Hiram Fong

Hiram Leong Fong

|  |

Former U.S. Senator from Hawaii
From: August 21, 1959 – January 3, 1977
Predecessor | (none, seat established)
Successor | Spark Matsunaga
Former Speaker of the Hawaii House of Representatives
From: 1948–1954
Predecessor | Manuel Paschoal
Successor | Charles E. Kauhane
Former State Representative from Hawaii's 5th District
From: 1938–1954
Predecessor | ???
Successor | ???
Information

Party  | Republican

Spouse(s)  | Ellyn Lo

Religion  | Congregationalist

Military Service

Allegiance  | United States

Service/branch  | United States Army

Rank  |  Major

Unit  | United States Army Air Forces
Seventh Air Force

Battles/wars  |  World War II

Hiram Leong Fong October 15, 1906 – August 18, 2004) was a Republican U.S. senator from Hawaii from 1959 to 1977, previously serving in the state's lower house. He was mostly known as a Moderate Republican though backed the Vietnam War and supported President Richard Nixon.[1]

## U.S. Senate[edit]

After the annexation of Hawaii into the United States, Fong ran for the Class I Senate seat and won, defeating Democrat Frank F. Fasi by seven percentage points.[2] He would win re-election in 1964[3] and 1970.[4]

Fong strongly supported civil rights,[5] voting for the Civil Rights Acts of 1960,[6] 1964[7] 1968,[8] and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.[9]

Along with other Moderate Republicans of his time such as Thomas Kuchel, George Romney, and Nelson Rockefeller, Fong opposed the party nomination of the strongly conservative Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election.[10]

Fong co-sponsored[5] and voted for[11] the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 (also known as the Hart-Celler Act), which effectively replaced the McCarran-Walter Act. The legislation further removed nationality-based restrictions for naturalization and raised the quota cap.

He retired from the Senate in 1976, partially due to jetlag from heading back and forth between the U.S. and Asian countries.[12]

## References[edit]

1. ↑ Arakawa, Lynda (August 19, 2004). First Asian in U.S. Senate broke barriers. HonoluluAdvertiser.com via Internet Archive. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
2. ↑ HI US Senate. Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
3. ↑ HI US Senate. Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
4. ↑ HI US Senate. Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Associated Press (August 19, 2004). Hiram L. Fong, 97, Senator From Hawaii in 60's and 70's. Associated Press via The New York Times. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
6. ↑ HR. 8601. PASSAGE OF AMENDED BILL.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
7. ↑ HR. 7152. PASSAGE.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
8. ↑ TO PASS H.R. 2516, A BILL TO PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATION IN SALE OR RENTAL OF HOUSING, AND TO PROHIBIT RACIALLY MOTIVATED INTERFERENCE WITH A PERSON EXERCISING HIS CIVIL RIGHTS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
9. ↑ TO PASS S. 1564, THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
10. ↑ de Vries, Walter (June 16, 2016). Mitt Romney must go to Cleveland and oppose Donald Trump. Boston Globe. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
11. ↑ TO PASS H.R. 2580, IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACT AMENDMENTS.. GovTrack.us. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
12. ↑ Bernstein, Adam (August 19, 2004). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2004/08/19/hiram-fong-dies/a449dec8-5bcf-4676-8bac-e27f927dd7e1/ Hiram Fong Dies]. Washington Post. Retrieved May 15, 2021.

## External links[edit]

* Official Website
* Profile at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
* Profile at United States Senate
* Biography at encyclopedia.com
* Biography at University of Hawaii
* Biography at history.house.gov

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Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller • Wendell Willkie • Alfred M. Landon • Prescott Bush • Thomas E. Dewey • George Romney • Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. • Hiram Fong • Jacob Javits • Thomas Kuchel • Joseph W. Martin, Jr. • John McCain • Winthrop Rockefeller

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