Bennett D. Katz (October 7, 1918 - November 1, 2007) was an American

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or again ...

politician from

Maine Maine () is a U.S. state, state in the New England and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and territories of Canad ...

. Katz was born on October 7, 1918, in Springfield, Massachusetts, and attended schools in Boston, Massachusetts, before graduating with a B.A. degree from

Tufts University Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learnin ...

. He was a

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

pilot and major during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. After the end of the war, he was a pilot for

American Overseas Airlines American Overseas Airlines (AOA) was an airline that operated between the United States and Europe between 1945 and 1950. It was headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. History American Export Airlines (AEA), commonly known as Am E ...

. He and his family settled in

Augusta, Maine Augusta is the capital of the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Kennebec County. The city's population was 18,899 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth-most populous city in Maine, and third-least populous state capital in the U ...

, in 1950. Katz represented Augusta in the

Maine Legislature The Maine Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate. The Legislature convenes at the State House in Augus ...

from his election to the

Maine House of Representatives The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 voting members and three nonvoting members. The voting members represent an equal number of districts across the state and are elected via ...

in 1962 until his retirement from the

Maine Senate The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. The Senate currently consists of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, though the Maine Constituti ...

in 1980. He spent a total of 4 years (two terms) in the House and 14 years (7 terms) in the Senate. His time in the Senate included two terms (1969-1970; 1979-1980) as Majority Leader. His son,

Roger Katz Roger J. Katz (born c. 1950s) is an American politician and lawyer. He graduated from Cony High School in Augusta, Maine, where he played on the boys' basketball team which won the 1973 state championship. He then went on to Harvard College and ...

, was first elected to the Maine Senate in 2010 after serving as Mayor of Augusta. Katz was instrumental in the founding of the

University of Maine at Augusta The University of Maine at Augusta (UMaine Augusta or UMA) is a public college in Augusta, Maine. It is part of the University of Maine System. UMA provides baccalaureate and select associate degrees for residents of Central Maine. The univer ...

in 1965. The Bennett D. Katz Library, built in 1974, is named in his honor. He received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Maine at Augusta before his death in

Topsham, Maine Topsham () is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,560 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The town is home to the annual Topsham ...

, nursing home on November 1, 2007.

References

External links

Wall of Honor listing
(Air and Space Friend) at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum 1918 births 2007 deaths Politicians from Springfield, Massachusetts Politicians from Boston Politicians from Augusta, Maine Tufts University alumni Republican Party members of the Maine House of Representatives Majority leaders of the Maine Senate United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II 20th-century American politicians Military personnel from Massachusetts {{Maine-politician-stub