Republican presidential candidate Willard Mitt Romney was born on March 12,1947.
He was named for his father's best friend, hotel businessman J.
WillardMarriott and Milton "Mitt" Romney, a relative who played football for theChicago Bears.
His father, George W.
Romney, was a former Michigan governor,Housing and Urban Development Secretary, American Motors chairman andpresidential candidate.
His mother, Lenore, was an unsuccessful U.
S.
Senatecandidate in 1970.
Romney married his high school sweetheart, Ann Davies, in1968.
They have five sons, Tagg, Matt, Josh, Ben and Craig and tengrandchildren.
Ann Romney was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998.
Romney grew up Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, along with his threesiblings, Lynn, Jane and G.
Scott.
After attending Stanford University for twosemesters, Romney took a leave from school to serve a 30-month mission in Franceas an LDS missionary.
When he returned to the states, he transferred to BrighamYoung University, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1971.
In 1975, hegraduated from a joint JD/MBA program between Harvard Law School and HarvardBusiness School.

Born:March 12, 1947 Died:-- Famous For:Republican candidate in 2008 presidentialelection.
As governor of Massachusetts, he achieved a balanced budget everyyear.
Key Accomplishments:Top graduate at Brigham YoungUniversity, Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School.
Significant Quote:"It's time for innovation andtransformation in Washington.
It's what our country needs.
It's what our peopledeserve.
" (announcing his candidacy for President) Fun Quote: "No, I represent the people.
You represent themedia.
You're supposed to be unbiased.
"

After college, Romney spent some time working for theBoston Consulting Group before becoming a vice president at Bain & Company,another Boston-based management consulting firm.
In 1984, he left the company toco-found Bain Capital, which soon grew into a highly successful private equityinvestment firm.
In 1990, Romney was asked to return to Bain & Company, which was facingfinancial collapse.
Within one year, he led Bain & Company through a highlysuccessful turnaround and returned the firm to profitability.
After that year,he returned to Bain Capital.
During Romney's time there, the firm founded orinvested in companies such as Staples, Brookstone, Domino's and The SportsAuthority.
He left Bain Capital in 1998 to head the 2002 Salt Lake City OlympicGames Organizing Committee.
In 1999, Romney was hired as the president and CEOof the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.
He contributed $1 million to the Olympicsand donated his $825,000 salary to charity.
It was here that Romney first gainednational recognition.
In 1994, Romney won the Massachusetts RepublicanParty's nomination for U.
S.
Senate, but Senator Ted Kennedy went on to win theelection with 58% of the votes to Romney's 41%.
In 2002, after a battleover residency requirements, Romney was elected governor of Massachusetts with50% of the vote over the Democratic candidate.
He did not seek re-election.
Instead, on January 3, 2007 (just two days before he stepped down as governor),he announced the formation of a presidential exploratory committee.
On February13, 2007, Romney officially announced his presidential candidacy.
As governor of Massachusetts, Romney supported education reform andabortion rights, but has since described himself as pro-life.
He supports thedeath penalty and advocates making health care more affordable.
Romney is one of only a few Mormons, including his father and Orrin Hatch,to run for president.