Barney Frank

Barney Frank (born March 31, 1940) is a former American politician who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts from 1981 to 2013. A Democrat, Frank was the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee from 2007 to 2011 and played a key role in co-sponsoring the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act. He was known for being the most prominent gay politician in the United States during his tenure in Congress. Frank grew up in Bayonne, New Jersey, and graduated from Bayonne High School, Harvard College, and Harvard Law School. Before entering politics, he worked as a political aide and won election to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1972. Throughout his career, Frank won re-election by wide margins and was respected for his advocacy on various issues.