James Abourezk
| James Abourezk | |
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United States Senator from South Dakota |
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In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1979 |
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| Preceded by | Karl E. Mundt |
| Succeeded by | Larry Pressler |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota's 2nd district |
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In office January 3, 1971 – January 3, 1973 |
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| Preceded by | E. Y. Berry |
| Succeeded by | James Abdnor |
| Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs | |
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In office January 3, 1977 – January 3, 1979 |
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| Preceded by | None Joseph C. O'Mahoney in 1947 (Senate Committee on Indian Affairs) |
| Succeeded by | John Melcher |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James George Abourezk February 24, 1931 Wood, South Dakota |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater |
South Dakota School of Mines University of South Dakota School of Law |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Religion | Greek Orthodox |
James George Abourezk (born February 24, 1931) is a politician and former Democratic United States Representative and United States Senator from South Dakota. He was the first Greek Orthodox Christian of Lebanese-Antiochite descent to serve in the United States Senate. He was generally viewed as critical of US foreign policy in the Middle-East and North Africa (MENA) area—notably regarding Palestine and Israel.
He represented South Dakota in the U.S. Senate from 1973 until 1979. He was the author of the Indian Child Welfare Act, passed by Congress in 1978 to try to preserve Indian families and arrange for placement of Indian children in homes of their cultures, as well as to reunite them with families.
James George Abourezk was born in Wood, South Dakota, the son of Lena (née Mickel), a homemaker, and Charles Abourezk, an owner of two general stores. His parents were Christians who had immigrated to the United States from the Lebanese village of Kfeir. He grew up near Wood and has lived in South Dakota most of his life.
Between 1948 and 1952, Abourezk served in the United States Navy during the Korean War. After his military service, he received a degree in civil engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City in 1961 and a law degree from University of South Dakota School of Law in Vermillion in 1966. He passed the bar, and began a legal practice in Rapid City.
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