 }}</ref>
On February 23, the ''New York Times'' published an analysis titled "Isacson's Victory Is Aid to Wallace in Major States: Adds Strength to Third-Party Movement for Presidency, A Survey Discloses." The ''Times'' stated that Wallace had gained support in the states of Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and California.<ref>{{cite news |first=James A. |last=Hagerty |title=Isacson's Victory Is Aid to Wallace in Major States: Adds Strength to Third-Party Movement for Presidency, A Survey Discloses |newspaper=The New York Times |page=1 |date=February 23, 1948 }}</ref>


Isacson joined fellow New York Representative [[Vito Marcantonio]] of Harlem as the only ALP members in Congress.<ref>{{cite news|last=Pearson|first=Drew|date=March 14, 1948|title=Washington Merry-Go-Round: Truman 'Isn't In' to Wheelhorses|page=B5|newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>
On February 23, 1948, the ''New York Times'' was still analyzing the election in an article whose headline read "Isacson's Victory Is Aid to Wallace in Major States" with the subtitle "Adds Strength to Third-Party Movement for Presidency, A Survey Discloses." The ''Times'' stated that Wallace had gained [[United States Electoral College|Electoral College]] support in the states of Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and California.<ref>{{cite news |first=James A. |last=Hagerty |title=Isacson's Victory Is Aid to Wallace in Major States: Adds Strength to Third-Party Movement for Presidency, A Survey Discloses |newspaper=The New York Times |page=1 |date=February 23, 1948 }}</ref>

However, on February 25, 1948, the victory diminished somewhat when [[Si Gerson|Simon W. Gerson]], candidate for the [[New York City Council]] to fill the seat of the late communist council member [[Peter V. Cacchione]], found himself denied a council seat when council members voted 14 to 4 against him. The four council members who supported his candidacy were: [[Benjamin J. Davis Jr.]] ("Harlem Communist"), [[Michael J. Quill]] ("Bronx Laborite"), [[Eugene P. Connolly]] ("Manhattan Laborite"), and [[Stanley M. Isaacs]] ("Manhattan Republican"). Afterwards, "warning that "all the Wallace forces are behind the seating of Mr. Gerson, Mr. Connolly said he would introduce another resolution to seat him at a later date." Councilman Edward Rager ("Manhattan Republican") said the underlying issue over Gerson was [[Communism]]; Rager also said Communists were "largely responsible" for Leo Isacson's election. Quill, who had supported Isacson, "denied that Communists had won that election."<ref>{{cite news |title=Gerson Is Denied |newspaper=The New York Times |page=31 |date=February 22, 1948 }}</ref>


===U.S. Congress===
===U.S. Congress===
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Isacson served from February 17, 1948 to January 3, 1949.<ref name=NYTobit /><ref name=BioGuide />
Isacson served from February 17, 1948 to January 3, 1949.<ref name=NYTobit /><ref name=BioGuide />


By one measure, Isacson was the second most [[American liberalism|liberal]] person to serve in Congress between 1937 and 2002 (second only to [[William H. Meyer]]).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://voteview.com/Is_John_Kerry_A_Liberal.htm |publisher=Voteview |title=Is John Kerry a Liberal? |date=}}</ref> He opposed the [[Marshall Plan]] and the peacetime draft, and was one of three Congressmen to oppose legislation to increase the size of the [[United States Air Force|Air Force]]. He also pushed for immediate recognition of the [[State of Israel]].<ref name=NYTobit />
By one measure, Isacson was the second most [[American liberalism|liberal]] person to serve in Congress between 1937 and 2002 (second only to Vermont Representative [[William H. Meyer]]).<ref>{{cite web |url= http://voteview.com/Is_John_Kerry_A_Liberal.htm |publisher=Voteview |title=Is John Kerry a Liberal? |date=}}</ref>


He opposed the [[Marshall Plan]] and the peacetime draft, and was one of three Congressmen to oppose legislation to increase the size of the [[United States Air Force|Air Force]]. He also pushed for immediate recognition of the [[State of Israel]].<ref name="NYTobit" />
He also changed the situation for fellow ALP New York Representative [[Vito Marcantonio]]. Until Isacson's election, as commentator [[Drew Pearson (journalist)|Drew Pearson]] wrote at the time: <blockquote>Rambunctious, left-wing Representative Vito Marcantonio of New York has long been "majority leader," the "party whip," and the total membership of the American Labor Party in Congress. He has labored alone–a situation perfectly okay with Vito, for he likes to consider himself a modern [[King David|David]] jousting with the "big interests."<ref>{{cite news |first=Drew |last=Pearson |title=Washington Merry-Go-Round: Truman 'Isn't In' to Wheelhorses |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=B5 |date=March 14, 1948 }}</ref></blockquote>


In March 1948, he continued public speaking in New York City on topics that included [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine]], thanks to sponsorship that included the ALP and the [[Progressive Citizens of America]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Isacson Speaks Here Tonight |newspaper=The New York Times |page=22 |date=March 10, 1948 }}</ref> Isacson joined fellow New York ALP representative [[Vito Marcantonio]] and Democrats in voting unsuccessfully against an "unprecedented" $200,000 appropriation to the [[House Un-American Activities Committee]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Jay |last=Walz |title=Congress Criticizes–and Supports–Thomas: Un-American Activities Committee Gets More Funds Despite Attacks |newspaper=The New York Times |page=22 |date=March 10, 1948 }}</ref>
In March 1948, he continued public speaking in New York City on topics that included [[Mandatory Palestine|Palestine]], thanks to sponsorship that included the ALP and the [[Progressive Citizens of America]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Isacson Speaks Here Tonight |newspaper=The New York Times |page=22 |date=March 10, 1948 }}</ref> Isacson, Marcantonio, and Democrats in voting unsuccessfully against an "unprecedented" $200,000 appropriation to the [[House Un-American Activities Committee]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Jay |last=Walz |title=Congress Criticizes–and Supports–Thomas: Un-American Activities Committee Gets More Funds Despite Attacks |newspaper=The New York Times |page=22 |date=March 10, 1948 }}</ref>


In April 1948, he became the first Congressman ever to be denied a [[United States passport]] by the State Department when he attempted to go to Paris to attend a conference as an observer for the American Council for a Democratic Greece, a [[Communist front]] organization, because of the group's role in opposing the Greek government in the [[Greek Civil War]].<ref>[[Haig v. Agee]], 453 U.S. 280 (1981), at 302</ref><ref name="Time">{{cite news|title=Foreign Relations: Bad Ammunition|date=12 April 1948|newspaper=[[Time (magazine)|TIME Magazine]]|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,779776,00.html}}</ref> Issuing him a passport was judged not to be "in the interests of the US",<ref name="Time" /> so he was denied a passport under the [[s:Passport Act of 1926|Passport Act of 1926]] (currently [[codification (law)|codified]] at {{USC|22|211a}} et seq.), which allows the Presidential administration to deny or revoke passports for [[foreign policy of the United States|foreign policy]] or [[national security]] reasons at any time.<ref name="revocations">{{cite journal|title=Passport Revocations or Denials on the Ground of National Security and Foreign Policy|first=Evelyn|last=Capassakis|journal=[[Fordham Law Review|Fordham L. Rev.]]|volume=49|issue=6|year=1981|pp=1178–1196|url=http://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2498&context=flr}}</ref> [[Henry A. Wallace]]'s [[Progressive Party (United States, 1948)|Progressive Party]] welcomed Isacson's election.<ref name=NYTobit />
In April 1948, Isacson became the first Congressman ever denied a [[United States passport]] when he attempted to go to Paris to observe a conference of the American Council for a Democratic Greece, a [[Communist front]] organization.<ref>[[Haig v. Agee]], 453 U.S. 280 (1981), at 302</ref><ref name="Time">{{cite news|title=Foreign Relations: Bad Ammunition|date=12 April 1948|newspaper=[[Time (magazine)|TIME Magazine]]|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,779776,00.html}}</ref> He was denied a passport under the [[Passport Act of 1926]], which allows the President to deny or revoke passports for [[foreign policy of the United States|foreign policy]] or [[national security]] reasons.<ref name="Time" /><ref name="revocations">{{cite journal|title=Passport Revocations or Denials on the Ground of National Security and Foreign Policy|first=Evelyn|last=Capassakis|journal=[[Fordham Law Review|Fordham L. Rev.]]|volume=49|issue=6|year=1981|pp=1178–1196|url=http://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2498&context=flr}}</ref>


In September 1948, Isacson stumped for Wallace in New York City with fellow ALP candidates Marcantonio (Harlem), [[Irma Lindheim]] (Queens), and [[Lee Pressman]] (Brooklyn). "Representative Isacson declared that President Truman would learn during the campaign that he could not hide the responsibility of the Democratic party for the bi-partisan assault on the liberties of the American people. He declared that the [[Taft-Hartley Act]] was passed with the help of a majority of Democratic Representatives, that four out of five Democrats in Congress voted for the peacetime draft and for continuance of the Committee on Un-American Activities."<ref>{{cite news |first=James A. |last=Hagerty |title=48,000 Hear Wallace Assert Prejudice Will Fail in South |newspaper=The New York Times |page=1 |date=September 11, 1948 }}</ref>
In fall 1948, Isacson was opposed for re-election by Democrat [[Isidore Dollinger]]. Dollinger attacked Isacson as a [[Communist Party of the USA|Communist]], noting the praise Isacson's victory had received from Soviet Communist Party newspaper ''[[Pravda]]''.<ref>{{cite news|date=February 23, 1948|title=Pravda Hails Isacson: Sees Growth of 'Progressive' Forces in U.S. and Europe|page=14|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> Isacson stumped for Wallace in New York City with Marcantonio and ALP candidates [[Irma Lindheim]] (Queens) and [[Lee Pressman]] (Brooklyn). Isacson charged that President Truman, Dollinger, and the Democratic Party were complicit in a bipartisan assault on American civil liberties and the anti-labor [[Taft–Hartley Act|Taft-Hartley Act]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Hagerty|first=James A.|date=September 11, 1948|title=48,000 Hear Wallace Assert Prejudice Will Fail in South|page=1|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> Dollinger, who also ran on the Republican and [[Liberal Party of New York|Liberal]] tickets, won the general election by a wide margin, 74,594 to 44,257.<ref name="NYTobit" /><ref name="BioGuide" /><ref>{{cite news |title=State PAC Predicts Low Wallace Vote |newspaper=The New York Times |page=1 |date=October 17, 1948 }}</ref>

In the fall of 1948, he ran for reelection against [[Isidore Dollinger]]. Neither he nor other ALP candidates received the endorsement of the New England Regional CIO-PAC. Like other contenders, Dollinger lumped Isacson among other ALP leaders (e.g., [[Vito Marcantonio]]) as a [[Communist Party of the USA|Communist]]. (In February 1948, ''[[Pravda]]'' newspaper hailed Isacson's election as a victory for progressive forces in Europe and America, while ''Pravda'' commentator [[Boris Leontiev]] predicted worldwide defeat for imperialists.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pravda Hails Isacson: Sees Growth of 'Progressive' Forces in U.S. and Europe |newspaper=The New York Times |page=14 |date=February 23, 1948 }}</ref>) Isacson lost to Dollinger 44,257 to 74,594.<ref name=NYTobit /><ref name=BioGuide /><ref>{{cite news |title=State PAC Predicts Low Wallace Vote |newspaper=The New York Times |page=1 |date=October 17, 1948 }}</ref>


===Later===
===Later===
Line 103: Line 106:
In the early 1970s, he moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and taught as an adjunct professor of political science at [[Nova Southeastern University]].<ref name=NYTobit /><ref name=BioGuide />
In the early 1970s, he moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and taught as an adjunct professor of political science at [[Nova Southeastern University]].<ref name=NYTobit /><ref name=BioGuide />


==Personal and death==
==Personal life and death==
In 1937, Isacson married Rose Rakowitz (1912-1988). They were the parents of two daughters, Dale and Jill.<ref name="Stone">{{cite book |last=Stone |first=Kurt F. |date=2011 |title=The Jews of Capitol Hill: A Compendium of Jewish Congressional Members |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ACTF56SnaykC&pg=PA180 |location=Lanham, MD |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |page=180 |isbn=978-0-8108-7738-2 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> Jill was murdered in 1981, a crime which was never solved.<ref name="Stone"/> Rose Rakowitz Isacson died in 1988.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 6, 1988 |title=Death Notice, Rose Isacson |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41845461/death_notice_rose_isacson/ |work=[[Sun-Sentinel]] |location=Fort Lauderdale, FL |page=15 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> Around 1990, Isacson married Violet.<ref name=NYTobit />
In 1937, Isacson married Rose Rakowitz (1912–88).<ref>{{cite news|date=May 6, 1988|title=Death Notice, Rose Isacson|page=15|work=[[Sun-Sentinel]]|location=Fort Lauderdale, FL|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/41845461/death_notice_rose_isacson/|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> They were the parents of two daughters, Dale and Jill.<ref name="Stone">{{cite book |last=Stone |first=Kurt F. |date=2011 |title=The Jews of Capitol Hill: A Compendium of Jewish Congressional Members |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ACTF56SnaykC&pg=PA180 |location=Lanham, MD |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |page=180 |isbn=978-0-8108-7738-2 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> Jill was murdered in 1981, a crime which was never solved.<ref name="Stone"/>

Around 1990, Isacson married his second wife, Violet.<ref name="NYTobit" />


Isacson died of cancer at a hospital in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]] on September 21, 1996.<ref name=NYTobit /><ref name=BioGuide />
Isacson died of cancer at a hospital in [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida]] on September 21, 1996.<ref name=NYTobit /><ref name=BioGuide />

Revision as of 05:30, 16 June 2020

Leo Isacson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 24th district
In office
February 17, 1948 – January 3, 1949
Preceded byBenjamin J. Rabin
Succeeded byIsidore Dollinger
Member of the New York State Assembly
from the 13th Bronx district
In office
January 1, 1945 – December 31, 1946
Preceded bynew district
Succeeded byWilliam J. Drohan
Personal details
Born(1910-04-20)April 20, 1910
New York, New York, U.S.
DiedSeptember 21, 1996(1996-09-21) (aged 86)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
Political partyAmerican Labor
Spouse(s)Rose (1937–88, her death)
Violet (1990–96, his death)
Children2
Alma materNew York University
New York University School of Law

Leo Leous Isacson (April 20, 1910 – September 21, 1996) was a New York attorney and politician who represented the South Bronx in the United States House of Representatives.

Isacson was notable for winning a 1948 special election to the House of Representatives as the candidate of the American Labor Party. The New York Times called the election a "test today of the third-party movement headed by Henry A. Wallace" and a preview of the then-upcoming 1948 presidential election between, among others, Wallace and President Harry S. Truman.[1][2][3][4]

Early life

Leo Isacson was born on April 20, 1910, in Manhattan, New York County, New York. He had two sisters, Ruth (later Thielle) and Regina (later Hymowitz). He attended the public schools, then graduated from New York University in 1931 and New York University School of Law in 1933.[4][5]

Career

Isacson was admitted to the bar in 1933 or 1934 and commenced practice in New York City. He defended labor and tenant cases.[1][4][5]

In 1936, Isacson was a founding member of the American Labor Party, which sought to advance the cause of trade unions.[1]

New York State Assembly

In 1944, he was elected to represent the 13th Bronx District in the New York State Assembly as the candidate of the ALP with the endorsement of the Republican Party. Most of his votes in the 1944 election came on the Republican ticket. He served from 1945 to 1946 as a member of the 165th New York State Legislature, but lost re-election to a Republican in 1946.[1][4]

On January 6, 1947, the ALP named Isacson their "legislative representative."[6]

1948 Congressional special election

On February 17, 1948, Isacson won a stunning victory over Democrat Karl Propper, formerly president of the Bronx Bar Association, in a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Benjamin J. Rabin.[5]

Propper's supporters included Eleanor Roosevelt and New York City Mayor William O'Dwyer.[2] Isacson received public support from the Greater New York CIO Council (CIO)[7] and former U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace, who was mounting a third-party campaign for President.[1][2][4][8]

Support from Henry Wallace

The special election drew attention to Wallace's third-party bid for the presidency. During the campaign, Mayor O'Dwyer made front-page headlines when he urged Wallace to leave the Progressive Party and rejoin the Democratic Party.[9] Wallace rejected O'Dwyer's plea in his speech the next day and stood side by side with Isacson in front of crowds.

Meanwhile, Liberal Party co-founder Adolf A. Berle denounced Wallace as a "front for an international intrigue." He claimed Wallace wanted to "appease Russia" in the same way Neville Chamberlain sought to appease Nazi Germany.[10]

FBI investigation and labor schism

The special election exposed a rift between New York City labor unions. During the election, the CIO charged that FBI agents had been visiting offices of "left wing" CIO locals to "intimidate them and curtail their political activity in behalf of Henry A. Wallace." The CIO also telegrammed Attorney General Tom Clark to ask him to call off further FBI investigation.

The Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America union, opposed to Wallace, confirmed that FBI agents had visited many of its locals to investigate possible violations of the Hatch Act (which prohibited certain political activities) and declared the FBI had given the ACWA a "clean bill of health."[11]

While the CIO admitted that FBI agents had always a right to check records of CIO-PAC contributions, these records were already publicly available, meaning the investigations were designed to intimidate local union chapters against supporting Isacson and Wallace. The CIO legal counselor Nathan Witt stated, "There could not possibly be any technical violation in 1948 except for the Isacson election, and the FBI agents made clear they were not investigating that."[11]

Two days before the election, the New York Times analyzed the shifting background of the Progressive Party:

The question involved in the special election is how strongly the Labor [ALP] party vote will hold up after withdrawal of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America and other anti-Communist unions from the Labor party because of its support of Mr. Wallace's candidacy for President, which has left the Communists and other left-wing elements in complete control of that party's organization.[12]

New York CIO Council secretary Saul Mills said shortly before the election:

This is the first test of labor's independent political strength in the crucial 1948 elections. We are confident we can prove that strength and give the '48 campaign a proper sendoff with the election of Leo Isacson.[7]

Isacson beat Propper 22,697 votes to 12,598, with Dean Alfange of the new Liberal Party at 3,840 votes[2] and Republican Joseph A. De Nigris with 1,482.[2][13][14]

Aftermath and analysis

The Washington Post declared that the election "jolted Democratic hopes of holding New York in November" with the election of the ALP's Isacson and noted that it was "Wallace's first test at the polls since he broke with the Democratic Administration to form a third party and make his own bid for the Presidency."[15] Wallace's Progressive Party welcomed Isacson's election.[1]

The New York Times said Isacson's election could have an effect on the national and local politics in that:

  1. Wallace would poll a much larger vote than expected in New York, reducing Truman's chances in the state and his prospects nationally
  2. Wallace and other third-party candidates for Congressional and local offices would perform better than expected
  3. U.S. Senator Robert A. Taft, rather than New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey, might win the Republican presidential nomination
  4. Both the Democratic National Committee and the Bronx Democratic organization had suffered a major setback
  5. The New York State Assembly would ask Mayor O'Dwyer to hold off on a rise in fare for mass transportation[16]


Two days later, the Washington Post was still assessing the implications of Bronx congressional election:

The outcome of Tuesday's special election in New York's Twenty-fourth Congressional District confirms what most political commentators have for some time surmised that Henry Wallace, if he wishes to do so, can deprive the Democratic candidate of New York State's 47 electoral votes next November. Thus, as a political portent, the election possesses great significance which will not be lost upon the kingmakers in either of the major parties.[17]

The Post also believed that, "According to all seasoned political observers, it was the Palestine issue that gave the victory to Leo Isacson, the Henry Wallace-American Labor Party candidate, in the special congressional election in the Bronx. This overwhelming upset of the strong Bronx machine of Edward J. Flynn indicates what political dynamite there is in Palestine, for a President now eagerly seeking reelection and clearly dependent on carrying such States as New York."[18]

On February 23, the New York Times published an analysis titled "Isacson's Victory Is Aid to Wallace in Major States: Adds Strength to Third-Party Movement for Presidency, A Survey Discloses." The Times stated that Wallace had gained support in the states of Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and California.[19]

Isacson joined fellow New York Representative Vito Marcantonio of Harlem as the only ALP members in Congress.[20]

U.S. Congress

Isacson served from February 17, 1948 to January 3, 1949.[1][4]

By one measure, Isacson was the second most liberal person to serve in Congress between 1937 and 2002 (second only to Vermont Representative William H. Meyer).[21]

He opposed the Marshall Plan and the peacetime draft, and was one of three Congressmen to oppose legislation to increase the size of the Air Force. He also pushed for immediate recognition of the State of Israel.[1]

In March 1948, he continued public speaking in New York City on topics that included Palestine, thanks to sponsorship that included the ALP and the Progressive Citizens of America.[22] Isacson, Marcantonio, and Democrats in voting unsuccessfully against an "unprecedented" $200,000 appropriation to the House Un-American Activities Committee.[23]

In April 1948, Isacson became the first Congressman ever denied a United States passport when he attempted to go to Paris to observe a conference of the American Council for a Democratic Greece, a Communist front organization.[24][25] He was denied a passport under the Passport Act of 1926, which allows the President to deny or revoke passports for foreign policy or national security reasons.[25][26]

In fall 1948, Isacson was opposed for re-election by Democrat Isidore Dollinger. Dollinger attacked Isacson as a Communist, noting the praise Isacson's victory had received from Soviet Communist Party newspaper Pravda.[27] Isacson stumped for Wallace in New York City with Marcantonio and ALP candidates Irma Lindheim (Queens) and Lee Pressman (Brooklyn). Isacson charged that President Truman, Dollinger, and the Democratic Party were complicit in a bipartisan assault on American civil liberties and the anti-labor Taft-Hartley Act.[28] Dollinger, who also ran on the Republican and Liberal tickets, won the general election by a wide margin, 74,594 to 44,257.[1][4][29]

Later

Isacson returned to his law practice. He lived in Eastchester. He became active in the Democratic Party. In 1968, he served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.[4]

In the early 1970s, he moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and taught as an adjunct professor of political science at Nova Southeastern University.[1][4]

Personal life and death

In 1937, Isacson married Rose Rakowitz (1912–88).[30] They were the parents of two daughters, Dale and Jill.[31] Jill was murdered in 1981, a crime which was never solved.[31]

Around 1990, Isacson married his second wife, Violet.[1]

Isacson died of cancer at a hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on September 21, 1996.[1][4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Stout, David (September 25, 1996). "Leo Isacson, 86, Upset Winner of a Bronx ongressional Seat". The New York Times. Retrieved November 21, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Mayor to Support Bronx Democrat: He and Mrs. Roosevelt to Speak". The New York Times. February 4, 1948. p. 26.
  3. ^ "Political Activity Quickens in Nation: Bronx Vote Watched as Key to Wallace Power - Negroes Here Get Municipal Posts". The New York Times. February 17, 1948. p. 22.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Isacson, Leo, (1910 - 1996)". Biographical Guide of the United States Congress. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "Bronx Democrats Nominate Propper: Leo Isacson Is Named by ALP to Oppose Him". The New York Times. January 22, 1948. p. 4.
  6. ^ "Leo Isacson Gets ALP Post". The New York Times. January 7, 1947. p. 29. Retrieved 20 October 2019.
  7. ^ a b "Wallace Appeals for Isacson Votes: Third-Party Candidate Assails Truman's Foreign Policy in Broadcast Here". The New York Times. February 11, 1948. p. 23.
  8. ^ "CIO to Back Isacson: Plans Active Drive for ALP Nominee in 24th District". The New York Times. January 25, 1948. p. 23.
  9. ^ Moscow, Warren (February 13, 1948). "Wallace Is Urged by Mayor to Drop Third-Party Race: O'Dwyer Asks Him to Rejoin Democrats". The New York Times. p. 1.
  10. ^ Conklin, Willam R. (February 16, 1948). "Wallace Rejects Bid to Rejoin Party: Says Democratic Command Is 'Scared to Death'-Speaks in Bronx and Harlem". The New York Times. p. 1.
  11. ^ a b "CIO Charges FBI Intimidates Men: Says Agents Are Visiting 'Left Wing' Locals in Attempt to Scare Wallace Backers". The New York Times. February 27, 1948. p. 13.
  12. ^ Hagerty, James A. (February 15, 1948). "Wallace Will Test Strength Tuesday: Showing of His Candidate for House Seat to Be Watched Closely by Politicians". The New York Times. p. 46.
  13. ^ Moscow, Warren (February 18, 1948). "Wallace Man Wins Sweeping Victory in Bronx Election". The New York Times. p. 1.
  14. ^ "Leo Isacson". Govtrack US Congress. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  15. ^ Albright, Robert C. (February 18, 1948). "ALP Candidate Tops Rivals' Total Vote: Wide Implications Seen by Politicians". The Washington Post. p. 1.
  16. ^ Hagerty, James A. (February 19, 1948). "Big Aid to Wallace Is Seen in Victory of Bronx Protegee". The New York Times. p. 1.
  17. ^ "Wallace's Strength". The Washington Post. February 19, 1948. p. 10.
  18. ^ Alsop, Joseph; Alsop, Stewart (February 20, 1948). "Matter of Fact: The Horns Are Sharp". The Washington Post. p. 21.
  19. ^ Hagerty, James A. (February 23, 1948). "Isacson's Victory Is Aid to Wallace in Major States: Adds Strength to Third-Party Movement for Presidency, A Survey Discloses". The New York Times. p. 1.
  20. ^ Pearson, Drew (March 14, 1948). "Washington Merry-Go-Round: Truman 'Isn't In' to Wheelhorses". The Washington Post. p. B5.
  21. ^ "Is John Kerry a Liberal?". Voteview.
  22. ^ "Isacson Speaks Here Tonight". The New York Times. March 10, 1948. p. 22.
  23. ^ Walz, Jay (March 10, 1948). "Congress Criticizes–and Supports–Thomas: Un-American Activities Committee Gets More Funds Despite Attacks". The New York Times. p. 22.
  24. ^ Haig v. Agee, 453 U.S. 280 (1981), at 302
  25. ^ a b "Foreign Relations: Bad Ammunition". TIME Magazine. 12 April 1948.
  26. ^ Capassakis, Evelyn (1981). "Passport Revocations or Denials on the Ground of National Security and Foreign Policy". Fordham L. Rev. 49 (6): 1178–1196.
  27. ^ "Pravda Hails Isacson: Sees Growth of 'Progressive' Forces in U.S. and Europe". The New York Times. February 23, 1948. p. 14.
  28. ^ Hagerty, James A. (September 11, 1948). "48,000 Hear Wallace Assert Prejudice Will Fail in South". The New York Times. p. 1.
  29. ^ "State PAC Predicts Low Wallace Vote". The New York Times. October 17, 1948. p. 1.
  30. ^ "Death Notice, Rose Isacson". Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, FL. May 6, 1988. p. 15 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ a b Stone, Kurt F. (2011). The Jews of Capitol Hill: A Compendium of Jewish Congressional Members. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 180. ISBN 978-0-8108-7738-2 – via Google Books.


New York State Assembly
Preceded by
new district
 New York State Assembly
Bronx County, 13th District
1945–1946 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New York's 24th congressional district
1948–1949 		Succeeded by
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