Bright Lights EP16: Rudy Boschwitz

Bright Lights by Lacy Johnson

BOSCHWITZ, RUDOLPH ELI (RUDY), a Senator from Minnesota; born in Berlin, Germany, November 7, 1930; attended the public schools in New Rochelle, N.Y., and The Pennington School in Pennington, N.J.; attended Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md., 1947-1949; graduated, New York University School of Commerce, New York City, 1950, and New York University Law School 1953; admitted to the New York bar in 1954 and the Wisconsin bar in 1959, and commenced practice in New York City in 1956; served in the United States Army Signal Corps 1954-1955; founder, in October 1963, and chairman of Plywood Minnesota, Inc. (renamed Home Valu Interiors, Inc., 1994) 1963-; Republican National Committeeman from Minnesota 1971-1978; elected as a Republican to the United States Senate in November 1978 for the term commencing January 3, 1979; subsequently appointed on December 30, 1978, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Wendell B. Anderson for the term ending January 3, 1979; reelected in 1984 for the term ending January 3, 1991; unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1990 and in 1996; chairman, National Republican Senatorial Committee (One Hundredth Congress); continued civic activities and membership on various advisory boards, including state chair of the American Cancer Society Crusade, Upper Midwest Kidney Foundation, campaign chairman for Minneapolis Federation for Jewish Service; received Citizen's Medal in 1991 for efforts in Ethiopia as President George H.W. Bush's emissary; finance chair in Minnesota for President George W. Bush 2000, 2004; is a resident of Minneapolis, Minn.