About the Foundation

LEADERSHIP

Annette Lantos is the Chairman of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice.  Annette, the wife of the late Congressman Tom Lantos, worked full-time in her husband's office throughout his nearly three decades in the U.S. House of Representatives.  She served as the unpaid Executive Director of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, which Congressman Lantos co-founded.  She has spearheaded numerous efforts to help human rights victims, including those persecuted for religious and political reasons, and to further human rights causes.  She has also been instrumental in fighting for animal rights and assisted her husband in co-founding the Congressional Friends of Animals Caucus.

Annette is the distinguished founder of the International Free Wallenberg Committee, established in 1977 to raise awareness of Raoul Wallenberg's incredible humanitarian mission in Hungary during the Second World War.  Her efforts to locate and free Wallenberg from the Soviet Union resulted in several interviews on national news programs such as CBS's 60 Minutes.  She also spoke directly with President Jimmy Carter about Wallenberg's case.  Although the Swedish humanitarian was never found, Annette and Congressman Lantos have been instrumental in honoring his legacy through numerous legislative initiatives.

Born in Budapest, Hungary, Annette came to the United States at age 16.  After graduating from an American high school, Annette went on to obtain her bachelor's degree and teaching certificate from San Francisco State University.  She and Tom were married for nearly 58 years.  Annette has two daughters, Annette Jr. and Katrina, eighteen grandchildren, and an ever increasing number of great-grandchildren.