Ronald A. Sarasin

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Ronald Sarasin
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Connecticut's 5th district
In office
January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1979
Preceded byJohn S. Monagan
Succeeded byWilliam R. Ratchford
Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives
from the 95th district
In office
January 1969 – January 1973
Preceded byPaul Pawlak, Sr.
Succeeded byWilliam P. Ambrogio
Town Counsel of Beacon Falls, Connecticut
In office
1963–1972
Town ClerkFrancis X. Doiron
Preceded byHoward D. Olderman
Succeeded byNeal B. Hanlon
Personal details
Born
Ronald Arthur Sarasin

( 1934-12-31)December 31, 1934
Fall River, Massachusetts, U.S.
DiedMarch 27, 2023(2023-03-27) (aged 88)
Political partyRepublican
EducationUniversity of Connecticut (B.S., J.D.)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/serviceUnited States Navy
Years of service1952–1956
RankPetty Officer Second Class
[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Ronald Arthur Sarasin (December 31, 1934 – March 27, 2023) was an American lawyer, Navy veteran, and politician from Connecticut. He served two terms in the Connecticut House of Representatives and three terms as a U.S. Representative from 1973 to 1979.

Early life and career[edit]

Born in Fall River, Massachusetts, Sarasin attended Center Elementary School in Beacon Falls, Connecticut, and graduated from Naugatuck (Connecticut) High School in 1952. He served in the United States Navy from 1952 to 1956 and attained the rank of petty officer, second class. He earned his B.S. from the University of Connecticut in 1960 and J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1963. He was admitted to the Connecticut Bar later that year. He served as the town counsel for Beacon Falls, Connecticut from 1963 to 1972 and an assistant professor of law at New Haven College, New Haven, Connecticut from 1963 to 1966.

Political career[edit]

Sarasin during his first term in Congress.

He was first elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 1968 and became the assistant minority leader in 1970. In 1972, he ran for Congress from the 5th district against John Monagan, a seven-term veteran of the House. Redistricting added several Republican areas to the 5th in 1972 and George McGovern’s poor showing in the 1972 presidential election was hurting Democrats in down-ballot races.[9] Sarasin defeated Monagan narrowly.

In 1974, he ran for re-election against State Representative William R. Ratchford, the speaker of the Connecticut State House. Sarasin prevailed amidst the wave of Republican losses to the Watergate babies.[10][11] Ratchford would eventually win election to Congress after Sarasin vacated the seat to run for governor.[12]

He served as a delegate to the Connecticut State Republican conventions in 1968, 1970, 1972, and 1974 and to the Republican National Convention in 1976.

In 1978, Sarasin secured the Republican nomination for Governor of Connecticut with Lewis Rome as his running mate.[13] His opponent was the incumbent, Ella Grasso, the first woman to be elected governor in her own right.[14] Sarasin attacked Grasso on taxes, promising to reduce taxes and cut welfare spending. On Election Day, Grasso won a second term in office with a convincing victory[15]

Later career[edit]

Presentation of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society 2014 Ornament by the Ronald A. Sarasin, President, U.S. Capitol Historical Society, to Architect of the Capitol Stephen T. Ayers, FAIA, LEED AP.

After leaving office, he was the chief lobbyist for the National Restaurant Association and president of the National Beer Wholesalers Association.[16]

He served as president of the U.S. Capitol Historical Society from 2000 to 2019. He is credited with establishing a traveling exhibit on the role played by enslaved people in the building of the Capitol, as well as the initiation of the organization’s popular civics education program.[17]

Personal life[edit]

Sarasin was married to Marjorie Grazio Sarasin and has one son with her, Michael. He and his wife divorced in 1977.[18] He was the first divorced candidate to run for governor.[13]

In 1988, he married his second wife, Leslie Garmon Sarasin. They were married nearly 34 years, and have one son together, Douglas. [19]

His brother Warren Sarasin, was also a politician who served in the Connecticut House of Representatives. He was first elected in 1978, the year his brother was defeated for governor.[20]

Sarasin died on March 27, 2023, at the age of 88.[21]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Register and manual - State of Connecticut (1968)
  2. ^ Register and manual - State of Connecticut (1969)
  3. ^ Register and manual - State of Connecticut (1970)
  4. ^ Register and manual - State of Connecticut (1971)
  5. ^ Register and manual - State of Connecticut (1972)
  6. ^ Register and manual - State of Connecticut (1967)
  7. ^ Register and manual - State of Connecticut (1973)
  8. ^ Register and manual - State of Connecticut (1962)
  9. ^ "House Contest". New York Times. 1972-10-26.
  10. ^ "Senate and House Margins Are Substantially Enlarged". York Times. 1974-11-06.
  11. ^ "Members of the New Congress, Governors and the Winners in Connecticut". New York Times. 1974-11-07.
  12. ^ "POLITICS: Mr. Ratchford Goes to Washington". York Times. 1978-11-19.
  13. ^ a b "Republicans in Connecticut Name Sarasin as Candidate for Governor". New York Times. 1978-07-29.
  14. ^ "Gov. Grasso Termed the Front‐Runner". New York Times. 1978-11-06.
  15. ^ "Gov. Grasso Wins 2d Term Easily; Bradley Defeats Bell for the Senate". New York Times. 1978-11-08.
  16. ^ "Strong Stuff". New York Times. 1998-03-22.
  17. ^ "Longtime leader of Capitol Historical Society, Ron Sarason, has died". March 28, 2023.
  18. ^ "Notes on People". New York Times. 1977-05-18.
  19. ^ Dixon, Ken. "Ronald Sarasin, three-term congressman who lost CT governor's race in 1978, dies at age 88". CT Insider. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  20. ^ "The 'Other Sarasin Sets Up Political Base". New York Times. 1979-01-07.
  21. ^ "Remembering Ronald A. Sarasin". United States Capitol Historical Society. March 28, 2023.

External links[edit]

Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Connecticut
1978 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Connecticut's 5th congressional district
1973–1979 		Succeeded by

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

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