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Jay Kenneth Katzen (born August 23, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York) is a Republican politician from the state of Virginia. He is a graduate of Princeton University (1958) and Yale University (1959) and served presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower through George H.W. Bush. His positions have included White House translator and U.S. representative to the United Nations.
Before elective office, Katzen also worked in the White House, notably as a translator for Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, but served all presidents from Eisenhower to Bush I, in some capacity. He served as a Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1994 to 2001. Katzen attempted to repeal Virginia's law allowing medical marijuana, but the bill was defeated following a lobbying campaign by Virginians Against Drug Violence and similar groups. Katzen also unsuccessfully attempted to block the appointment of Jeffrey W. Parker to a Circuit Court Judgeship. In 2001, Katzen ran for lieutenant governor against Libertarian Gary Reams and Democrat Tim Kaine. Katzen criticized Reams for supporting marijuana legalization and accused Kaine of supporting gay marriage. Kaine won the election with 50.4% of the vote to Katzen's 48%. Tim Kaine went on to be elected Governor of Virginia in 2005. In 2002, Katzen ran for Congress in the 9th House District against long-time incumbent Democrat Rep. Rick Boucher, and was defeated by an almost 2-to-1 margin.
Katzen is currently a regional director of the Peace Corps, overseeing the organization's affairs in Europe, the Mediterranean, and Asia. He is also president of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington, DC.
Katzen is a devout Episcopalian who converted from Judaism.
References
- Foreign service journal American Foreign Service Association - 1996, Volume 73 - Page 30
- Rauch, Jonathan (December 2003). "The Forgotten Millions". The Atlantic. Retrieved November 4, 2009.