Ambassador Javits, born in New York City, graduated from Choate, Columbia College, and Columbia Law School. Admitted to the New York Bar in 1955 and later to the US Supreme Court, he began his legal career with Javits & Javits, founded by his father and his uncle, the late Sen. Jacob K. Javits. He conducted an international practice as senior partner of the firm (1964-89), then served as Ambassador-Designate to Venezuela and a consultant in the US Department of State until 1990. In 2000, President George W. Bush named him to the Conference on Disarmament and then to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (2003-09). His civic activities included service as president and as chairman of Spanish Institute and on the boards of Spain-US Chamber of Commerce, French Institute-Alliance Francaise and Cardozo Law School. King Carlos I of Spain conferred decorations on Mr. Javits in 1981 and in 1990. He is the author of SOS New York–A City in Distress (Dial Press, 1961) and Twists and Turns–Episodes in the Life of Ambassador Eric M. Javits (Barrington Books, 2013). He became actively engaged in the field of energy research in 2012 and currently serves as Executive Chairman of two private companies doing pure research.  Mr. Javits and his wife, Dr. Margaretha Espersson, long-time residents of Manhattan, now maintain homes in Sweden and in Palm Beach. He has two children, Jocelyn Javits and Eric Javits, Jr.