Tom Lantos

Tom Lantos, born on February first, nineteen twenty-eight, was a distinguished Hungarian-born American politician, economist, journalist, teacher, and human rights defender. He served as a U.S. representative from California from nineteen eighty-one until his passing in two thousand eight. A member of the Democratic Party, Lantos initially represented California's eleventh congressional district until nineteen ninety-three, after which he served the twelfth congressional district, encompassing the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and parts of southwestern San Francisco.

In his final term, Lantos held the esteemed position of Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. In early January two thousand eight, he announced that he would not seek re-election due to a diagnosis of esophageal cancer, ultimately passing away before completing his term. As a Hungarian Jew and the only Holocaust survivor to serve in the United States Congress, Lantos's life was marked by resilience, having survived the genocide with the aid of Raoul Wallenberg.

Following his death, Speaker Nancy Pelosi honored Lantos, stating that he dedicated his public life to illuminating the dark corners of oppression, using his influential voice to awaken the consciousness of both world leaders and the public. In recognition of his commitment to human rights, the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, which he founded in nineteen eighty-three, was renamed the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in two thousand eight, with a mission to promote and advocate for internationally recognized human rights.

In the last weeks of his life, Lantos expressed a desire for a non-profit organization to be established to continue his passionate work. This led to the founding of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights & Justice later that year. Additionally, in two thousand eleven, the Tom Lantos Institute was established in Budapest to foster tolerance and support minority issues across Central and Eastern Europe and beyond.