Frank Lautenberg was born in Paterson, New Jersey to hardworking immigrant parents that arrived via Ellis Island. While the family was poor, his parents worked hard to provide for what he needed, even if that included moving around many times. In conjunction with what he learned while growing up, Lautenberg decided to follow the examples his parents showed him, and pursue what many believe is the ultimate “American Dream.” In trying to build a life for himself, he was able to succeed and surpass any expectation that people had of him. He is not only a businessman and founder of a computing services company, Lautenberg is a United States Senator with many accomplishments under his belt. He has always stood up for what he believes in, even when people were against him. He is persistent and has managed to get many things done for the state of New Jersey.
After graduating high school, Lautenberg served in the Army Signal Corps. When the war ended, he returned to the United States and attended Columbia University on the G.I Bill. He earned himself a degree in economics. Next, he focused on building a career for himself. In doing so, he joined forces with two childhood friends and created a payroll service company, Automatic Data Processing. The company is highly successful, with users all over the world.
In 1982, Lautenberg was elected to the United States Senate. He went on to be re-elected in 1988 and 1994. After a brief retirement period, he ran for office again. Lautenberg re-entered the Senate in 2002, and won another term in 2008.
During his time in office, there have been many accomplishments. These range from helping to balance the federal budget, to stopping aid to nations that support acts of terrorism. Many of these movements have led to a better New Jersey. Since coming back to the Senate, Lautenberg has focused on improving the lives of New Jersey families. He has fought to save health insurance for children, refund families that have purchased body armor for their soldiers fighting in the war, and reverse global warming. Lautenberg serves on three Senate committees. His focus includes transportation, conservation, and environmental issues. He chooses to work on things like strengthening Amtrak and turning our federal buildings more environmentally friendly.
Senator Lautenberg lives in Cliffside Park, New Jersey with his wife, Bonnie. Together they have six children and thirteen grandchildren. |
