"I am extremely honored and humbled to be a recipient of this year's Alumni Achievement Award," says U.S. Senator Norm Coleman '71. "The years that I spent at Hofstra were some of the most intellectually challenging of my life. My commitment to service, reform, and above all, my concerns regarding America's place in the world were all forged at Hofstra."

Senator Coleman with U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Cho

A passion for change and getting things done defined Norm's life from an early age. Growing up in a large Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, he has often said that most of his preparation for a life in politics came from sitting around the huge Coleman family kitchen table. Full-throated debate on the issues of the day and mutual goodwill were always on the menu.

While a student at Hofstra, Norm was deeply involved in the anti-war and civil rights movements. "I was very much an activist," he said. "This was the '60s, and I played an active role in challenging the system. I was both the president of the student body and a leader of the student protests. I vividly remember the demonstrations [he was suspended at one point for taking over Weller Hall] and the aftermath of the Kent State tragedy."

He continues, "In those difficult times I formed strong, lifelong relationships with those whom I challenged, such as President Clifford Lord and Vice President Bill Shanhouse. I came to respect the wisdom of Herb Rosenbaum, chair of the Political Science Department. And I learned a great deal from my mentor, instructor, and friend, Leon Martel. It goes without saying that these individuals helped me become a better thinker, a better leader, and a better person. A lot of who I am today was developed through the opportunities afforded to me, and the people with whom I interacted at Hofstra."

After graduation Norm went to the University of Iowa Law School, and then, drawn by a job opportunity in the office of Minnesota's attorney general, he headed north to take his first professional job. He spent 17 years in the attorney general's office, prosecuting cases all over Minnesota and getting involved in a wide variety of public policy matters, including drug abuse and civil rights.

In 1993, as a Democrat, Norm was elected mayor of St. Paul, defeating the endorsed candidate of the Democratic Farm Labor Party. When he took office, the Capital City was experiencing a serious economic decline and increase in crime and other social problems. He set out to reform city services, put a lid on property tax increases and established public-private partnerships. His efforts paid off, with more than $3 billion of private investments in St. Paul. In 2002 then-Mayor Norm Coleman received the U.S. Conference of Mayors' highest award recognizing excellence in public-private partnership.

An era of rapid change and economic improvement took hold in St. Paul. Eighteen thousand new jobs came to the city. A new science museum was built. The state's largest software developer, Lawson Software, moved its headquarters to downtown St. Paul. Harriett Island Park and the land adjacent to the river were rehabilitated, reconnecting the city to the Mississippi River. Increased community involvement in St. Paul schools and law enforcement also brought measurable improvements. And finally, Norm engineered the return of a National Hockey League franchise to Minnesota. The nationally recognized Xcel Energy Center is now one of the premier entertainment venues in America and home to the NHL Minnesota Wild.

In 1996 Mayor Norm Coleman made a major change. He switched to the Republican party because he felt it held better opportunities to bring about job growth, quality education and greater public safety. In 1997 he was reelected mayor as a Republican, with 59 percent of the vote.

Shortly after his term as mayor ended, Norm entered the race for one of Minnesota's seats in the U.S. Senate. He engaged in a close and hard-fought campaign with incumbent Senator Paul Wellstone, who tragically perished in a plane crash 11 days before the election. Former Vice President Walter Mondale replaced him on the ticket. In one of the largest turnout elections in the country, Norm was elected with more than 1.1 million votes and a two percent margin of victory.

Norm Coleman was sworn in as a U.S. senator on January 7, 2003. Upon taking office, he secured a seat on the Senate Agriculture Committee. In the fall of 2003, Senator Coleman introduced the Rural Renaissance Act, $50 billion worth of federal grants aimed at revitalizing America's rural economy. He also founded and is now co-chairman of the bipartisan Senate Biofuels Caucus and has led the effort to expand national renewable fuel initiatives.

Norm serves as chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, an assignment once held by Harry Truman and rarely occupied by a freshman senator.

He also serves as a member of the prestigious Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Norm Coleman has supported a major long-term initiative to combat the African AIDS epidemic and chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, which has taken him on travels to numerous Central and South American destinations, including Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.

Norm says, "The skills that I acquired from Hofstra remain applicable to the work I do today in the Senate. To date, I am proudest of the work that I have done on U.N. reform and on AIDS in Africa. The U.N. is broken. From the Oil for Food fraud to sex abuse by peacekeepers in Africa, it clearly needs reform. The United States needs the U.N. to become an effective organization that reflects its stated principles and that is adequately equipped to face emerging global challenges. That is why I have worked hard for greater transparency, accountability, and effective internal oversight."

"I am also proud of the work I have been able to do to fight AIDS in Africa. I have traveled to Africa and seen firsthand the devastation AIDS has caused on the continent. I returned home with a broken heart, but determined to help. Today, on the continent of Africa, nearly 30 million people have the HIV virus – including three million children under the age of 15. There are whole countries in Africa where more than one-third of the adult population carries the virus. I am humbled to be able to use my position to bring hope and resources to millions suffering from AIDS."

Senator Norm Coleman and his wife, Laurie, have two children, Jacob and Sarah.