Lautenberg, Frank R. (Frank Raleigh), 1924-2013

LAUTENBERG, Frank Raleigh, a Senator from New Jersey; born in Paterson, Passaic County, N.J., January 23, 1924; served in the United States Army Signal Corps 1942-1946; graduated Columbia University School of Business, New York City 1949; businessman; commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey 1978-1982; elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 1982 for the term commencing January 3, 1983; subsequently appointed by the Governor on December 27, 1982, to complete the unexpired term of Nicholas F. Brady; reelected in 1988 and 1994 and served from December 27, 1982, to January 3, 2001; chose not to run for reelection in 2000; again elected to the United States Senate in 2002; reelected in 2008 and served from January 3, 2003, until his death on June 3, 2013; lay in repose in the Senate Chamber June 6, 2013; interment in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.

<p>Frank Raleigh Lautenberg (/ˈlɔːtənbɜːrɡ/; January 23, 1924 – June 3, 2013) was a businessman and American Democratic Party politician who served as United States Senator from New Jersey from 1982 to 2001, and again from 2003 until his death in 2013. He was originally from Paterson, New Jersey.</p>

<p>Lautenberg was elected five terms as 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 and remains New Jersey's longest serving senator, with a total of 28 years, 5 months and 8 days in office.</p>

<p>Before entering politics, he was an early partner in, and became 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.</p>