Introduction
Leo Isacson (April 20, 1910 – September 21, 1996) was an American Labor member of the United States House of Representatives from New York's twenty-fourth district.
Biography
Isacson was born in Manhattan, New York County, New York. He attended the public schools, then graduated from New York University in 1931 and New York University School of Law in 1933. He was admitted to the bar in 1934 and commenced practice in New York City.
Career
Isacson became a member when the American Labor Party was founded in 1936 to advance the cause of trade unions and was member of the New York State Assembly (Bronx Co., 13th D.) in 1945 and 1946.
Elected as an American Laborite to Congress in 1948 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Benjamin J. Rabin from a Bronx district seat, Isacson served from February 17, 1948 until January 3, 1949. By one measure, he was the second most liberal person to serve in Congress between 1937 and 2002. He opposed the Marshall Plan and the peacetime draft, and was one of three Congressmen to oppose legislation to increase the size of the Air Force. He also pushed for immediate recognition of Israel.
Isacson became the first Congressman ever to be denied a United States passport by the State Department when he attempted to go to Paris to attend a conference as an observer for the American Council for a Democratic Greece, a Communist front organization, because of the group's role in opposing the Greek government in the Greek Civil War. Issuing him a passport was judged not to be "in the interests of the US", so he was denied a passport under the Passport Act of 1926 (currently codified at 22 U.S.C. § 211a et seq.), which allows the Presidential administration to deny or revoke passports for foreign policy or national security reasons at any time.
An unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1948, Isacson returned to his law practice and became active in the Democratic Party. He was a delegate to the 1968 Democratic National Convention. He moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida and taught political science at Nova Southeastern University.
Death
Isacson died of cancer in a hospital at Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida, on September 21, 1996 (age 86).