Frank Lautenberg | |
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United States Senator from New Jersey |
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In office January 3, 2003 – June 3, 2013 |
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Preceded by | Robert Torricelli |
Succeeded by | Jeffrey Chiesa |
In office December 27, 1982 – January 3, 2001 |
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Preceded by | Nicholas Brady |
Succeeded by | Jon Corzine |
Personal details | |
Born |
Frank Raleigh Lautenberg January 23, 1924 Paterson, New Jersey, U.S. |
Died | June 3, 2013 New York, New York, U.S. |
(aged 89)
Cause of death | Viral pneumonia |
Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Lois Levenson (1956–1988) Bonnie Englebardt (2004–2013) |
Children |
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Education | Nutley High School |
Alma mater | Columbia Business School |
Religion | Judaism |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/branch | United States Army Signal Corps |
Years of service | 1942–1946 |
Rank | Technician Fifth Grade |
Unit | 3185th Signal Service Battalion |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Frank Raleigh Lautenberg (/ˈlɔːtənbɜːrɡ/; January 23, 1924 – June 3, 2013) was a United States Senator from New Jersey and a member of the Democratic Party. He was originally from Paterson, New Jersey.
Lautenberg was elected to five terms as a Senator. He first took office in December 1982 and served three terms, retiring from the Senate in 2001. Called upon to run again one year later due to circumstances surrounding his Senate colleague Robert Torricelli's re-election campaign, Lautenberg returned to the Senate in January 2003 and was elected to one additional term in 2008. He died during his second term. He is also the longest serving senator from New Jersey, having served a total of 28 years, 5 months and 8 days.
Before entering politics, he was the chairman and chief executive officer of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. In his early years, he served overseas in the U.S. Army Signal Corps from 1942 to 1946 as a part of the war effort, and after returning home his interest in American political events increased. He has been called "the last of the New Deal liberals" and was known for his legislative efforts against drunk driving, and his support of spending for Amtrak and urban public transportation, for stronger environmental regulations, greater consumer protections, and investigations of wrongdoing by Wall Street.