Abraham Ribicoff

Born:  New Britain; April 9, 1910

Entry by Herbert F. Janick

In 1968 Abraham Ribicoff, seeking a second term in the United States Senate, startled many with his independence. At the Democratic National Convention he angered party stalwarts by speaking out against the Convention unit rule, by giving his seat in the Connecticut delegation to a supporter of Eugene McCarthy, by placing George McGovern in nomination for the presidency, and by denouncing Chicago Mayor Richard Daley for using "gestapo" tactics to quell disturbances outside Convention Hall. During the ensuing campaign he spoke against the Vietnam War and in favor of greater spending on urban problems. Despite these controversial actions, Ribicoff was reelected by over 100,000 votes. Independence from party control, or at least the appearance of it, was the hallmark of Ribicoff's career. Combined with a dignified campaign style that concentrated on issues rather than personalities and a pragmatic approach to legislation, the son of Jewish immigrant parents became one of the most successful and respected politicians in Connecticut history.

The backing of John Bailey was an important ingredient in Ribicoff's success. Until forging an alliance with the czar of the Democratic party in 1948, Ribicoff was an obscure Hartford lawyer and municipal judge. Born in a tenement district of New Britain and a graduate of New York University and the University of Chicago Law School, he had served two terms in the General Assembly from 1939 to 1943. With Bailey's help, he was elected to Congress for two terms from 1949-1953, serving on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

In 1954 he was chosen governor for the first of three terms in the face of a Republican landslide. Leaving the details of party machinery and patronage to Bailey, Governor Ribicoff concentrated on statesmanship. He dramatized issues by holding hearings away from Hartford, kept his door open to citizens, and held twice-daily news conferences. His strategy with a Republican legislature—“to try to steer a quiet course" but to use the veto when necessary (thirty-one times in his first term)—was amazingly effective.

After 1958, when he enjoyed Democratic legislative majorities, he was able to build a progressive reputation by abolishing outmoded county government, reforming the archaic judicial system, and by increasing funding for education, workman's compensation, unemployment benefits, and highway construction. As state expenditures increased, however, he sought a balanced budget by promoting economic growth, utilizing frequent bond issues, and reducing budgets for state agencies rather than by seeking comprehensive tax reform.

An early supporter of John F. Kennedy, Ribicoff was rewarded by being named in 1960 the first secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. In 1962 he resigned to run for the Senate. He served three terms, retiring in 1980 because of ill health. His record in Washington, like that in Hartford, was marked by nonpartisanship, social liberalism, and fiscal restraint.

For Further Reading

Very little has been written on Ribicoff's career. Joseph Lieberman, The Power Broker (Boston, 1968) details his partnership with Bailey.

* Entry under revision.