Mayer
Jacob "Chic" Hecht (November
30, 1928 – May 15, 2006) was a Republican United States Senator from Nevada from 1983 to 1989 and U.S. Ambassador to the
Bahamas from 1989 to 1993. Hecht was born into a Jewish family in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. His mother was born in Kiev and his paternal
grandparents were from Poland and Germany. He received a Bachelor of Science degree
in retailing from Washington University in
St. Louis in 1949. Hecht attended Military Intelligence School
at Fort Holabird and
served as an intelligence agent with the U.S. armed forces during
the Korean War, from 1951 to 1953. Hecht was a member of the
National Military Intelligence Association, and was inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall
of Fame in 1988 After leaving military service, Hecht moved to
Nevada. His business activities included retailing, the operation of a bank,
and interests in hotels. He married the former Gail Kahn in 1959.