Tom Vandergriff
| Tommy Joe Vandergriff | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 26th district |
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In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1985 |
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| Preceded by | New District |
| Succeeded by | Dick Armey |
| Mayor of Arlington, Texas | |
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In office April 3, 1951 – January 11, 1977 |
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| Preceded by | B. C. Barnes |
| Succeeded by | SJ Stovall |
| County Judge of Tarrant County, Texas | |
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In office 1991 – January 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Roy English |
| Succeeded by | B. Glen Whitley |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 29, 1926 Carrollton, Texas |
| Died | December 30, 2010 (aged 84) Arlington, Texas |
| Political party |
Democratic (1951 – c. 1990) Republican (c. 1990 – 2010) |
| Residence | Arlington, Texas |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupation | G.M.Automobile Dealer |
| Texas House Resolution 18, 2007 | |
Tommy Joe Vandergriff (January 29, 1926 – December 30, 2010) was a politician from Texas. He served as Mayor of Arlington from 1951 to 1977, as a U.S. Representative from Texas's 26th congressional district from 1983 to 1985, and as County Judge of Tarrant County from 1991 to 2007. For the greater part of his life, Vandergriff was a Democrat, but he became a Republican around 1990.
As Mayor, he was instrumental in several projects, including a new General Motors assembly plant, moving a Major League Baseball franchise to Arlington, and the opening of Six Flags over Texas.
Tom Vandergriff was born in Carrollton, Texas on January 29, 1926. His father, William Thomas "Hooker" Vandergriff was a prominent businessman who operated a local car dealership with his father, John Thomas Vandergriff. In 1937, Hooker and his wife, Charles Pleasant Mayes, moved the family to nearby Arlington, Texas to open a new downtown Chevrolet dealership. At the time, Arlington was just 1 square mile with 3,500 residents.
Growing up, Vandergriff suffered from a speech impediment. With the help of a speech therapist, he overcame the disability and developed an interest in oratory and a deep, baritone voice.
By the time Vandergriff was 16 years old, he applied to work as a radio broadcaster for KFJZ in Fort Worth, which was operated by Elliot Roosevelt, the son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Vandergriff had sent an audition tape to the station, who hired him before learning of his age.
In 1947, Vandergriff graduated from the University of Southern California earning a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism. After graduating, he auditioned for a position at KNX radio in Los Angeles, only to lose the job to Chet Huntley. Huntley would go on to co-anchor the NBC evening news program, The Huntley-Brinkley Report.
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