Leonard F. Walentynowicz
Encyclopedia
Leonard Frederick Walentynowicz (1932–2005) was United States
Assistant Secretary of State for Security and Consular Affairs from 1975 to 1977 and the long-time executive director of the Polish American Congress
.
in 1932. He grew up on the East Side
of Buffalo and attended high school at Hutchinson Central Technical High School
and then attended the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
, receiving a degree in business, and the University at Buffalo Law School
, receiving his law degree in 1955.
After law school, Walentynowicz established a law practice in Buffalo. He later became Chief of the Appeals Section of the Erie County
district attorney
's office. He also served as a special prosecutor
for the Bar Association of Erie County. 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.
In early 1974, President of the United States
Richard Nixon
nominated Walentynowicz as Assistant Secretary of State for Security and Consular Affairs to replace Barbara M. Watson
. This nomination proved controversial because Watson was the only African American
and the only woman serving as an Assistant Secretary of State in the United States Department of State
; in April 1974, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
passed a resolution condemning Nixon's decision to replace a black woman with a white, male Republican. As a result of this opposition, Senators
Jacob K. Javits
(R
—NY) and James L. Buckley
(C—NY) initially blocked Walentynowicz's appointment. President Gerald Ford
later succeeded in getting Walentynowicz confirmed as Assistant 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 in Washington, D.C.
, becoming Executive Director of the Polish American Congress
. In this capacity, he authored several amicus briefs for cases pending at the Supreme Court of the United States
, generally opposing affirmative action
as a form of reverse racism
that mainly hurt white ethnics such as Polish Americans. For example, he filed an amicus brief on behalf of the Polish American Congress and several other ethnic organizations in the landmark case of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
, 438 U.S.
265 (1978), which upheld affirmative action. He testified several times before the United States Commission on Civil Rights
and in 1980, he published a book about workplace discrimination against European Americans entitled Employment and Ethnicity.
In the late 1980s, Walentynowicz moved back to Buffalo, settling in Grand Island, New York
and continuing to practice law. He also taught at the UB Law School, the Buffalo Police Academy, and the Erie County Sheriff's Academy.
Walentynowicz died on July 7, 2005, at the age of 72.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Assistant Secretary of State for Security and Consular Affairs from 1975 to 1977 and the long-time executive director of the Polish American Congress
Polish American Congress
The Polish American Congress is a U.S. umbrella organization of Polish-Americans and Polish-American organizations.Its membership is composed of fraternal, educational, veterans, religious, cultural, social, business, and political organizations, as well as individuals.As of January 2009, it lists...
.
Biography
Leonard F. Walentynowicz was born in Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
in 1932. He grew up on the East Side
East Side, Buffalo, New York
The Lower East Side was the Polish district of Buffalo, New York and now is predominantly African American. The Lower East Side is bordered by Michigan Avenue to the West, Genesee Street to the North, I-190 to the South, and the town of Cheektowaga to the East. It is the physically largest...
of Buffalo and attended high school at Hutchinson Central Technical High School
Hutchinson Central Technical High School
Hutchinson Central Technical High School, informally known as Hutch-Tech, is a high school in the City of Buffalo, New York. Its founding on September 14, 1904 under the name Mechanics Arts High School marked the beginning of technical education on the secondary level in the city of...
and then attended the University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...
, receiving a degree in business, and the University at Buffalo Law School
University at Buffalo Law School
The University at Buffalo Law School, the State University of New York is a graduate professional school at the University at Buffalo. It is part of the State University of New York system and is the SUNY system's only law school. U.S...
, receiving his law degree in 1955.
After law school, Walentynowicz established a law practice in Buffalo. He later became Chief of the Appeals Section of the Erie County
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
's office. He also served as a special prosecutor
Special prosecutor
A special prosecutor generally is a lawyer from outside the government appointed by an attorney general or, in the United States, by Congress to investigate a government official for misconduct while in office. A reasoning for such an appointment is that the governmental branch or agency may have...
for the Bar Association of Erie County. 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.
In early 1974, President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
nominated Walentynowicz as Assistant Secretary of State for Security and Consular Affairs to replace Barbara M. Watson
Barbara M. Watson
Barbara Mae Watson was a United States diplomat who was the first black and the first woman to serve as an Assistant Secretary of State.-Biography:Barbara M. Watson was born in New York City on November 5, 1918, the daughter of James S...
. This nomination proved controversial because Watson was the only African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
and the only woman serving as an Assistant Secretary of State in the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
; in April 1974, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
passed a resolution condemning Nixon's decision to replace a black woman with a white, male Republican. As a result of this opposition, Senators
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Jacob K. Javits
Jacob K. Javits
Jacob Koppel "Jack" Javits was a politician who served as United States Senator from New York from 1957 to 1981. A liberal Republican, he was originally allied with Governor Nelson Rockefeller, fellow U.S...
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
—NY) and James L. Buckley
James L. Buckley
James Lane Buckley is a retired judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and previously served as a United States Senator from the state of New York as a member of the Conservative Party of New York from January 3, 1971 to January 3, 1977...
(C—NY) initially blocked Walentynowicz's appointment. President Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
later succeeded in getting Walentynowicz confirmed as Assistant 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 in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, becoming Executive Director of the Polish American Congress
Polish American Congress
The Polish American Congress is a U.S. umbrella organization of Polish-Americans and Polish-American organizations.Its membership is composed of fraternal, educational, veterans, religious, cultural, social, business, and political organizations, as well as individuals.As of January 2009, it lists...
. In this capacity, he authored several amicus briefs for cases pending at the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
, generally opposing affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
as a form of reverse racism
Reverse racism
Reverse racism is a controversial term which refers to racial prejudice or discrimination directed against the traditionally dominant racial group in a society. It is sometimes used as a pejorative description of systems which discriminate in favour of members of racial minorities, more formally...
that mainly hurt white ethnics such as Polish Americans. For example, he filed an amicus brief on behalf of the Polish American Congress and several other ethnic organizations in the landmark case of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States that ruled unconstitutional the admission process of the Medical School at the University of California at Davis, which set aside 16 of the 100 seats for African American...
, 438 U.S.
United States Reports
The United States Reports are the official record of the rulings, orders, case tables, and other proceedings of the Supreme Court of the United States. Opinions of the court in each case, prepended with a headnote prepared by the Reporter of Decisions, and any concurring or dissenting opinions are...
265 (1978), which upheld affirmative action. He testified several times before the United States Commission on Civil Rights
United States Commission on Civil Rights
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is historically a bipartisan, independent commission of the U.S. federal government charged with the responsibility for investigating, reporting on, and making recommendations concerning civil rights issues that face the nation.-Commissioners:The Commission is...
and in 1980, he published a book about workplace discrimination against European Americans entitled Employment and Ethnicity.
In the late 1980s, Walentynowicz moved back to Buffalo, settling in Grand Island, New York
Grand Island, New York
Grand Island is a town and an island in Erie County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 census, the town population is 20,374. This represents an increase of 9.41% from the 2000 census figure . The current town name derives from the French name La Grande Île, as Grand Island is the largest island in...
and continuing to practice law. He also taught at the UB Law School, the Buffalo Police Academy, and the Erie County Sheriff's Academy.
Walentynowicz died on July 7, 2005, at the age of 72.