Charles Vanik

Vanik was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Stella (née Kvasnicka) and Charles Albert Vanik, a butcher.[1] He was of Czech ancestry.[2] His maternal grandmother, Alžběta Seberová (1868–1948), was born in village Hracholusky, southern Bohemia (then part of the Austria-Hungary).[3] Vanik completed undergraduate studies and a law degree at Western Reserve University. After serving on the Cleveland City Council from 1938 to 1939 and the Ohio State Senate from 1940 to 1942, Vanik enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve, seeing action in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. After the war, Vanik served as a city judge from 1946 to 1954.

In 1954, he ran for Ohio's 21st congressional district. The district, located on Cleveland's East Side, was evenly divided between African Americans, who were then solidly Republican voters, and whites, who were mostly Democrats.[4] In the Democratic primary, Vanik defeated longtime incumbent Congressman Robert Crosser as well as African-American challenger John Holly, founder of the Negro Future Outlook League.[5][6]

In the general election, Vanik defeated African-American Republican Francis E. Young, who helped organize the Cleveland branch of the NAACP.[4] Vanik shifted districts in 1968 to the neighboring 22nd district, to make way for Louis Stokes whose growing political operation had challenged him in previous races, defeating Frances P. Bolton, who had served the district since 1939. Vanik served in the district until 1981.

In 1974, Vanik sponsored the Jackson–Vanik amendment with Sen. Henry "Scoop" Jackson, which denied normal trade relations to certain countries with non-market economies that restricted the freedom of emigration. The amendment was intended to allow refugees, particularly religious minorities, to escape from the Soviet Bloc. During this time, Vanik was the chair of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade.

He used to insert into the Congressional Record what he called the "Annual Corporate Tax Study" in which he'd list corporations that paid little to no federal income taxes.

In 1982, Vanik contested for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant-governor of Ohio as running mate with Ohio Attorney General William J. Brown who was running for governor. The ticket lost to Richard F. Celeste and Myrl Shoemaker. Vanik was known for wearing black bow ties with every suit.

Vanik died in his sleep on August 30, 2007, at his home in Jupiter, Florida. He was 94. He was survived by his wife, Betty, one son, one daughter and two grandchildren.

Congressman Charles A. Vanik (third from left) and Congressman Mo Udall (second from right) visit a Samsonite plant in Ambos Nogales, a link in the "twin plant" concept that has created hundreds of jobs for communities on both sides of the international boundary, 1978

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Charles Vanik.

• Charles A. Vanik A Memorial site created by the Vanik Family
• United States Congress. "Charles Vanik (id: V000047)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved on 2009-5-16
• Obituary from The Cleveland Plain Dealer