Rudolph Ely “Rudy” Boschwitz(born November 7, 1930)[1]is an American politician and businessman fromMinnesota.A member of theRepublican Party,he served as a member of theUnited States Senatefrom 1978 to 1991.
Rudy Boschwitz | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 1983 | |
| United States Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights | |
| In office March 17, 2005 – June 16, 2006 | |
| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Rich Williamson |
| Succeeded by | office abolished[a] |
| United States Senator fromMinnesota | |
| In office December 30, 1978 – January 3, 1991 | |
| Preceded by | Wendell Anderson |
| Succeeded by | Paul Wellstone |
| Chair of theNational Republican Senatorial Committee | |
| In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1989 | |
| Preceded by | John Heinz |
| Succeeded by | Don Nickles |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Rudolph Ely Boschwitz November 7, 1930 Berlin,Weimar Republic(now Germany) |
| Political party | Republican Independent-Republicans of Minnesota(1975-1995) |
| Spouse |
Ellen Antoinette Loewenstein
(m.1956) |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | New York University(BS,JD) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1954–1955 |
| Rank | Private First Class |
| Unit | Signal Corps |
He was born inBerlinto a Jewish family. When Boschwitz was two years old, he and his family fled the country due toAdolf Hitler's rise to power. Boschwitz grew up inNew Rochelle, New York,and graduated with aJuris Doctordegree fromNew York University School of Lawin 1953. Boschwitz moved to Minnesota where he started a retaillumberstore chain named Plywood Minnesota (later renamed Home Valu). He grew the lumber chain into a successful business with 70 stores. Boschwitz became well-known for starring in Plywood Minnesota's television commercials, wearing his signature plaid flannel shirts. Home Valu Interiors went out of business in 2010.[2]
He first ran for elected office in Minnesota's1978 U.S. Senate electionand defeatedDemocraticincumbentWendell R. Anderson.He was reelected in1984by a landslide margin. While serving in the U.S. Senate, he was the chair of theNational Republican Senatorial Committeefrom 1987 until 1988. Boschwitz ran for reelection to a third term in the1990 electionagainst DemocratPaul Wellstone.Boschwitz significantly outspent and was expected to defeat Wellstone. However, Boschwitz lost in an upset. He was defeated again by Wellstone in a rematch in1996.Boschwitz was later appointed to theUnited Nations Commission on Human Rightsby then-PresidentGeorge W. Bush.He served on the commission from 2005 until 2006.
Upon the death ofDaniel J. Evansin September 2024, he became the oldest living person who served as an elected member of the U.S. Senate, whereasNicholas F. Brady(who briefly served as U.S. senator ofNew Jerseyin 1982), became the oldest living former U.S. senator.[3]
Early life and education
edit
Boschwitz was born November 7, 1930, inBerlin,Germany, the son of Lucy (née Dawidowicz) and Eli Boschwitz.[4]In 1933, when he was two years old, his Jewish family fled from Nazi Germany to the United States, settling in the town ofNew Rochelle, New York,where he grew up in after settling there on December 23, 1935. A graduate ofThe Pennington School,he attendedJohns Hopkins Universityand graduated from theNew York University Stern School of Businessin 1950 and theNew York University School of Lawin 1953.
Career
editHe was admitted to the New York State bar in 1954 and theWisconsinbar in 1959. He served in theUnited States Army Signal Corpsin 1954–1955 where he became a private first class.[5]He was the founder and chairman of aplywoodand home improvement retailer, Plywood Minnesota, which later became Home Valu Interiors. He returned to the company after his political career, and led it until it went out of business in 2010.[6]
Boschwitz was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in November 1978 and was subsequently appointed on December 30, 1978, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation ofWendell R. Anderson,who was appointed to fill the seat afterWalter Mondalewas elected Vice Presidenttwo years earlier.Boschwitz was well known in Minnesota for operating a "flavored milk" booth at theMinnesota State Fair.[7]
Boschwitz voted in favor of thebillestablishingMartin Luther King Jr. Dayas afederal holidayand theCivil Rights Restoration Act of 1987(as well as to overrideRonald Reagan's veto).[8][9][10]Boschwitz voted in favor of the failedRobert Bork Supreme Court nominationto theSupreme Court of the United States,which was rejected by the United States Senate.
Boschwitz is known for one of the more interesting campaign buttons in Minnesota politics; theMinnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Partyalleged that Boschwitz's donors were "fat cats",so Boschwitz's campaign created a" skinny cat "campaign button to be worn by those who had donated less than $100 to his campaign.[11]
After his defeat in 1990 by Paul Wellstone, Boschwitz ran against Wellstone again in 1996 but lost.
In 1991 he traveled toEthiopiaas the emissary of PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush.The negotiations Boschwitz led in Ethiopia resulted inOperation Solomon.Over 14,000 Jewish people were airlifted from Ethiopia to Israel.[12]Operation Solomon took twice as many Beta Israel émigrés to Israel asOperation MosesandOperation Joshuacombined.[13]
He was a top "Bush Pioneer" in 2000, fund-raising $388,193, and a "Bush Ranger" in 2004, raising at least $200,000 forGeorge W. Bush's campaign fund in that election cycle.[14]
In 2005, Bush named Boschwitz as theUnited States Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights,which met at the U.N. inGeneva,a city in FrenchSwitzerland.
Later life
editHe also supported United States Senate memberJohn McCainofArizonain the2008 presidential election.[15]He later served on the board of directors of theJewish Institute for National Security of America,was a board member of theAIPAC,and was a member of theCouncil on Foreign Relations.Boschwitz is the oldest living person who served as an elected member of the U.S. Senate since the death ofDaniel J. Evans.
Personal life
editBoschwitz married his wife, the former Ellen Antoinette Loewenstein in 1956, and they had four sons, Gerry (died December 30, 2018), Kenneth, Daniel, and Thomas.
Electoral history
edit- 1978 Race for U.S. Senate
- Rudy Boschwitz (R), 57%
- Wendell Anderson(DFL) (inc.), 40%
- 1984 Race for U.S. Senate
- Rudy Boschwitz (R) (inc.), 58%
- Joan Anderson Growe(DFL), 41%
- 1990 Race for U.S. Senate
- Paul Wellstone(DFL), 50%
- Rudy Boschwitz (R) (inc.), 48%
- 1996 Race for U.S. Senate
- Paul Wellstone(DFL) (inc.), 50%
- Rudy Boschwitz (R), 41%
- Dean Barkley(Ref.), 7%
See also
editNotes
edit- ^Eileen Donahoeas ambassador to the Human Rights Council
References
edit- ^"Boschwitz, Rudolph Eli (Rudy)".bioguideretro.com.RetrievedMarch 4,2020.
- ^Feyder, Susan (January 12, 2010)."Final nail in Plywood Minnesota".Star Tribune.RetrievedAugust 25,2022.
- ^Wildstein, David (September 22, 2024)."Evans' death leaves Nicholas Brady of N.J. as nation's oldest-living ex-U.S. Senator".New Jersey Globe.RetrievedSeptember 23,2024.
- ^"Boschwitz, Rudolph Eli – Dictionary definition of Boschwitz, Rudolph Eli".Encyclopedia.com.RetrievedDecember 5,2016.
- ^"A Legacy of Leadership: Rudy Boschwitz and the Rise of the modern Conservative Movement in Minnesota",Freedom Foundation of Minnesota, page 6 (see photo o top right of page).
- ^Feyder, Susan (January 12, 2010)."Final nail in Plywood Minnesota".Star Tribune.RetrievedJune 12,2023.
- ^"Boschwitz gets reprieve; will have milk at fair".postbulletin.com.Post-Bulletin Company, LLC.RetrievedMarch 4,2020.
- ^"To Pass H.R. 3706. (Motion Passes) See Notes(s) 19. Senate Vote #293, Oct 19, 1983".GovTrack.us.
- ^"To Pass S 557, Civil Rights Restoration Act, A Bill to... Senate Vote #432 – Jan 28, 1988".GovTrack.us.
- ^"To Adopt, Over the President's Veto of S 557, Civil... Senate Vote #487 – Mar 22, 1988".GovTrack.us.
- ^"The Skinny Cats of Minnesota Politics".Hennepin History Museum.February 27, 2016.RetrievedDecember 5,2016.
- ^"New Ethiopian Regime Will Allow Remaining Jews to Leave, Says Envoy".Jewish Telegraphic Agency.June 5, 1991.RetrievedApril 23,2021.
- ^Rozen-Wheeler, Adam (July 22, 2017)."Operations Moses, Joshua, and Solomon (1984–1991)".blackpast.org.RetrievedApril 23,2021.
- ^"TPJ.org".Archived fromthe originalon October 4, 2007.
- ^Scheck, Tom (July 15, 2008)."McCain's Minnesota bundlers".mprnews.org.RetrievedMarch 4,2020.