Arlen Specter Net Worth

What is Arlen Specter's Net Worth?

Arlen Specter was an American lawyer, politician, and author who had a net worth of $30 million. The longest-serving US senator from Pennsylvania, Arlen Specter served in the US Senate from 1981 to 2011, being a member of the Republican Party for all but the final two years of his tenure. Before becoming a senator, he was an assistant counsel for the Warren Commission and served as the district attorney of Philadelphia.

Early Life and Education

Arlen Specter was born on February 12, 1930 in Wichita, Kansas as the youngest child of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants Lillie and Harry. The family later moved to Russell, Kansas, where Specter attended Russell High School. After graduating in 1947, he went to the University of Oklahoma. Specter then transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his BA in international relations in 1951. He subsequently served stateside in the United States Air Force until 1953, obtaining the rank of first lieutenant. Following his service, Specter enrolled at Yale Law School, from which he earned his LLB in 1956.

Law Career

After graduating from Yale Law, Specter opened the law firm Specter & Katz with Philadelphia federal district court judge Marvin Katz. Among his clients was Ira Einhorn, dubbed "The Unicorn Killer," whom he helped receive a low bail for his murder charge. Specter also served as an assistant district attorney under Philadelphia district attorney James C. Crumlish Jr. He would succeed Crumlish as Philadelphia district attorney in 1966, serving two terms until 1974. Notably, Specter served as a Republican despite having previously been a Democrat. Also in his law career, Specter worked at the Philadelphia law firm Dechert, Price & Rhoads.

Career Beginnings in Politics

In late 1963, Specter became an assistant counsel for the Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. In this role, he helped create the single-bullet theory that postulated the non-fatal wounds to Kennedy and Texas governor John Connally resulted from the same bullet. After serving as the district attorney of Philadelphia for two terms, Specter ran in the 1976 Republican primary for the US Senate, but was defeated by John Heinz. In 1978, he ran for governor of Pennsylvania, but was defeated by Dick Thornburgh.

US Senator

Specter ran again for the US Senate in 1980, and this time won. He ended up serving in the Senate until 2011, making him the longest-serving US senator from Pennsylvania. During his tenure, Specter maintained largely centrist-to-right political positions. He was pro-choice and supported affirmative action, but opposed gun control and had a mixed record on LGBTQ rights. In 2002, he voted in favor of the Iraq Resolution, although he was vocally critical of many of the Bush administration's controversial policies over the ensuing years. From 2005 to 2007, Specter served as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. In 2009, he was one of just three Republicans to vote for the Senate's Recovery Act, and two months later he switched back to the Democratic Party. Specter's Senate career ended when he was defeated by Joe Sestak in the 2010 Democratic primary; Sestak was subsequently defeated by Republican Pat Toomey in the general election.

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Post-Senate

After leaving the Senate, Specter became an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He also donated nearly 2,700 boxes of historical papers and memorabilia from his career to Philadelphia University, which worked with the University of Pittsburgh to jointly manage the collection. At Philadelphia University, Specter contributed to the creation of the Arlen Specter Center for Public Policy, a nonpartisan initiative focused on research, educational programming, and exhibitions. His namesake is also borne by the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia, a former armory that completed renovations in 2021. It serves as the headquarters for US Squash.

Personal Life and Death

Specter was married to businesswoman and politician Joan Levy from 1953 until his passing. From 1980 to 1996, Levy was a member of the Philadelphia City Council. The couple had two sons together.

In early 2005, Specter announced that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He successfully underwent chemotherapy. Specter did another successful round of chemotherapy when the cancer returned in 2008. He was diagnosed with a new form of the disease in 2012, and that October 14, he passed away at his home in Philadelphia.

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