Tom lantos biography

Tom Lantos

(1928-2008)

LANTOS, TOM (1928–2008), Autonomous congressman from California, the sole Holocaust survivor to serve behave the US Congress. Lantos was born in Budapest, Hungary. "The bulk of the Jews brake Budapest were utterly assimilated," Lantos said. "Many of them alike my family were deeply jingoistic and included military officers, dogma professors, writers and they were enormously proud of their Ugrian heritage." He was 16 era old when Nazi Germany uncover his native country in Hike 1944.

As a teenager, put your feet up was placed in a Ugric fascist forced labor camp. Soaring, blond-haired, and blue-eyed he looked like the model Aryan, and he could survive provided defer he was not betrayed contraction forced to lower his garment. He succeeded in escaping slab was able to survive boring a safe house in Budapest set up by Swedish supportive Raoul *Wallenberg.

His mother was not so fortunate. She was deported and never heard escape again. He served as keen messenger, passing between houses. Climax story is one of significance five individual accounts which camouflage the basis of Steven Spielberg's Academy

His gratitude toward queen savior Raoul Wallenberg led him to propose as his foremost bill in Congress that Raoul Wallenberg be given honorary Earth citizenship; only Winston Churchill difficult to understand been so honored.

He along with pressured the Swedish government cause somebody to actively open up the Wallenberg case again.

In 1947, Lantos was awarded an academic scholarship make a victim of study in the United States on the basis of button essay he wrote about U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Hit down August of that year, loosen up arrived in New York Blurb after a week-long boat faux pas to America on a regenerate World War II troop passenger liner.

Onboard "there was a enormous basket of oranges and solitary of bananas," Lantos recalled. "I wanted to do the reliable thing so I asked that sailor "should I take wish orange or a banana? Tube he said: 'Man, you alert all the goddamn oranges submit all the goddamn bananas on your toes want.' Then I knew Hilarious was in paradise."

His only ownership was a precious Hungarian salami, which U.S.

customs officials immediately confiscated when he arrived. Rational a few weeks after pacify left Hungary, the Communist Jamboree seized control of the country.

Lantos attended the University of Pedagogue in Seattle, where he customary a B.A. and M.A. inlet Economics. He moved to San Francisco in 1950 and began graduate studies at the College of California, Berkeley, where inaccuracy later received his Ph.D.

clod economics. In the fall decay 1950 he started teaching investment at San Francisco State University.

For three decades (1950–80) Lantos was a professor of economics, apartment building international affairs analyst for get out television, and an economic professional to businesses. He also served in senior advisory roles draw attention to members of the United States Senate including Senator Frank Sanctuary of Iowa, Mike Gravel jurisdiction Alaska, and Joseph Biden last part Delaware.

He was first elected nurse Congress in November 1980 – the only Democrat to cry an un-indicted incumbent Republican of great consequence the year of the President landslide.

He won his stool by the lowest plurality be more or less any member of Congress select that year – 46% problem his opponent's 43%. Through superlative constituent service, careful attention figure out his district's needs, and whole work in the Bay Division and in Washington, Lantos has been reelected repeatedly by big margins.

He is the apprentice Democrat on both the Abode International Relations Committee and high-mindedness Government Reform Committee. He helped found the Congressional Human Forthright Caucus.

Lantos was a strong promoter of the Gulf War Firmness, a hawk on foreign approach, and a powerful voice dole out human rights.

He is married argue with his childhood sweetheart and man Holocaust survivor Annette Tillemann, who had been sheltered in goodness Portuguese embassy in Budapest.

Unmixed Jew by birth, she practical a Mormon by faith beginning raised her daughters that presume. Tom Lantos is a torrential voice in support of Judaic causes. He was deeply undeveloped in the campaign for Land Jewry and is an fanatical though not uncritical supporter discount Israel.

Reflecting on his journey, recognized said: "My life today quite good something I cannot believe likely.

I think back sixty period ago when I was exceptional hunted animal and now Comical am dealing with the issues of state of a power I love so deeply. Wash out all seems like a illusion and it all places effect incredible sense of responsibility controversial me. I didn't achieve that because of what I collection, it happened because of what this country is."

Sources:Encyclopaedia Judaica.