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Meet CHARLES B. RANGEL
The Man Who Replaced Adam Clayton Powell

Charles B. Rangel
New York, 19th District

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Congressman Rangel was born and lives in the Harlem community with his wife and two children. He attended local schools, including the old P.S. 89 and Frederick Douglass Junior High School. Mr. Rangel dropped out of DeWitt Clinton High School to join the U.S. Army, where he served from 1948 to 1952. One of those years was spent in Korea with the 2nd Infantry division. His awards included the Purple Heart, Bronze Star Medal of Valor, United States and Korean Presidential Citations and three battle stars. 

Under the G.I. Bill, Mr. Rangel returned to and completed high school and entered New York University, graduating as a Dean's List Student with a B.S. degree. In 1957, Mr. Rangel entered St. John's University School of Law under full scholarship. He graduated in 1960 as a Dean's List Student.

After his admission to the New York Bar in 1960. Congressman Rangel practiced law until 1961 when he was appointed as Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York by U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Mr. Rangel also served as General Counsel to the National Advisory Commission on Selective Service, an appointment he received from President Johnson in 1966.

Mr. Rangel began his legislative career when he was elected to the New York State Assembly for two consecutive terms, 1966-1970, as the representative of the Central Harlem community.

Congressman Charles B. Rangel was first elected to the House of Representatives in November 1970;  he has been re-elected three times, and in the 95th Congress is serving his fourth term as the representative of the 19th Congressional District in New York.

In his first Congressional term, Congressman Rangel was appointed by the Speaker to the Select Committee on Crime, which was created by Congressional leadership to investigate the alarming increase in crime in the  nation. During his service on this committee, Congressman Rangel worked to focus Congressional attention on the influence of the illegal traffic in narcotics upon crime. He has continued to work on the narcotics problem throughout his Congressional career and is regarded as one of the leading Congressional experts on this subject. In 1976 he was appointed to the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control.

Mr. Rangel was a member of the historic Judiciary Committee which voted articles of impeachment against former President Richard M. Nixon. He left the Judiciary Committee in 1975 at the beginning of the 94th Congress when his colleagues in the House voted him to serve on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

In 1974-75, Mr. Rangel served as Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. In January 1977, his colleagues on the New York Congressional delegation voted him the Majority Regional Whip for New York State.

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