Jack Reed (politician) - Early Life, Education and Career

Early Life, Education and Career

Reed was born in Cranston, Rhode Island, the son of Mary Louise (née Monahan) and Joseph Anthony Reed. Reed graduated from La Salle Academy and the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1971. Following graduation, he spent several years in active duty military service. Reed was an Army Ranger and a paratrooper. He served in the 82nd Airborne Division as an Infantry Platoon leader and in the 325th Infantry Regiment as a Company Commander and later as a Battalion Staff Officer.

Reed attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he received a Masters of Public Policy. He returned to West Point in 1978 as an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences. He left active duty in 1979 after earning the rank of Captain. However, he would remain a member of the United States Army Reserve until 1991. After leaving active duty, Reed enrolled in Harvard Law School, where he became a member of the Board of Student Advisers. In 1982, he graduated with his Juris Doctor and worked as an associate at the Washington, D.C. office of law firm of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan. Afterwards, he returned to Rhode Island and joined Edwards and Angell, a Providence law firm. He worked with this group until 1990.

Reed was elected as a state senator in 1984 and served three terms.

Reed married professional Senate staffer Julia Hart in a Roman Catholic ceremony in the Catholic chapel on the United States Military Academy campus on April 16, 2005. On January 5, 2007, Mrs. Reed gave birth to a daughter, Emily.