Born in Fresno, Pashayan attended
Bullard High School, graduated with a
B.A. from
Pomona College in 1963 and earned his
J.D. from the
University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1968. He was admitted to the California bar in 1969 and to practice before the
Supreme Court of the United States in 1977. He served in the
United States Army at the rank of captain from 1968 to 1970. He was special assistant to the general counsel of the
U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. He earned a
B.Litt. from
Oxford University in 1977. Pashayan won his first term in 1978, when he upset two-term incumbent Democrat
John Hans Krebs by a 54% to 46% margin. He introduced a House resolution recognizing
Bobby Fischer as the official
World Chess Champion, which passed in 1986. He represented his largely rural, conservative district until 1990, when he was defeated for reelection by
Democrat Cal Dooley. He is of
Armenian descent. ==References==