{{Short description|American politician (1918–2007)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Steven Derounian.jpg | office = Member of the<br />[[U.S. House of Representatives]]<br />from [[New York (state)|New York]] | constituency = {{ushr|NY|2|2nd district}} (1953–1963)<br />{{ushr|NY|3|3rd district}} (1963–1965) | term_start = January 3, 1953 | term_end = January 3, 1965 | preceded = [[Leonard W. Hall]] | succeeded = [[Lester L. Wolff]] | birth_name = Steven Boghos Derounian | birth_date = {{Birth date|1918|4|6}} | birth_place = [[Sofia]], [[Kingdom of Bulgaria]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|2007|4|17|1918|4|6}} | death_place = [[Austin, Texas]], U.S. | spouse = Emily Ann Kennard Derounian | profession = [[Lawyer|Attorney]] <br />[[Professor]] | party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] | alma_mater = [[New York University]] <br />[[Fordham University Law School]] }} '''Steven Boghos Derounian''' (April 6, 1918 – April 17, 2007) was a Bulgarian-born American politician. A member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], Derounian served as a member of the [[United States House of Representatives]] from [[New York's 2nd congressional district|2nd]] and later [[New York's 3rd congressional district|3rd]] district, covering parts of [[Long Island]] from 1953 until 1965.

==Early life and education== Derounian was born in [[Sofia]] in the [[Kingdom of Bulgaria]] to [[Armenians|Armenian]] parents Boghos Derounian and Eliza Aprahamian. When he was three, his family left Bulgaria with his two other brothers (one of whom was the journalist Avedis Boghos Derounian, better known as [[John Roy Carlson]]) to the United States and settled in [[Mineola, New York]].

As a young man, Derounian helped at his father's store. In an anecdote recounted from this time, a customer complained that the 20-year-old Derounian overweighed a shipment of cheese, and his father rebuked him. The young Derounian apologized, but his father shot back:

<blockquote>"You made a mistake, and you're sorry. That's what every dishonest person says when he's caught. Sure, I know you didn't mean to do the wrong thing, but who else knows it? A reputation for honesty is one thing money can't buy. It can be preserved only by not making mistakes, not by making apologies. You remember that, boy, as long as you live."{{citation needed|date=February 2017}}</blockquote>

He attended the public schools and graduated from [[New York University]] in 1938 and from [[Fordham University Law School]] in 1942.<ref name="obituary">{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/20/obituaries/20derounian.html?ex=1335412800&en=78dbf9d13ec434e6&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink | work=The New York Times | title=Steven B. Derounian, 89, Judge and Nassau Ex-Congressman, Dies | first=Wolfgang | last=Saxon | date=April 20, 2007 | accessdate=May 24, 2010}}</ref>

==Career== He was admitted to the New York bar in 1942 and began practice in Mineola the same year. Derounian entered the [[United States Army]] as a private in July 1942 and graduated from officers school as an Infantry officer and was assigned to the [[327th Infantry Regiment (United States)|327th Infantry]]. He served overseas from October 1944 to March 1946 and separated from the service as a captain in May 1946. He was awarded the [[Purple Heart]] and the [[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]] with oak leaf.

===Politics=== He was elected as a Republican to the Eighty-third and to the five succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1965).

As a Congressman, Derounian was part of the Congressional Subcommittee that investigated the 1950s [[Quiz show scandals]]. This event is presented in [[Robert Redford]]'s 1994 film ''[[Quiz Show (film)|Quiz Show]]'', where Derounian is shown harshly criticizing [[Charles Van Doren]], after he admits to cheating on the TV game show ''[[Twenty-One (game show)|Twenty-One]]''. When his fellow Congressmen praised Van Doren for his statement, Derounian dissented, saying:

<blockquote>"Mr. Van Doren, I am happy that you made the statement, but I cannot agree with most of my colleagues who commended you for telling the truth, because I don't think an adult of your intelligence ought to be commended for telling the truth."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/1959/11/03/archives/text-of-van-dorens-testimony-at-house-hearing-on-fixed-television.html | work=The New York Times | title=Text of Van Doren's Testimony at House Hearing on Fixed Television Quizzes; Subcommittee Is Told of Rehearsals and Coaching for the 'Twenty-one' Show | date=November 3, 1959}}</ref></blockquote>

Derounian voted in favor of the [[Civil Rights Act of 1957|Civil Rights Acts of 1957]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/85-1957/h42|title=HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957.|work=GovTrack.us}}</ref> [[Civil Rights Act of 1960|1960]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/86-1960/h102|title=HR 8601. PASSAGE.}}</ref> and [[Civil Rights Act of 1964|1964]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/88-1964/h128|title=H.R. 7152. PASSAGE.}}</ref> as well as the [[Twenty-fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution|24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/87-1962/h193|title=S.J. RES. 29. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO BAN THE USE OF POLL TAX AS A REQUIREMENT FOR VOTING IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS.|work=GovTrack.us}}</ref>

A staunch conservative and [[Barry Goldwater]] supporter, Derounian was narrowly defeated in New York's Third Congressional District on Long Island during the [[1964 United States House of Representatives elections|LBJ landslide of 1964]] Democrat [[Lester Wolff]] won 96,503 (50.7%) votes to Derounian's 93,883 (49.3%). In 1966 Derounian defeated future CIA Director [[William Casey]] in the Republican primary, but was again defeated by Rep. Wolff in November, though by an even more narrow tally of 81,959 (50.3%) to 81,122 (49.7%).<ref name="obituary" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 8, 1966 |url=https://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1966election.pdf |publisher=Clerk of the House of Representatives |page=28}}</ref>

Thereafter, he served as justice of the [[New York Supreme Court]] from 1969 to 1981.

==Retirement== He retired to [[Austin, Texas]], saying "I think New York has gotten a little too crowded. Austin is an attractive, educational city." Derounian was additionally a professor of law at the [[University of Texas]].

== References == {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{CongBio|D000266}} * {{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/20/obituaries/20derounian.html?ex=1335412800&en=78dbf9d13ec434e6&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink |accessdate=August 8, 2008 |title=Steven B. Derounian, 89, Judge and Nassau Ex-Congressman, Dies |work=New York Times |date=April 20, 2007 |first=Wolfgang |last=Saxon }} * {{cite news|title=Austin man remembered for honesty in 'Quiz Show' |work=Austin American-Statesman|first=Lee|last=Kelly|date=November 5, 1994}}

{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{US House succession box | state=New York | district=2 | district_ord=2nd | before=[[Leonard W. Hall]]| after=[[James R. Grover, Jr.]]| years=1953&ndash;1963 }} {{US House succession box | state=New York | district=3 | district_ord=3rd | before=[[Frank J. Becker]]| after=[[Lester L. Wolff]]| years=1963&ndash;1965 }} {{s-end}} {{USCongRep-start|congresses= 83rd-88th [[United States Congress]] |state=[[New York's congressional delegations|New York]]}} {{USCongRep/NY/83}} {{USCongRep/NY/84}} {{USCongRep/NY/85}} {{USCongRep/NY/86}} {{USCongRep/NY/87}} {{USCongRep/NY/88}} {{USCongRep-end}} {{Quiz show scandals}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Derounian, Steven Boghos}} [[Category:1918 births]] [[Category:2007 deaths]] [[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]] [[Category:American people of Armenian descent]] [[Category:Bulgarian emigrants to the United States]] [[Category:Fordham University School of Law alumni]] [[Category:New York University alumni]] [[Category:United States Army officers]] [[Category:Bulgarian people of Armenian descent]] [[Category:Roslyn Estates, New York]] [[Category:People from Mineola, New York]] [[Category:Republican Party United States representatives from New York (state)]] [[Category:Ethnic Armenian politicians]] [[Category:20th-century New York state court judges]] [[Category:University of Texas School of Law faculty]] [[Category:20th-century New York (state) politicians]] [[Category:20th-century United States representatives]]