Hamilton Fish IV

Hamilton Fish IV or Hamilton Fish Jr. (June 3, 1926 – July 23, 1996) was a Republican politician best known as a member of the U.S. Congressional Delegation from New York.[1] Fish was a member of the prominent Fish political family.[2]

Hamilton Fish IV
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York
In office January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by	Joseph Y. Resnick
Succeeded by	Sue W. Kelly
Constituency	28th district (1969–73) 25th district (1973–83) 21st district (1983–93) 19th district (1993–95)
Personal details
Born	June 3, 1926 Washington, D.C., U.S.
Died	July 23, 1996 (aged 70) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Julia MacKenzie ​ ​ (m. 1951; died 1969)​ Billy Laster Cline ​ ​ (m. 1971; died 1985)​ Mary Ann Tinklepaugh ​ ​ (m. 1988; his death 1996)​
Children	4 (including Hamilton V and Nick)
Parents	Grace Chapin Hamilton Fish III
Education	Kent School
Alma mater	Harvard University New York University (LL.B.)
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch/service	United States Navy Reserve
Years of service	1944–1946

Early life

Fish was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Grace Chapin and Hamilton Fish III (1888–1991). His grandfathers were Hamilton Fish II (1849–1936) and Alfred C. Chapin, who were both lawyers and politicians. He was a great-grandson of Hamilton Fish (1808–1893), and a descendant of Lewis Morris and John Kean.[2]

He attended the prestigious private Kent School, and graduated from Harvard University in 1949. He received an LL.B. from New York University School of Law in 1957. He also attended Harvard's Graduate School of Public Administration. While in college, Fish was a member of the United States Naval Reserve.[2]

Career

From 1951 to 1953, Fish served with the United States Foreign Service and was posted as vice consul to Ireland.[1] He practiced law privately before his election to the House, and in 1961, Fish served as a lawyer for the New York State Assembly's Judiciary Committee.[2]

U.S. Congress

Fish was a candidate for the 90th Congress in 1966. While he won the Republican primary, he was defeated in the general election by Democrat Joseph Y. Resnick. In the 1968 Republican primary, he defeated G. Gordon Liddy,[3] and went on to win in the general election that year. He served in the 91st United States Congress,[4][5] and was re-elected to the 12 succeeding Congresses, serving from January 3, 1969 to January 3, 1995.[1]

As a member of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary in 1974, he voted in favor of the first two of the three Articles of Impeachment (for obstruction of justice and abuse of power) of President Richard Nixon.[6]

Personal life

In 1951, Fish was married to Julia MacKenzie (1927–1969),[7] who was born in Montreal, Quebec, and was the daughter of Ellice MacKenzie.[8][9] Together, they were the parents of:[2]

• Hamilton Fish V (b. 1952), who ran for Congress in 1988 and 1994 as a Democrat without success.[10][11] He is married to Sandra Harper.
• Julia Alexandria "Alexa" Fish (b. 1953), who married Thomas Ward, a descendant of Samuel Gray Ward.[12]
• Nicholas Stuyvesant Fish (1958–2020), also a Democrat who was chairman of Manhattan Community Board 5. Member of the Portland City Council 2008–2020.
• Peter Livingston Fish (b. 1959)

After Julia's death in a car accident in 1969,[7] he married Billy Laster Cline (1924–1985), the daughter of Mayne E. Laster (1903–1972), a cattle rancher, and Mildred (née Greenwood) Laster (1912–1987), in 1971.[13][14] They remained married until her death in 1985.[15] In 1988,[16] he married Mary Ann Tinklepaugh (b. 1930), a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce in the Reagan and Bush administrations.[2]

Fish died at his home in Washington, D.C. on July 23, 1996.[2]

References

1. "FISH, Hamilton, Jr. - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
2. Pace, Eric (24 July 1996). "Hamilton Fish Jr., 70, Dies; Part of a Political Dynasty". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
3. Barone, Michael; Ujifusa, Grant (1987). The Almanac of American Politics 1988. National Journal. p. 842.
4. "Another Hamilton Fish Is Sworn in the House". The New York Times. January 4, 1969. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
5. "To 2 Representatives, Recess Means Work; Time Is Used for Touring Districts". The New York Times. 27 August 1969. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
6. Farnsworth, Malcolm. "Analysis of the Impeachment Votes of the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives". watergate.info. Retrieved 2010-07-10.
7. "Wife of Rep. Hamilton Fish Dies in Auto Crash at 41". The New York Times. 28 March 1969. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
8. "JULIA MACKENZIE TO WED; Betrothed to Hamilton Fish Jr., Son of Former Congressman". The New York Times. January 24, 1951. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
9. "MISS MACKENZIE WED TO HAMILTON FISH JR". The New York Times. 5 February 1951. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
10. "METRO DATELINES; Hamilton Fish 3d Joins Race for House". The New York Times. 13 April 1988. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
11. Feron, James (17 April 1988). "Hamilton Fish Throws His Hat Into the Ring". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
12. "THOMAS WARD DIES; HARVARD CLASS '66; Oldest Alumnus, 95, Former Banker Here, Friend of Justice Holmes and William James EX-AIDE TO LOUIS AGASSIZ With Scientist's Expedition to Brazil in 1865--Father Was College Treasurer, 1830-42". The New York Times. 19 July 1940. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
13. "Representative Hamilton Fish Jr. To Wed Mrs. Billy Laster Cline". The New York Times. 28 February 1971. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
14. "Rep. Hamilton Fish Jr. Remarries". The New York Times. 4 April 1971. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
15. "Billy Laster Fish, 60, Is Dead; Wife of U.S. Representative". The New York Times. 26 May 1985. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
16. "Mary Ann Knauss Is Wed To Rep. Hamilton Fish Jr". The New York Times. January 1, 1989. Retrieved 31 October 2017.

External links

• United States Congress. "Hamilton Fish IV (id: F000141)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Biography and index to papers
• FBI file at Internet Archive
• Hamilton Fish IV at Find a Grave
• Desmond-Fish Library Public Library co-founded by Hamilton Fish IV. Library has many Fish family artifacts, papers and portraits on display.
• LiSA (Livingston-Svirsky Archive) Contains many online documents on the Fish Family.
• Appearances on C-SPAN