Ben Rosenthal
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York
In office February 20, 1962 – January 4, 1983
Preceded by	Lester Holtzman
Succeeded by	Gary Ackerman
Constituency	6th district (1962–1963) 8th district (1963–1983) 7th district (1983)
Personal details
Born	Benjamin Stanley Rosenthal (1923-06-08)June 8, 1923 New York City, New York, U.S.
Died	January 4, 1983(1983-01-04) (aged 59) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Cause of death	Cancer
Resting place	Beth David Cemetery,Elmont, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	New York University

Benjamin Stanley Rosenthal (June 8, 1923 – January 4, 1983) was an AmericanDemocratic Party politician from New York who represented the northern portion ofQueens during twelve congressional terms, from 1962 until his death. Upon his death at age 59, he was the third-most senior representative in the New York delegation.

Born in New York City, Rosenthal attended public schools (includingStuyvesant High School),Long Island University and theCity College of New York.

He served in theUnited States Army from 1943 to 1946. Thereafter, he received hisLL.B. fromBrooklyn Law School in 1949^[1] and anLL.M. fromNew York University in 1952. He was admitted to the New York bar in 1949 and commenced practice in New York City.

Rosenthal was elected as aDemocrat to theEighty-seventh United States Congress, filling the vacancy caused by the resignation of RepresentativeLester Holtzman. Taking office on February 20, 1962, he was re-elected that fall, and then again to ten succeeding Congresses.

Rosenthal was a "regular" or machine Democrat, but held liberal views, opposing the Vietnam War early on and working on consumer protection issues.^[2]

On May 17, 1962, Rosenthal read a statement into theCongressional Record praising the magazineMad on its tenth anniversary.^[3] (Rosenthal's district, NY-8, included the part ofManhattan where Mad's offices were.) "Mad Magazine...for the last 10 years has humorously pointed out the laughable foibles of business, labor, advertising, television, sports and entertainment – to say nothing of politics," Rosenthal said.^{[citation needed]}

Rosenthal was re-elected again in 1982, but died from complications of cancer atGeorgetown University Hospital on January 4, 1983, just one day after the98th United States Congress met for the first time. He was sworn in to that Congress from his hospital bed.^[2]

Rosenthal is buried inBeth David Cemetery inElmont, New York.

On March 1,Gary Ackerman was elected to the seat and held it through 2013.

The Benjamin S. Rosenthal Library atQueens College, City University of New York, is named in his honor.^[4] Rosenthal's papers are held by the library's Department of Special Collections and Archives.^[5][6]

• List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
• List of members of the United States Congress who died in office (1950–1999)

• Guide to the Benjamin S. Rosenthal papers, at Queens College, City University of New York, including links to selected digitized items
• Benjamin Rosenthal atFind a Grave

• 1923 births
• 1983 deaths
• City College of New York alumni
• Long Island University alumni
• Stuyvesant High School alumni
• Brooklyn Law School alumni
• New York University School of Law alumni
• Jewish United States representatives
• Jewish American military personnel
• Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
• Deaths from cancer in Washington, D.C.
• United States Army soldiers
• Burials at Beth David Cemetery
• 20th-century American Jews
• 20th-century New York (state) politicians
• 20th-century United States representatives

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