State Senator Edward Meyer

Recently elected to his second term as a Connecticut State Senator, Senator Meyer is no stranger to legislative and legal issues. Senator Meyer brings with him to Hartford a wealth of experience in the public sector, which he will put to good use as he serves in the Connecticut General Assembly.

After receiving both his Bachelor’s degree and a law degree from Yale University, in 1964 Senator Meyer was appointed by then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to a post as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Department of Justice. Senator Meyer stayed with the Justice Department until 1968, contributing to the department’s efforts by investigating and prosecuting organized crime.

His legal career well under way, in 1970 Senator Meyer was elected to the New York State Assembly, where he served for four years as the representative for his Westchester County district. While in the state legislature, Senator Meyer authored 48 bills that later became law.

Senator Meyer also served on the New York State Board of Regents for 23 years, where he was a strong proponent of higher education standards from the public education system at a time when crusading for such reforms was not a common position to hold

Since moving to Guilford, Senator Meyer has served on the town’s Economic Development Commission. His commitment to the arts is reflected in his service on the Board of Trustees of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra.

Senator Meyer was born in New York City and raised on Long Island. In addition to his studies at Yale, he also spent a year on scholarship at Cambridge University. Senator Meyer is married to Patty Ann Reese, a former professional tennis player and one of the founding members of the Virginia Slims Tour. Senator Meyer met his wife at Wimbledon while she was competing and he was representing Jimmy Connors.

Senator Meyer and his wife have six children: Dan is a minister in Illinois; Lisa, a campaign professional, lives in New Fairfield; Jeff, a law professor at Quinnipiac University School of Law, lives in Stony Creek; Tory is a pediatric surgeon living in Texas; Tim is an attorney for the United States Department of State; and Andrew, a graduate of Cornell University, recently devoted a year to teaching English to students in China. In addition to their five sons and one daughter, the Meyers also have 12 grandchildren and a Golden Retriever, “Mo.”

Since making their home in Guilford, the Meyers have been active in the First Congregational Church, and find time to enjoy the beautiful shoreline and idyllic New England Charm that attracted them to Guilford in the first place.