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WASHINGTON -- The activities of members of Congress are well documented once they reach Capitol Hill, but less is known about their lives before being elected. The most common route to the Capitol Building is to practice law, be elected to the state legislature and then elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. From there, some representatives go on to become senators.

However, not everyone follows this route. Many members have taken unique paths on their way to public office.

Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida flew as a payload specialist on Columbia Space Shuttle mission STS-61-C in 1986. Sen. Mark Udall of Colorado attempted to climb Mt. Everest. Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky and Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina were professional sports stars, while Rep. John Lewis of Georgia was a Freedom Rider during the Civil Rights Movement.

Rep. Don Young of Alaska is a former riverboat captain. He used to pilot a supply tug and barge up and down the Yukon River. His most harrowing memory is of when his co-pilot lost track of the boat’s position along the river. Upon rounding a bend, the tug almost crashed into a large rock known for wrecking boats. It was up to Young to safely pilot the boat with only inches to spare between the hull and the rock.

The two senators from North Dakota know their taxes. Between the two of them, Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan have been the state tax commissioner, the deputy tax commissioner, an assistant to the tax commissioner and a director in the state tax department.

Open the chart to explore more about jobs members of Congress have held in the past.

About the Chart:
Information is taken from Congressional Web sites and from the 2008 Almanac of American Politics published by the National Journal Group. Click on a congressman’s name to go to that member’s Web site.

Key:
Military: Service in any branches of the military
Education: Service as a teacher, principal or on a school board
Law: Holds a law degree and has served as a lawyer or judge
Local: Elected to a local government position on a city or county council
Mayor: Served as mayor of a town or city
State: Elected to one or both of a state’s legislative bodies
Governor: Served as chief executive of a state
Medical: Served as a doctor or nurse
US House: Senators who previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives

For any member whose background did not strictly fit one of the above categories, a note has been included stating one of the things the member did before being elected. Some members are new to Congress and have not yet added information to their Web site.