# Frank Lautenberg

> Frank Raleigh Lautenberg (1924-2013) was an early ADP partner and its chairman and CEO from 1975 to 1982, followed by a career representing New Jersey in the United States Senate. A Paterson native and Columbia graduate educated through the GI Bill, he won five Senate elections, supported rail investment, and sponsored legislation concerning refugee admissions and domestic violence firearm restrictions. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously in 2024.

- **Role:** Business executive and politician
- **Organizations:** ADP (Automatic Data Processing), United States Senate, Democratic Party, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, United States Army Signal Corps, Prudential Insurance, United Jewish Appeal, ADAPSO
- **From:** Paterson, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** High school diploma, Nutley High School, Undergraduate degree in economics, Columbia University
- **Known for:** Helped build ADP as an early salesman, partner, chairman and CEO., Led ADP as CEO from 1975 to 1982., Won five United States Senate elections.

## Career timeline

- **1924** — Born in Paterson, New Jersey.
- **1941** — Graduated from Nutley High School.
- **1942-1946** — Military service in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, including service in Europe during World War II.
- **1949** — Graduated from Columbia University after studying through the GI Bill.
- **1952** — Joined the young payroll business that became ADP, following work in insurance sales.
- **1967-1968** — Served as president of ADAPSO, the computer services industry association.
- **1975** — Became ADP’s second CEO.
- **1978-1982** — Served as a Port Authority commissioner.
- **1982** — Won his first U.S. Senate election; entered office December 27.
- **1988** — Won his second Senate election.
- **1989** — Sponsored the refugee-admissions measure known as the Lautenberg Amendment.
- **1994** — Won his third Senate election.
- **1996** — Sponsored the domestic violence misdemeanor firearm prohibition known as the Lautenberg Amendment.
- **2001** — Left the Senate following his decision not to seek reelection in 2000.
- **2002** — Won election after replacing Robert Torricelli as Democratic nominee.
- **2003** — Returned to the Senate; Secaucus Junction was dedicated in his name.
- **2008** — Won his fifth Senate election.
- **2013** — Died on June 3 while serving in the Senate.
- **2015** — Inducted posthumously into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.
- **2024** — Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.

## Achievements

- Helped build ADP as an early salesman, partner, chairman and CEO.
- Led ADP as CEO from 1975 to 1982.
- Won five United States Senate elections.
- Accumulated 28 years, 5 months and 8 days in the Senate, the longest tenure for a New Jersey senator.
- Helped secure federal funding for Secaucus Junction.
- Sponsored the 1989 refugee-admissions Lautenberg Amendment.
- Sponsored the 1996 firearm prohibition concerning qualifying domestic violence misdemeanor convictions.
- Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously in 2024.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Lautenberg for Senate filed FEC termination paperwork and reported distributing about $87,000 in remaining funds, most to the Lautenberg Foundation; reporting did not establish FEC acceptance of termination.
- **2024-05** — Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.

## Links

- Website: https://web.archive.org/web/20130727092212/http://www.lautenberg.senate.gov/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/FrankLautenberg
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/franklautenberg
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/franklautenberg

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/frank-lautenberg
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-15