Lambda Theta Phi brother sworn in as US Senator

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 2006 – On Wednesday, January 18, 2006, at a ceremony held in Washington, DC, Congressman Robert Menendez was sworn in as New Jersey’s senator. Menendez is New Jersey’s first Latino senator, the first Latino senator from a state outside of the Midwest and the first member of a Latino Greek Letter Organization (LGLO) in the United States Senate. Robert “Bob” Menendez is a member of Lambda Theta Phi, Latin Fraternity, Inc., the nation’s oldest national Latin fraternity.

On Friday, December 9, New Jersey Governor-elect Jon Corzine appointed Menendez to fill out the remaining year of his term in the United States Senate. At an event at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ, where Menendez spoke eloquently about the needs of working people and the disadvantaged, his commitment to representing all the people of New Jersey, and his upbringing. The child of Cuban immigrants, Menendez was touched by the plight of the poor and middle class, and entered politics at an early age to champion their cause.

Menendez distinguished himself in the political arena in the 1980s when he became the first Latino mayor of Union City, NJ and went on to become a state assemblyman and later a state senator. With substantial support from individual members of Lambda Theta Phi, Menendez went on to become New Jersey’s first Latino congressman. He is the only Latino congressman in a district where the majority of Latinos are of a different Latino group than his own. Menendez, who is of Cuban descent, was elected in a district where the majority of the Latinos at the time were Puerto Rican or Dominican. In fact unlike Mexican congressman in the Midwest, elected by a majority Mexican constituency, or Puerto Rican congressman from New York with a majority Puerto Rican constituency, Menendez was elected by a majority non-Latino constituency. It was in part his ability to reach people from all socio-economic and ethnic groups that lead to his selection to fill the vacant senate seat.

Menendez, who has continued to be a contributing member of Lambda Theta Phi over the years, publicly thanked the brothers of Lambda Theta Phi for their support during his victory speech in 1992, after being elected to congress. It is the first public acknowledgement of a LGLO by a member of congress in United States history. With a track record of effective, compassionate leadership, Menendez is expected to garnish wide spread public and fraternity support should he choose to seek election to the senate after his current term is completed.

Lambda Theta Phi, Latin Fraternity, Inc., conducts various local community service projects such as raising money for charitable organizations and voter registration drives. In addition, the fraternity offers scholarships, mentors youth and participates in national initiatives. In 2003, Lambda Theta Phi organized students and alumni across the country to protest a media merger that would create a monopoly of Spanish-language media. More recently, the organization raised funds toward the Katrina relief effort. However, no matter the scope of the initiative, the fraternity remains true to its goals to promote scholarship, Latin unity, respect for all cultures and brotherhood through responsible social and non-partisan political. To find out more about Lambda Theta Phi visit www.Lambda1975.org.