Hamilton Fish was a politician from a long family of politicians. He is the author of an autobiography, Hamilton Fish: Memoir of an American Patriot (1991), as well as books of nonfiction, including The Challenge of World Communism (1946), FDR: The Other Side of the Coin (1976), Lafayette in America During and After the Revolutionary War (1976), and Tragic Deception: FDR and America’s Involvement in World War II (1983).
Fish was a white captain of the Harlem Hellfighters, the famed 269th U.S. Infantry Regiment in World War I. The Harlem Hellfighters, a unit of African American soldiers, spent 191 days on the front lines, longer than any American regiment, and was the first Allied troops to reach the Rhine River. Fish was promoted to Major, and was inducted into the French Legion of Honor for his wartime service. As a member of the Officers’ Reserve Corps, he attained the rank of Colonel. Fish advocated for the civil rights of African Americans, particularly in the military, throughout his life.
Fish III was the Republican Congressman from New York from 1920 to 1945, making his reputation as a prominent critic of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal. His great grandfather, Nicholas Fish, served as adjutant general of New York under Governor George Clinton. His grandfather, Hamilton Fish, was Secretary of State under President Ulysses S. Grant. His father, Hamilton Fish II, served in the House of Representatives and was Speaker of the New York State Assembly. His son, Hamilton Fish IV, was a New York representative for 13 terms.
Fish was a college athlete; while an undergraduate at Harvard University, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He later attended Harvard Law School. He appeared in the documentary film Men of Bronze (1977), about the Harlem Hellfighters, and in Reds (1981), a biopic on the life of journalist Jack Reed.
While in Congress, Fish introduced a resolution for the creation of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Fish is also remembered, however, for the Fish Committee, established to investigate communist activities in the U.S., which targeted the ACLU, and strengthened deportation laws. Fish also supported Adolph Hitler, claiming that Jewish residents of Germany were responsible for the international spread of communism. Fish distributed anti-semitic literature and was a headline speaker at a pro-Nazi rally held at Madison Square Garden in 1938. He remained unrepentant until the end of his life.