Frank Fahrenkopf

Frank Fahrenkopf
Fahrenkopf speaks at a press conference in Tallahassee, Florida in 1988
Chair of the Republican National Committee
In office January 28, 1983 –January 18, 1989 Servingwith Paul Laxalt (1983–1987)

Fahrenkopf with President Ronald Reagan in 1988

In January 1983, Fahrenkopf was elected chairman of the Republican National Committee. Betty Heitman of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, served as his co-chairwoman from 1983 to 1987. In 1983, Fahrenkopf was a founder of the National Endowment for Democracy, where he served as vice chairman and a board member from 1983 to 1993. In 1984, he founded the International Republican Institute, on which he continues to serve as a board member. In 1986 he co-founded the Commission on Presidential Debates with Democratic National Committee chairman Paul G. Kirk.

Fahrenkopf served for many years as chairman of the Pacific Democrat Union and vice chairman of the International Democrat Union, a worldwide association of conservative political parties from the United States, Great Britain, France, Germany, Canada, Japan, Australia and twenty other nations.

In 1985, Fahrenkopf was again hired by the firm Hogan & Hartson, as a "special partner", where he was paid at least $100,000 a year. While RNC head, he also worked for two Nevada law firms, and was a director of First Republic Bank Corporation of California. ^[1]

Fahrenkopf was the longest-serving chairman of the RNC in the 20th century and the second-longest in the history of the Republican Party, leaving in 1989. ^[1]

Post-RNC and other involvement

In 1989, Fahrenkopf became a full partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Hogan & Hartson, where he chaired the International Trade Practice Group. On June 1, 1995, he became the American Gaming Association's first chief executive. He is a member of the board of directors of the International Republican Institute. ^[2]

Fahrenkopf also sits on the board of directors of six New York Stock Exchange public companies: First Republic Bank, Gabelli Equity Trust, Inc., Gabelli Utility Trust, Gabelli Global Multimedia Trust, Gabelli Dividend and Income Trust, and Gabelli Gold and Natural Resources.

His civic involvement includes service as chairman of the board of governors of the City Club of Washington, a member of the board of trustees of the E.L. Wiegand Foundation, The Economic Club of Washington and the Federal City Council. Fahrenkopf also served as a co-chairman of the Rivlin Commission, which investigated and reported on the government of the District of Columbia. He has been honored for his contributions, receiving the Junior Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Service Award in 1973, the Nevada Lung Association "Man of the Year" Award in 1983 and the National Humanitarian of the Year Award from the National Conference on Christians and Jews in 1985. He is a member of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. He also serves as a trustee of the Culinary Institute of America and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). ^[3]

He has also been a frequent commentator on political and gaming issues on such news television programs as Crossfire, Inside Politics, Meet The Press, Hardball, Face the Nation, The Today Show, This Week and Good Morning America. ^[3]

In Fall of 2014, Fahrenkopf was a Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School. ^[4]

Personal life

Fahrenkopf and his wife, the former Mary Bandoni, have three daughters: Allison, Vice President and Associate General Counsel, PMI North America; Leslie, former associate White House Counsel to President George W. Bush; and Amy, a physician and President of HSS Health at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City. He is an avid golfer, tennis player and sports enthusiast. ^[3]

References

1. "Reports and Other Projects - Private Parties - Republican National Committee Chairmen". Center for Public Integrity. Archived from the original on 2010-08-31.
2. International Republican Institute web site, accessed July 16, 2010. Archived April 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
3. "About | The Institute of Politics". Harvard Kennedy School's Institute of Politics. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
4. "Frank Fahrenkopf".

External links

• Staff Bio at American Gaming Association website
• The Council on American Politics at GW's Graduate School of Political Management
• Appearances on C-SPAN

Party political offices
Preceded by Richard Richards	Chair of the Republican National Committee 1983–1989 Served alongside: Paul Laxalt (General Chair, 1983–1987)	Succeeded by Lee Atwater