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.