Thomas S. Kleppe | |
---|---|
41st United States Secretary of the Interior | |
In office October 17, 1975 – January 20, 1977 |
|
President | Gerald Ford |
Preceded by | Stanley K. Hathaway |
Succeeded by | Cecil D. Andrus |
10th Administrator of the Small Business Administration | |
In office 1971–1975 |
|
President |
Richard Nixon Gerald Ford |
Preceded by | Hilary J. Sandoval, Jr. |
Succeeded by | Mitchell P. Kobelinski |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Dakota's 2nd district | |
In office January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1971 |
|
Preceded by | Rolland W. Redlin |
Succeeded by | Arthur A. Link |
24th Mayor of Bismarck, North Dakota | |
In office April 1950 – April 1954 |
|
Preceded by | Amil P. Lenhart |
Succeeded by | Evan Lips |
Personal details | |
Born |
Kintyre, North Dakota, United States |
July 1, 1919
Died | March 2, 2007 Bethesda, Maryland, United States |
(aged 87)
Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia, United States |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) | Glendora "Glen" Kleppe (died 2010) |
Children | Janis Eileen Kleppe Cunningham Thomas Stewart Kleppe Jane Paula Kleppe Sutermeister Jill Marie Kleppe McClelland |
Parents | Lars O. Kleppe (homesteaders) Hannah Savig Kleppe |
Alma mater |
Valley City High School Valley City State University Valley City Teachers College |
Profession | Politician |
Religion | Lutheran |
Military service | |
Service/branch | United States Army |
Years of service | 1942–1946 |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Thomas Savig Kleppe (July 1, 1919 – March 2, 2007) was an American politician who served as the Representative from North Dakota. He was also the Administrator of the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
Kleppe was born on July 1, 1919, in Kintyre, North Dakota, the son of Lars O. Kleppe and his wife Hannah Savig Kleppe. He graduated from Valley City High School in Valley City, North Dakota in 1936. Kleppe graduated from Valley City State University, (then Valley City Teachers College). During World War II, Kleppe served from 1942 to 1946 as a Warrant Officer.
From 1950 to 1954, Kleppe was the Mayor of Bismarck, North Dakota. From 1946 to 1964, he was the president and treasurer of the Gold Seal Company. In 1964, Kleppe was the Republican nominee for United States Senate but lost to the popular incumbent Democrat Quentin N. Burdick. In 1966 he was elected to the Ninetieth United States Congress, and he was reelected in 1968 to the Ninety-first United States Congress (January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1971). In 1970 he was again an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Senate, losing a rematch to Burdick by a wide margin.