James Inhofe

senator

Republican Party

James Inhofe, a Senator and a Representative from Oklahoma; born in Des Moines, Iowa, November 17, 1934; attended public schools in Tulsa, Okla.; B.A., University of Tulsa 1973; served in the U.S. Army 1957-1958; president, Quaker Life Insurance Company; member, Oklahoma State house of representatives 1967-1969; State Senate 1969-1977; unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Oklahoma 1974, and for the U. S. House of Representatives 1976; mayor of Tulsa 1978-1984; elected as a Republican to the One Hundredth and to the three succeeding Congresses and served from January 3, 1987, to November 15, 1994, when he resigned, having been elected to the United States Senate in the November 8, 1994, special election to the unexpired portion of the term ending January 3, 1997, left vacant by the resignation of David L. Boren; took the oath of office on November 17, 1994; elected to a full term in 1996; reelected in 2002, 2008, and again 2014 for the term ending January 3, 2021; chair, Committee on Environment and Public Works (One Hundred Eighth, One Hundred Ninth, and One Hundred Fourteenth Congresses).