Leonard F. Walentynowicz | |
|---|---|
| 6thAssistant Secretary of State for Security and Consular Affairs | |
| In office January 2, 1975 – March 7, 1977 | |
| Preceded by | Barbara M. Watson |
| Succeeded by | Barbara M. Watson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1932 Buffalo, New York |
| Died | 2005 |
| Education | University at Buffalo |
Leonard Frederick Walentynowicz (1932–2005) wasUnited StatesAssistant Secretary of State for Security and Consular Affairs from 1975 to 1977; a Republican lawyer[1] and the long-time executive director of thePolish American Congress.
Walentynowicz was born inBuffalo, New York, in 1932.[2] He grew up on theEast Side of Buffalo and attended high school atHutchinson Central Technical High School[2] and then attended theUniversity at Buffalo, The State University of New York, receiving a degree in business,[2] and theUniversity at Buffalo Law School, receiving his law degree in 1955.[3]
After law school, Walentynowicz established alaw practice in Buffalo. He later became Chief of the Appeals Section of theErie Countydistrict attorney's office.[4] He also served as aspecial prosecutor for the Bar Association of Erie County.[4] In 1962, he was elected president of the University at Buffalo Law Alumni Association, and served as one of the first instructors at the law school's Trial Techniques clinical.[4]
In early 1974,President of the United StatesRichard Nixon nominated Walentynowicz asAssistant Secretary of State for Security and Consular Affairs to replaceBarbara M. Watson. This nomination proved controversial because Watson was the onlyAfrican American and the only woman serving as anAssistant Secretary of State in theUnited States Department of State; in April 1974, theNational Association for the Advancement of Colored People passed a resolution condemning Nixon's decision to replace a black woman with a white, maleRepublican.[5] As a result of this opposition,SenatorsJacob K. Javits (R—NY) andJames L. Buckley (C—NY) initially blocked Walentynowicz's appointment.[6] PresidentGerald Ford later succeeded in getting Walentynowicz confirmed asAssistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs and Walentynowicz held this office from January 2, 1975, until March 7, 1977.
After his time in office, Walentynowicz remained inWashington, D.C., becoming Executive Director of thePolish American Congress.[4] In this capacity, he authored severalamicus briefs for cases pending at theSupreme Court of the United States, generally opposingaffirmative action as a form ofreverse racism that mainly hurtwhite ethnics such asPolish Americans.[4] For example, he filed an amicus brief on behalf of the Polish American Congress and several other ethnic organizations in the landmark case ofRegents of the University of California v. Bakke, 438U.S. 265 (1978), which upheld affirmative action.[7] He testified several times before theUnited States Commission on Civil Rights and in 1980, he published a book about workplace discrimination against European Americans entitledEmployment and Ethnicity.[4]
In the late 1980s, Walentynowicz moved back to Buffalo, settling inGrand Island, New York, and continuing to practice law.[2] He also taught at the UB Law School, the Buffalo Police Academy, and the Erie County Sheriff's Academy.[2]
Walentynowicz died on July 7, 2005, at the age of 72.[8]
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Assistant Secretary of State for Security and Consular Affairs January 2, 1975 – March 7, 1977 | Succeeded by |