In brief
Edward Gene Rendell (born January 5, 1944) is an American lawyer, author, and Democratic politician who served as the 45th governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011 and as the 99th mayor of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2000. After earning a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1965 and serving in the U.S. Army, Rendell practiced law and was elected Philadelphia's district attorney in 1977, becoming the youngest in the city's history.
As mayor, Rendell inherited a city facing a $250 million deficit and near bankruptcy; he balanced the budget, generated five consecutive surpluses, reduced business and wage taxes, and oversaw urban revitalization efforts credited with Philadelphia's economic renaissance, described by The New York Times as "the most stunning turnaround in recent urban history."
Edward Gene Rendell was born on January 5, 1944, in New York City to Jewish-American parents Jesse Theodore Rendell and Emma Sloat. All four of his grandparents had immigrated to the United States from Russia. His father worked as a converter in the textile industry, a role involving the processing of fabrics for manufacturers, while his mother served as a designer whose family owned a successful sportswear business.
Photographs
Hero photograph: Wikimedia Commons
