Robert Hampton Steele (born November 3, 1938) is a retired American politician and author from the state of
Connecticut
Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
U.S. House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
from 1970 to 1975.
Early life and education
Robert Hampton Steele was born in
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...
on November 3, 1938. His father, known as Bob Steele, was host of the state's top-rated morning show on WTIC-AM for more than fifty years.
Steele attended public schools in
Wethersfield, Connecticut
Wethersfield ( ) is a town located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It is located immediately south of Hartford along the Connecticut River. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The population was 27,298 at the time ...
and obtained a
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
from
Amherst College
Amherst College ( ) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1821 as an attempt to relocate Williams College by its then-president Zepha ...
,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
in 1960. He earned a master's degree from
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
in 1963.
Career
Steele "spent five years as a Soviet expert in the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington and Mexico". Between 1968 and 1970, Steele worked as a
securities analyst
A financial analyst is a professional undertaking financial analysis for external or internal clients as a core feature of the job.
Republican member of the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
for the
Connecticut's 2nd congressional district
Connecticut's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the eastern part of the state, the district includes all of New London County, Tolland County, and Windham County, along with p ...
from 1970 to 1975. He was elected simultaneously to the Ninety-first and to the Ninety-second Congresses in a 1970 special election to fill a vacancy; that vacancy was caused by the death of Democratic United States Representative
William L. St. Onge
William Leon St. Onge (October 9, 1914 – May 1, 1970) was a United States Representative from Connecticut.
Career
He was born in Putnam, Windham County, Connecticut, and attended the secondary schools of Putnam. He graduated from Tufts Uni ...
. Steele won the 1970 special election despite running in a district where Democrats outnumbered Republicans.
Steele was re-elected to the Ninety-third Congress by 68,000 votes. In Congress, he developed a moderate-to-liberal record that featured opposition to the Vietnam War.
Steele did not seek re-election to the Ninety-fourth Congress in 1974; instead, he ran for
Governor of Connecticut
The governor of Connecticut is the head of government of Connecticut, and the commander-in-chief of the U.S. state, state's Connecticut Military Department, military forces. The Governor (United States), governor has a duty to enforce state laws, ...
. In the wake of the Watergate scandal, Steele emphasized his support for campaign reform and pledged not to accept political contributions exceeding $100. Steele's gubernatorial campaign was unsuccessful.
Steele is an anti-gambling expert. In 2012, he published ''The Curse: Big-Time Gambling's Seduction of a Small New England Town''.