Representative Frank John Becker

Frank John Becker (August 27, 1899 – September 4, 1981) was an American business executive and Republican politician who served five terms in the New York State Assembly and six terms in the United States House of Representatives from New York. A member of the Republican Party, he represented his Long Island district in Congress from 1953 to 1965, contributing to the legislative process during six terms in office and participating actively in the democratic governance of a rapidly changing postwar America.

Becker was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 27, 1899, the son of Maximilian and Eva (Sperling) Becker. In November 1905 he moved with his parents to Lynbrook, in Nassau County on Long Island, which would remain his home for the rest of his life. He attended the public schools of Lynbrook and later studied at Brown’s Business College in Jamaica, Long Island, acquiring the commercial training that would underpin his later business career. On June 30, 1923, he married Anne Claire Ferris; the couple had three children: Francis X. Becker, who later became a justice of the New York Supreme Court on Long Island, Robert G. Becker, and Elizabeth Ann Becker.

During World War I, Becker enlisted in the United States Army on July 22, 1918, and served until September 22, 1919. After his military service, he returned to Lynbrook and founded a real estate and insurance business, establishing himself as a local business executive. Over time he became chairman emeritus of the board of directors of the Suburbia Federal Savings and Loan Association in Garden City, New York, reflecting his prominence in local financial and business affairs. He was also active in veterans’ and fraternal organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the Knights of Columbus, deepening his ties to civic life in his community.

Becker entered elective office in the mid-1940s. In 1944 he was elected to the New York State Assembly from Nassau County’s 1st District and subsequently won four more elections, serving five terms in all. During this period he sat in the 165th, 166th, 167th, and 168th New York State Legislatures, gaining legislative experience and building a political base on Long Island. His record in Albany and his growing profile in Republican politics led to his candidacy for national office, and he became a delegate to the Republican National Conventions of 1952, 1956, 1960, and 1964.

In 1952, Becker was elected to the United States House of Representatives from New York, winning his first race for Congress with a margin of approximately 67,000 votes. He took his seat in January 1953 and went on to serve six consecutive terms, remaining in the House until January 1965. In his subsequent re-election campaigns he continued to win comfortably, including a more than 45,000-vote margin in his next race, though his margins of victory narrowed in the years leading up to his retirement. As a member of the House of Representatives, Becker represented the interests of his Long Island constituents during a significant period in American history marked by the Cold War, the early civil rights movement, and debates over the role of religion in public life.

Becker’s congressional record reflected both his conservative views on some social questions and his support for landmark civil rights legislation. He voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957, 1960, and 1964, as well as the 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which abolished the poll tax in federal elections. At the same time, he became nationally known in 1964 when he introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to allow prayer in public schools. This initiative came in response to the United States Supreme Court’s decisions in Engel v. Vitale (1962) and Abington School District v. Schempp (1963), which held that mandatory prayer and Bible readings in public schools were unconstitutional. Advocating his amendment, Becker declared that he sought to save the nation from a “curse which has befallen all civilizations that forgot and disobeyed God Almighty.” His measure was debated but ultimately voted down. He also introduced legislation aimed at allowing American military courts to try members of the armed services for crimes committed overseas, rather than having them tried in foreign courts, reflecting his concern for the legal protections afforded to U.S. service members stationed abroad.

After more than a decade in Congress, Becker chose not to run for re-election in 1964. He announced his retirement citing a desire to spend more time with his family and to make room for younger candidates in public life. He left office in January 1965, concluding a congressional career that had spanned six terms and coincided with major developments in domestic policy and international affairs.

In his later years, Becker remained a respected figure in Lynbrook and within New York Republican circles. His family continued his political legacy: in addition to his son Francis’s service on the New York Supreme Court, his son Robert G. Becker served as head of the Nassau County Republican Party for 25 years. His grandson Gregory Becker became a member of the New York State Assembly, and another grandson, Francis X. Becker Jr., served in the Nassau County Legislature and ran for both the New York State Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, including a campaign against Representative Carolyn McCarthy. Frank John Becker died in Lynbrook, New York, on September 4, 1981, at the age of 82. He was interred at Long Island National Cemetery near Farmingdale, Long Island, New York.