Jacob Koppel "Jack" Javits (May 18, 1904 – March 7, 1986) was an American politician who served as a
United States Senator from
New York from 1957 to 1981. He was a liberal
Republican who served in Congress for 30 years. He was allied with
Governor Nelson Rockefeller, and fellow Senators
Irving Ives and
Kenneth Keating. A maverick, Javits joined the Republican Party in a favorable response to Fiorello La Guardia and in reaction to Tammany Hall's efforts to control votes. He was elected to the Senate in 1956 where he served until 1981, following terms of service in the House of Representatives and as Attorney General for the State of New York.