Edward Re

Edward Domenico Re (1920–2006) was one of the most respected figures in the U.S. judiciary, serving as Senior Judge of the United States Court of International Trade and as a distinguished law professor. Born in Salina, in the Aeolian Islands, he emigrated to the United States at the age of eight with his family, in an Italy still recovering from the First World War. Settling in Brooklyn, at the heart of New York’s Italian-American community, he began his journey of integration and education.

After excelling in his studies, he graduated with honors from St. John’s University in 1943, but just days later he was called to serve in the military, joining the Air Force and eventually attaining the rank of colonel. Returning to civilian life, he embarked on a legal career in New York and distinguished himself as the author of influential legal texts that shaped generations of students and scholars. At the same time, he held significant public positions, culminating in his appointment by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 as Chairman of the U.S. Foreign Claims Settlement Commission.

His institutional career continued under President Lyndon B. Johnson, who first appointed him Assistant Secretary of State for Cultural and Educational Affairs and then, in 1968, as a federal judge. Later, President Jimmy Carter nominated him as a judge of the United States Court of International Trade, a position he held until his retirement in 1991. In this role, Edward Re made decisive contributions to the development of international commercial law, promoting a balance between U.S. law and the protection of human rights.

Despite a life entirely built in the United States, Re never forgot Italy. In 1986, he was awarded the honor of Knight Grand Cross by the President of the Italian Republic and received numerous recognitions from Italian universities, including Rome, Bologna, Verona, Urbino, and L’Aquila. When asked if he felt fully Americanized, he famously replied:
“Yes, I am Americanized, but I have helped to Italianize America.”

These words perfectly capture the essence of his life: a bridge between two countries, dedicated to the integration of Italians in the United States and, in later years, to supporting Aeolian communities around the world.