Silvio O. Conte
| Silvio Conte | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 1st district |
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In office January 3, 1959 – February 8, 1991 |
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| Preceded by | John W. Heselton |
| Succeeded by | John Olver |
| Member of the Massachusetts Senate | |
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In office 1951–1958 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 9, 1921 Pittsfield, Massachusetts |
| Died | February 8, 1991 (aged 69) Bethesda, Maryland |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Corinne Conte |
| Children | four |
| Alma mater | Boston College |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Silvio Ottavio Conte (November 9, 1921 – February 8, 1991) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives for 16 terms, representing the 1st Congressional District of Massachusetts from January 3, 1959, until his death in Bethesda, Maryland in 1991. He strongly supported legislation to protect the environment, as well as federal funding of medical and scientific research.
Conte was born to parents who were Italian immigrants in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. He attended local public schools, including Pittsfield Vocational High School, graduating in 1940.
He served in the United States Navy during World War II from 1942 to 1944. He married Corinne Duvall, and they had four children together.
After the war, Conte went on to college, graduating from Boston College and Boston College Law School under the G. I. Bill. He earned his law degree (LL.B.) in 1949 and passed the Massachusetts bar.
Conte returned to Pittsfield and immediately turned his attention to politics. He was elected to the Massachusetts Senate in 1950, serving from 1951 to 1958.
He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1958, defeating James M. Burns, a professor at Williams College. Conte was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee, a seat that he would keep for all of his long congressional career.
Conte was effective in taking care of his district, which covered most of Western Massachusetts. He helped to win defense contracts for the General Electric plant in Pittsfield. An avid fisherman and environmentalist, he introduced legislation to bring back Atlantic salmon to the Connecticut River and worked to protect other natural resources.
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