Silvio O. Conte
Encyclopedia
Silvio Ottavio Conte was a Republican
member of the United States House of Representatives
for 16 terms, from January 3, 1959, until his death.
immigrants in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
, he represented Massachusetts
's first congressional district for seventeen consecutive terms.
during World War II
from 1942 to 1944, then attended Boston College
and Boston College Law School
under the G. I. Bill receiving a law degree (LL.B.) in 1949.
in 1950 and served from 1951 to 1958. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1958, defeating James M. Burns
, a professor at Williams College
. Conte was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee, a seat that he would keep for his entire congressional career.
. He helped to win defense contracts for the General Electric
plant in Pittsfield. An avid fisherman and environmentalist, he introduced legislation to bring back Atlantic salmon
to the Connecticut River
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d098:HR03044:|TOM:/bss/d098query.html.
The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
in Massachusetts
, Vermont
, New Hampshire
, and Connecticut
is named in his honor. He also secured funding for a polymer
research center at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst
. The Silvio O. Conte National Center for Polymer Research at UMass Amherst
was named in Conte's honor, as was Building 49 of the National Institutes of Health
. A passionate advocate for federal funded research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the NIH continues to honor him today with grants for neurological research awarded in his name and several university-based Silvio O. Conte Centers for neuroscience research http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2009/new-silvio-o-conte-centers-address-brain-development-disorders.shtml. The National Archives located on Dan Fox Drive in Pittsfield is named after Conte, and West Side Elementary School in west Pittsfield was renamed Silvio O. Conte Community School http://mail.pittsfield.net/ConteCS/ after his death.
Conte never lost an election and was the only member of Congress who lacked an opponent in the 1964 election. He is somewhat infamous for wearing a pig mask in a 1983 press conference, as a protest against pork barrel
spending. Although a member of the Republican Party, Conte was described as a liberal
Republican. Conte voted against U.S. involvement in the 1991 Gulf War
. On social issues, Conte had a mixed record, reflecting his Roman Catholic heritage; for instance, he was opposed to abortion. The future Speaker of the British House of Commons
, Betty Boothroyd
, worked for him as a legislative assistant between 1960 and 1962.
, a multi-purpose arena
at Boston College, is named for him. Opened in 1988, Conte Forum is home to the Boston College Eagles
men's and women's basketball
and ice hockey
teams.
in Bethesda, Maryland
on February 8, 1991, and is buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery in his home town of Pittsfield. Over 5,000 of his constituents waited in line in 5 °F (-15 °C) weather to attend his wake at tiny All Souls Church, his childhood church, in Pittsfield. His funeral was attended, even as the First Gulf war was beginning, by four U.S. Cabinet Secretaries, 100 members of Congress, and the sitting Vice President of the United States
, Dan Quayle
. He was eulogized by long-time friends Tip O'Neil (former U.S. Speaker of the House) and Senator Edward Kennedy
.
He was survived by his wife Corinne (née Duval), and their four children. John Olver
, a Democrat
, succeeded him in Congress.
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...
member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for 16 terms, from January 3, 1959, until his death.
Birth
Born to ItalianItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
immigrants in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
, he represented Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
's first congressional district for seventeen consecutive terms.
Education
Conte attended Pittsfield Vocational High School, graduating in 1940. He served in the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
from 1942 to 1944, then attended Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
and Boston College Law School
Boston College Law School
Boston College Law School is one of the six professional graduate schools at Boston College. Located approximately 1.5 miles from the main Boston College campus in Chestnut Hill, Boston College Law School is situated on a wooded campus in Newton, Massachusetts.With approximately 800 students and...
under the G. I. Bill receiving a law degree (LL.B.) in 1949.
Political career
Conte returned to Pittsfield and immediately turned his attention to politics. Conte was elected to the Massachusetts SenateMassachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
in 1950 and served from 1951 to 1958. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1958, defeating James M. Burns
James MacGregor Burns
James MacGregor Burns is an historian and political scientist, presidential biographer, and authority on leadership studies. He is the Woodrow Wilson Professor of Government Emeritus at Williams College and Distinguished Leadership Scholar at the of the School of Public Policy at the University...
, a professor at Williams College
Williams College
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1793 with funds from the estate of Ephraim Williams. Originally a men's college, Williams became co-educational in 1970. Fraternities were also phased out during this...
. Conte was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee, a seat that he would keep for his entire congressional career.
Congressional career
Conte was known for taking care of his district, which covered most of Western MassachusettsWestern Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U.S. state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires, the Pioneer Valley, and some or all of the Swift River Valley. The region is always considered to include Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties, and the...
. He helped to win defense contracts for the General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
plant in Pittsfield. An avid fisherman and environmentalist, he introduced legislation to bring back Atlantic salmon
Atlantic salmon
The Atlantic salmon is a species of fish in the family Salmonidae, which is found in the northern Atlantic Ocean and in rivers that flow into the north Atlantic and the north Pacific....
to the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d098:HR03044:|TOM:/bss/d098query.html.
The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge
Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge was established in 1997 to conserve, protect and enhance the abundance and diversity of native plant, fish and wildlife species and the ecosystems on which they depend throughout the Connecticut River watershed. The watershed covers large areas of...
in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, and Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
is named in his honor. He also secured funding for a polymer
Polymer
A polymer is a large molecule composed of repeating structural units. These subunits are typically connected by covalent chemical bonds...
research center at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
. The Silvio O. Conte National Center for Polymer Research at UMass Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
was named in Conte's honor, as was Building 49 of the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
. A passionate advocate for federal funded research through the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the NIH continues to honor him today with grants for neurological research awarded in his name and several university-based Silvio O. Conte Centers for neuroscience research http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2009/new-silvio-o-conte-centers-address-brain-development-disorders.shtml. The National Archives located on Dan Fox Drive in Pittsfield is named after Conte, and West Side Elementary School in west Pittsfield was renamed Silvio O. Conte Community School http://mail.pittsfield.net/ConteCS/ after his death.
Conte never lost an election and was the only member of Congress who lacked an opponent in the 1964 election. He is somewhat infamous for wearing a pig mask in a 1983 press conference, as a protest against pork barrel
Pork barrel
Pork barrel is a derogatory term referring to appropriation of government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district...
spending. Although a member of the Republican Party, Conte was described as a liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
Republican. Conte voted against U.S. involvement in the 1991 Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
. On social issues, Conte had a mixed record, reflecting his Roman Catholic heritage; for instance, he was opposed to abortion. The future Speaker of the British House of Commons
Speaker of the British House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...
, Betty Boothroyd
Betty Boothroyd
Betty Boothroyd, Baroness Boothroyd, OM, PC is a British politician, who served as Member of Parliament for West Bromwich and West Bromwich West from 1973 to 2000, initially for the Labour Party and, from 1992 to 2000, as Speaker of the House of Commons...
, worked for him as a legislative assistant between 1960 and 1962.
Arena named in his honor
Conte ForumConte Forum
The Silvio O. Conte Forum, commonly known as Conte Forum, Kelley Rink , or simply Conte, is an 8,606-seat multi-purpose arena which opened in 1988 on the campus of Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that lies within the Brighton neighborhood of Boston...
, a multi-purpose arena
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
at Boston College, is named for him. Opened in 1988, Conte Forum is home to the Boston College Eagles
Boston College Eagles
The Boston College Eagles are the athletic teams representing Boston College. They compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The men's and women's ice hockey teams compete in Hockey East. The women's crew team competes in the Eastern Association of Women's Rowing...
men's and women's basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
teams.
Death and burial
Congressman Conte died at age 69 of prostate cancerProstate cancer
Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...
in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
on February 8, 1991, and is buried in St. Joseph's Cemetery in his home town of Pittsfield. Over 5,000 of his constituents waited in line in 5 °F (-15 °C) weather to attend his wake at tiny All Souls Church, his childhood church, in Pittsfield. His funeral was attended, even as the First Gulf war was beginning, by four U.S. Cabinet Secretaries, 100 members of Congress, and the sitting Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
, Dan Quayle
Dan Quayle
James Danforth "Dan" Quayle served as the 44th Vice President of the United States, serving with President George H. W. Bush . He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Indiana....
. He was eulogized by long-time friends Tip O'Neil (former U.S. Speaker of the House) and Senator Edward Kennedy
Edward Kennedy
Edward Kennedy may refer to:*Ted Kennedy, Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy , United States Senator from Massachusetts*Edward Kennedy , journalist who first reported the German surrender in World War II*Edward Kennedy, Jr., son of U.S...
.
He was survived by his wife Corinne (née Duval), and their four children. John Olver
John Olver
John Walter Olver is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1991. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Early in his career, he was a chemistry professor and served in both chambers of the Massachusetts General Court....
, a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, succeeded him in Congress.