Cole, Thomas J. (Thomas Jeffery), 1949-

<p>Thomas Jeffery Cole (born April 28, 1949) is the U.S. Representative for Oklahoma's 4th congressional district, serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party and serves as Deputy Minority Whip. The chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) from 2006 to 2008, he was, during his tenure, the fourth-ranking Republican leader in the House. A member of the Chickasaw Nation, Cole is one of only four registered Native Americans in Congress, along with Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, Yvette Herrell of New Mexico and Sharice Davids of Kansas.</p>

<p>Cole was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, the son of Helen Te Ata (née Gale) and John D. Cole. He is a fifth-generation Oklahoman, having been raised in Moore, halfway between Oklahoma City and Norman. He graduated from Grinnell College in 1971 with a B.A. in history. His postgraduate degrees include an M.A. from Yale University (1974) and a Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma (1984), both in British history. Cole's Ph.D. thesis was <i>Life and Labor in the Isle of Dogs: The Origins and Evolution of an East London Working-Class Community, 1800–1980</i>. He did research abroad as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow and was a Fulbright Fellow (1977–78) at the University of London. He was a college professor in history and politics before becoming a politician.</p>

<p>Cole was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree from Grinnell College in 2016; on January 10, 2021, the college received a petition asking for the revocation of the degree in response to his objection to the certification of the Electoral College votes for president in the 2020 election. Subsequently, Cole voluntarily relinquished the degree.</p>

<p>Identified by Time Magazine as “one of the sharpest minds in the House,” Tom Cole is currently serving in his tenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. At the outset of his service in Congress, Cole was named one of the "Five Freshmen to Watch" by Roll Call. In 2016, he was recognized by Newsmax as the “hardest working member in Congress.” He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2017.</p>

<p>Cole is recognized as a tireless advocate for taxpayers and small businesses, supporter of a strong national defense and leader in promoting biomedical research. He is considered the foremost expert in the House on issues related to Native Americans and tribal governments.</p>

<p>Since 2009, Cole has served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, where he is currently Vice Ranking Member of the full committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS). While serving as LHHS Chairman during the 115th Congress, Cole shepherded completion of the subcommittee’s annual funding bill and participated in the bicameral conference committee that negotiated the final product for fiscal year 2019. When it was signed into law in September 2018, it marked the first time in 22 years that the bill was completed in full and on time.</p>

COLE, Tom, a Representative from Oklahoma; born in Shreveport, Caddo Parish, La., on April 28, 1949; a registered member of the Chickasaw Nation; graduated from Moore High School, Moore, Okla., 1967; B.A., Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa, 1971; M.A., Yale University, New Haven, Conn., 1974; Ph.D., University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla., 1984; consultant; graduate assistant, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla.; faculty, Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee, Okla.; staff, United States Representative Marvin (Mickey) Edwards of Oklahoma, 1982-1984; chairman, Oklahoma Republican Party, 1985-1989; private advocate; member of the Oklahoma state senate, 1988-1991; executive director, National Republican Congressional Committee, 1991-1993; Oklahoma secretary of state, 1995-1999; chief of staff, Republican National Committee, 1999-2001; elected as a Republican to the One Hundred Eighth and to the nine succeeding Congresses (January 3, 2003-present).

<p>On November 5, 2002, Oklahomans elected Republican Thomas "Tom" Cole to the U.S. House of Representatives. He succeeded Republican Julius Caesar "J. C." Watts, Jr., who retired from the position. Cole represents Oklahoma's Fourth Congressional District, which includes all or part of fifteen counties in south-central Oklahoma. As of 2013 the district was 66 percent urban and encompassed the major cities of Midwest City, Norman, Moore, Ada, Duncan, Lawton, and Ardmore. The Chickasaw Nation is headquartered in Ada. Two military bases (Tinker Air Force Base in Midwest City and Fort Sill in Lawton) and four institutions of higher education (University of Oklahoma, Cameron University, East Central University, and Rose State College) are also situated within the district.</p>

<p>Tom Cole was born on April 28, 1949, in Shreveport, Louisiana. The family moved to Moore, Oklahoma, where he graduated from high school in 1967. He is a fifth-generation Oklahoman and a member of the Chickasaw Nation. His parents are the late Helen Te Ata Gale and John D. Cole, Sr. His mother was a niece of famed Chickasaw storyteller Te Ata. His father served in the U.S. Air Force and worked as a civilian at Tinker Air Force Base. Helen Cole was a mayor of Moore and served as a state representative and state senator from District 45. Helen Cole and her son Tom have been inducted into the Chickasaw Hall of Fame. Tom Cole and his wife, the former Ellen Decker, have a son named Mason.</p>

<p>In 1971 Tom Cole obtained a bachelor's of arts degree from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. Three years later he received a master's of arts degree from Yale University. In 1984 he received a doctorate in British history from the University of Oklahoma. He also attended the University of London as a Thomas Watson Fellow and a Fulbright Fellow.</p>