United States Senator Tom Carper
Degree: 1975, Master of Business Administration
Job Title: United States Senator
Born in West Virginia and raised in Virginia, Senator Tom Carper (MBA ’75) attended The Ohio State University on a Navy R.O.T.C. scholarship, graduating in 1968 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics. Tom Carper moved to Delaware in 1973 where he earned his Master of Business Administration degree at the University of Delaware. He served 23 years in the military, including three tours of duty during the Vietnam War. Senator Carper is an ex-officio member of the Center for Political Communication’s Advisory Council.
His career in public service began in 1976 when he was elected to the first of three terms as Delaware’s state treasurer at the age of 29. Six years later, he was elected to Delaware’s at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. After serving five terms as a U.S. congressman, Tom Carper was elected the 78th governor of Delaware in 1992 and served two terms in that role. As governor, he pursued a common-sense agenda that led to eight balanced budgets, tax cuts in seven of those eight years, and major increases in employment. On January 3, 2001, Gov. Carper stepped down two weeks early to become Delaware’s junior senator. He was re-elected in 2006, and with his re-election in November 2012 he has been elected to state-wide public office in Delaware 13 times.
When Senator Joe Biden stepped down to become vice president in January 2009, Tom Carper became Delaware’s senior senator. Senator Carper is ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, after serving as chairman in the 113th Congress. He also serves on the Finance Committee and Environment and Public Works Committee, where he is ranking member on the Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety. His ability to work across party lines has earned him a reputation for consensus-building that is unique in today’s political climate. The Washington Post‘s late David Broder calls him “a notably effective and non-partisan leader, admired and trusted on both sides of the aisle.”