Thomas P. Gore
Thomas P. Gore
“I love Oklahoma; I love every blade of her grass. I love every grain of her sands. I am proud of her past, I am confident of her future. I honor the Oklahoma pioneer…Whether ‘I fought the good fight,’ or not, I have finished my course – I have kept the faith.”
Biography
Thomas Pryor Gore was born in Mississippi and was blind by the age of 12. He moved to Texas in 1895 and became prominent in several independent political movements and served as a delegate to the populist national convention in 1896. He ran for Congress but was defeated and ultimately received his law degree from Cumberland University in 1902. He moved to Oklahoma in 1901 and became one of the first two senators elected by the State of Oklahoma to the United States Senate after statehood. He served until 1924, but returned to the Senate in 1930 where he served until 1936. He spent his remaining years practicing law in Washington D.C.
Fun fact
Thomas Gore’s grandson was famed author, playwright, and screenwriter Gore Vidal who celebrated his grandfather’s life when he wrote and narrated a poignant television drama entitled “The Indestructible Mr. Gore.”
Oklahoma connections
Gore came to Oklahoma Territory in 1901.