George Pataki dabbled in politics while he was in college, but never had the intention of becoming a politician until he thought he needed to make a change in his hometown.
Here are seven highlights from potential 2016 GOP presidential hopeful Pataki’s pre-politics life.
1. George Pataki was born June 24, 1945. He was raised on a farm in Peekskill, New York, and comes from a blue-collar background. His parents have Hungarian roots, and Pataki still speaks some Hungarian.
Urgent: Do You Support George Pataki for the GOP Nomination? Vote Here Now
2. Pataki is a 1967 graduate of Yale University, where he attended on an academic scholarship and graduated in three years. Yale is where he got his feet wet in politics, chairing the conservative party of the Yale Political Union.
3. He attended Yale with George W. Bush though the two weren’t friends. “I knew him, but he didn't know me. I knew him because his father was a congressman and his grandfather was a senator. My roommates and I actually tried to recruit him to get involved in politics, but he wasn't interested at all,”
Pataki told the Yale Herald in a 1999 interview.
4. Pataki went on to study at Columbia University on another academic scholarship and graduated in 1970 with his law degree.
5. After graduating from Columbia, Pataki returned home to Peekskill to practice law with Plunkett and Jaffe, P.C.
According to World Heritage Encyclopedia, it was there he met Michael Finnegan, who would later go on to manage his election campaigns.
6. Pataki married Elizabeth Rowland in 1973, and they remain married today. The Patakis have four grown children: Emily, Teddy, Allison, and Owen.
7. Pataki is considered an active Yale alum according to the Yale Daily News. He attends events, including football games, at his alma mater, and was also active as a Yale parent. In 2002, he delivered the class day address.
Urgent: Who Should the GOP Nominate in 2016? Vote Here Now
Related Stories:
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.