Chapter Eternal: Eliot Engel – U.S. Congressman known for his leadership in foreign relations and human rights
Eliot Engel (Lehman College ’69), a longtime U.S. Representative from New York (1989–2021) best known as a foreign policy expert and vocal advocate for human rights, passed into the Chapter Eternal on April 10th. His family said in a statement, “Over 44 years in public service, he fought tirelessly for his constituents at home, and for peace and security around the world.”
Path to politics
Born into a blue-collar family living in public housing in the Bronx, Engel worked as a social studies teacher and guidance counselor for New York City public schools before earning his law degree and serving in the New York State Assembly from 1977 to 1988.
Engel said in a 2021 interview, “All four of my grandparents were Jewish immigrants from what’s now Ukraine, who fled the pogroms of the early 20th century looking for a safe haven and opportunity. And guess what? They found it in America. This country has been a refuge for people who have been hurting for many, many years, and I am grateful for it.”
Engel won his first congressional election in 1988, defeating a 10-term incumbent on a reformist platform. He served as representative for New York’s 19th congressional district for 32 years.
Respected U.S. Congressman
In Congress, Engel focused on policies and legislation that protected vulnerable and marginalized members of his constituency, and supported human rights for those at risk throughout the world.
Engel was appointed to and rose through the ranks of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, eventually becoming its chair in 2019. He chaired the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee during the last years of his tenure.
His time in office was marked by a consistent focus on foreign policy and human rights. He fought ethnic cleansing by supporting a NATO-led intervention in Kosovo against Serbia, and activism to protect Syrian civilians. He was a staunch supporter of Israel, but was also openly critical of many of their policies. As a member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, he proposed legislation condemning international and domestic practices of discrimination including, child labor, prejudice, and many other human rights abuses.
He believed that debate and compromise in government was the best way toward progress and helping people. In his farewell speech, he shared the following:
“We [members of Congress] don’t always agree. We’ve had heated debates in this chamber, but when we debate, we debate on the merits of a policy, then we cast our votes. Immediately after, we get back to working together toward policies that leave politics at the water’s edge.”
Engel was known for arriving early for the State of the Union Address to snag a prime seat on the aisle, so he could be among the first to greet the president. He believed that as a “working class kid from the Bronx,” shaking the president’s hand at the address was an honor.
Rep. George Latimer, a Democrat who now holds what was Engel’s seat, said “his legacy consists of hard work on issues and kindness to all.”
Pilam and the Creed
You can hear and see the spirit of our Creed in Engel’s words and actions. Though his chapter at Lehman College was short-lived, Engel always remained engaged with Pi Lambda Phi, and loyal to our ideals.
In 1994, Congressman Engle was presented the Big Pi Award for his outstanding accomplishments in serving his constituents, our country, and protecting marginalized people throughout the world.
Engel nominated fellow Congressman John Lewis for Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity’s Humanitarian Award for his extraordinary efforts in civil rights activism, and presented him the award at Convention in 1988. Colleagues and friends, both were heavily involved in the House Foreign Affairs Committee and civil rights causes.