U.S. Senator (Democrat) from New Jersey. He started out as a businessman who helped developed ADP into a leading computing services company, and later became its chief executive. When he became a Senator, he championed legislation that allowed more control over alcohol and tobacco among other issues.

Elected to the Senate in 1982 at age 58, in his first attempt at elective office, he served 3 terms before retiring.   In 2002, he returned to office, serving until his death. He was the last World War II veteran in the Senate.

Lautenberg had little formal Jewish education  and was never able to be a bar mitzvah, but after war became more involved in Jewish communal life and causes. In 1968 he established the Lautenberg Center for General and Tumor Immunology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He was one-time president of the American Friends of Hebrew University, on the Jewish Agency for Israel’s board of governors, and chairman of the United Jewish Appeal.