John Boozman, a successful businessman and life-long resident of Arkansas, was sworn-in as U.S. Senator on January 5, 2011.

Raised in Fort Smith, John graduated from Northside High School and went on to play football for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks while completing his pre-optometry requirements. He graduated from the Southern College of Optometry in 1977 and entered private practice that same year co-founding a family business with his brother that would ultimately become a major provider of eye care to Northwest Arkansas.

For five terms, John served the people of the Third District of Arkansas in the U.S. House of Representatives, establishing a reputation as an advocate for Arkansans and the needs of our veterans and our state’s economy.

During his tenure in the House, John played a crucial role in improving the transition to civilian life for our veterans, expanding treatments for our wounded warriors and modernizing educational benefits under the GI Bill.

John’s work on the international stage during his tenure in the House helped make Arkansas a larger player in global trade. In 2007, his efforts to bring together Third District and state leaders with the international community culminated in the creation the Arkansas World Trade Center (AWTC) in Rogers, which opened in 2007. Since its opening, John and the AWTC have hosted numerous foreign dignitaries, diplomats and government leaders in an effort to open new markets for Arkansas’s goods and services.

In the 113th Congress, John will serve on four committees in the Senate: Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Appropriations; Environment and Public Works (EPW); and Veterans’ Affairs. His main legislative priority remains getting Arkansas’s economy back on track. Since agriculture accounts for nearly one-quarter of Arkansas’s economic activity, John has used his seat on the Agriculture Committee to fight for an equitable farm bill to ensure that Arkansas’s farmers, ranchers and loggers are protected. While an equitable farm bill is one way that the federal government can help Arkansas’s farmers, over-regulating is one way it can harm them. For that reason, John uses his seat on the EPW Committee works to limit the size and intrusiveness of the federal government. And in this particularly difficult economy, John remains committed to providing our veterans with economic opportunities to ensure they can assume their rightful role as an indispensable part of America’s work force.

Prior to his election to Congress, John served two terms on the Rogers School Board, which is one of the largest school districts in the state. He established the low vision program at the Arkansas School for the Blind in Little Rock and worked as a volunteer optometrist at an area clinic that provides medical services to low-income families. John successfully raised Polled Hereford cattle that were competitive in the show ring, as well as in bull testing at Oklahoma State University.

John, 62, is married to the former Cathy Marley and they currently reside in Rogers, AR. The couple has three daughters and one granddaughter.