Gene Rossides is one of the best Greek American football players, a lawyer and a politician, having served three administrations of the United States. He’s also the founder of the American Hellenic Institute.

Rossides was born in Brooklyn in 1927 to Greek parents. He’s widely known as Golden Greek thanks to his talent to be successful in all aspects of his career. He gained popularity joining the NFL Championship. Actually, he was drafted by the New York Giants in 1949. However, he declined the offer in order to attend Columbia Law School, saying, “Law presents more of a challenge for me. I hope to get into politics”.

After his graduation, Rossides served as Assistant Attorney General for New York State.  In 1952, he became an associate with Rogers & Wells, the law firm led by former U.S. Attorney General and future Secretary of State William P. Rogers and corporate attorney John A. Wells.

He served the New York State Attorney General‘s Office from 1956 to 1958. In 1958, Rossides was appointed as Assistant to the Undersecretary of the U.S. Treasury. After his three years of service in the Eisenhower administration, he returned to private practice.

In 1969, President Richard Nixon appointed Eugene Rossides as Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department, where he served until 1973. He even served as Vice President of Interpol.

Following his service in the Nixon administration, Rossides returned to his practice at Rogers & Wells.

Moreover, Rossides served on the Executive Committee of President Reagan’s Grace Commission, from 1982 to 1984.

He has also served as the publisher of The National Herald’s Greek Edition from 1976 to 1979.

Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on July 20, 1974, Rossides formed the American Hellenic Institute to make the American public aware of the situation and to lobby Congress against the fait accompli.