Frank Licht
| Frank Licht | |
|---|---|
Official portrait in RI State House
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| 67th Governor of Rhode Island | |
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In office January 7, 1969 – January 2, 1973 |
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| Lieutenant | J. Joseph Garrahy |
| Preceded by | John Chafee |
| Succeeded by | Philip W. Noel |
| Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court |
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In office 1956–1968 |
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| Member of the Rhode Island Senate from the 1st District |
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In office 1949–1956 |
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| Succeeded by | Martin I. Mondlick |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
March 3, 1916 Warwick, Rhode Island |
| Died | May 30, 1987 (aged 71) Providence, Rhode Island |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Dorothy Shirley Krauss Licht |
| Children | 3 Daughters |
| Residence | Warwick, Rhode Island |
| Alma mater |
B.A. Brown University LL.B. Harvard Law School |
| Profession | Politician, Lawyer |
| Religion | Judaism |
Frank R. Licht (March 3, 1916 – May 30, 1987) was an American politician and the 67th Governor of Rhode Island from 1969 to 1973, serving as the first Jewish governor in Rhode Island state history. He was also an associate justice on the Rhode Island Superior Court from 1956 to 1968 and member of the Rhode Island Senate from 1949 to 1956.
Licht was born on March 3, 1916 in Providence, Rhode Island. He was the son of Rose (Kassed) and Jacob Licht. His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants. He graduated from Brown University in 1938 and Harvard Law School in 1941, where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society at both universities. In 1946, he married Dorothy Shirley Krauss; they had three daughters, and eight grandchildren.
In 1942 Licht was admitted to the Rhode Island bar, where he served as a law clerk for Judge John C. Mahoney of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston. He was a partner with the Providence firm of Letts & Quinn from 1943 to 1956 and was an active member of the Freemasons.
Licht was elected to the Rhode Island Senate in 1949 and served there until 1956. He sat on the Superior Court of Rhode Island from 1956 to 1968. During his time on the Superior Court, Licht was founding member of the Providence Human Rights Commission, was the Chairman of the Chapin Hospital Commission, and was a general lecturer at Bryant College in Smithfield, Rhode Island, where he was a member of Delta Sigma Rho, a national debating fraternity.
In 1968 Licht announced his intention to run for the Democratic nominee for Governor of Rhode Island. During the campaign Licht was seen as the underdog candidate against three term incumbent, later Secretary of the Navy, and U.S. Senator, John Chafee. On November 5, 1968, Licht beat Chafee in a close election, winning with only 51% of the vote. He served as the first Jewish governor of the state of Rhode Island from 1969 to 1973.
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