One of state’s first Jewish U.S. senators dies at 90

The late Richard Stone had the distinction of being the first Jewish U.S. senator to represent Florida since the Civil War.

Stone, a Democrat who served in the Senate from 1975-80, died on July 28 at 90. As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee while serving as senator, Stone led efforts to secure aid for Israel and was an adviser on the 1978 Camp David Accords, which set the stage for the IsraeliEgyptian peace treaty. He traveled to Israel where he met with political leaders including Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

Stone also served as Miami city attorney from 1966-67, as Florida state senator from 1967-70 and as Florida’s secretary of state from 1970-74. He was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised in Miami Beach where he lived in the Blackstone, a hotel that was built by his father and grandfather. His grandfather was turned away from many hotels on Miami Beach because he was Jewish, so he was determined to build the Blackstone to address these restrictive practices in the city.

Susan Gladstone, executive director for the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU in Miami Beach, described Stone’s father and grandfather as “early proponents of championing the Jewish community” for their work building the Blackstone.

Gladstone also praised Stone’s contributions throughout his life and career.

“He was very well-respected in the Florida community, the national community, the international community and the Jewish community. He was very philanthropic and he was in particular very supportive of the Jewish Museum of FloridaFIU,” she said.

The museum has a couple of Stone’s items from a 2014-15 exhibition about him called “From a Coin Toss into Politics: The Life of a Senator.”

“We have his chair from the senate floor at the museum and last September on the occasion of his 90th birthday, he had a painting of the Blackstone hotel commissioned, which he then presented to me for the museum,” Gladstone said.

Stone attended Dade County Public Schools until he completed his high school education at Georgia Military College. He attended and graduated with honors from Harvard College and Columbia Law School, and then returned to his home state where was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1955. Two years later, he married Marlene Singer, who died in 2008. He practiced law with his friend and partner, Jordan Bittel, at the firm they formed, Stone and Bittel.

Following his time as U.S. senator, Stone was appointed to ambassador posts by Republican presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush despite being a Democrat. Reagan appointed him as ambassador at large to Central America in 1983, while Bush appointed him as ambassador to Denmark in 1991.

Stone’s son Elliot Stone, who last year created the Senator Richard B. Stone Public Policy Scholarship at Florida International University to honors his father’s work and career, said, “My father lived his public life to be known as the person who could be relied upon especially when the individual or community needed it most.”

“He said ‘it is impossible to agree on every issue with everyone but would you be there when we need you?’ The many groups that reside in Florida agreed that they could rely on him in the pinch.”

Aside from Elliot Stone, Stone is also survived by his two other adult children, Amelia Stone and Nancy Poznansky, as well as five grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, Stone’s family asks people to honor his memory with contributions to the Jewish Museum of FloridaFIU or the charity of their choice.

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