Abraham A. "Abe" Ribicoff was a US representative [D–Connecticut] from January 1949 to January 1953; the Democratic governor of Connecticut from January 1955 to January 1961; US secretary of health, education, and welfare from January 1961 to July 1962; a US senator [D–Connecticut] from January 1963 to January 1981; and a member of the Senate Finance Committee.