Arlen Specter

Arlen Specter (February 12, 1930 – October 14, 2012) was an American lawyer, author, and politician. He served as a United States Senator from Pennsylvania from 1981 to 2011, making him the longest-serving senator from the state. Specter began his political career as a Democrat from 1951 to 1965 and then switched to the Republican Party until 2009, when he switched back to the Democratic Party. Prior to his political career, Specter graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. He later attended Yale Law School and became a prominent lawyer, serving as assistant counsel for the Warren Commission investigating the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Specter made significant contributions to the formulation of the 'single-bullet theory'. In 1965, he was elected District Attorney of Philadelphia, a position he held for several years.