Jim Inhofe

James Mountain Inhofe (born November 17, 1934) is an American retired politician who served as a United States senator from Oklahoma from 1994 to 2023.

A member of the Republican Party, he is the longest serving U.S. senator from Oklahoma.

Born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1934, Inhofe moved with his parents to Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1942.

His father, Perry Inhofe, was an owner of insurance companies and his mother, Blanche Inhofe (née Mountain), was a Tulsa socialite.

Jim was a high school track star and graduated from Central High School.

He went on to briefly attend the University of Colorado before finishing his college degree at the University of Tulsa.

James Mountain Inhofe was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on November 17, 1934, the son of Blanche (née Mountain) and Perry Dyson Inhofe.

He moved with his family to Tulsa, Oklahoma, after his father became president of the National Mutual Casualty company in August 1942.

His father, Perry Inhofe, was educated at Duke University and worked as a lawyer, president of multiple insurance companies, and banker.

In 1949 his company, Tri-State, was ordered by the National Labor Relations Board to cease discouraging union membership.

His father was also active in the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce and YMCA; and he was the official sponsor of Miss Tulsa and Miss Oklahoma winner Louise O'Brien in 1950.

His mother was a Tulsa socialite and hosted guests such as Johnston Murray.

Inhofe's family had been involved in Oklahoma politics since the 1950's. His father, Perry Inhofe, had served on the executive committee for Democratic Governor Raymond D. Gary's successful 1954 campaign.

In 1952, his mile relay quartet team broke a school record with a 3:32.6 time.

In January 1953, he was elected treasurer of the Brones social club in Tulsa; he graduated from Central High School later that year.

He attended the University of Colorado that fall for three months and worked as a bartender.

He was drafted to the United States Army in 1956 and served between 1957 and 1958.

In 1956, he received a draft letter from the United States Army and served from 1957 to 1958.

He spent most of his time in the army stationed in Quartermaster Station in Fort Lee, Virginia.

In 1958, his brother, Perry Jr., ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Oklahoma House of Representatives as a Democrat.

James Inhofe started kindergarten in Des Moines, Iowa, but moved halfway through the year to Hazel Dell in Springfield, Illinois.

He skipped first grade after the schoolhouse burned down and started second grade after his family moved to Tulsa at Barnard Elementary School.

As a teenager, he would "hire Indians to pick wild blackberries" and then he'd sell them in his neighborhood.

He went on to attend Woodrow Wilson Junior High and Tulsa Central High School, where he was a member of his high school's track team.

He became vice-president of his father's insurance company in 1961 and president after his father's death in 1970.

Inhofe was an elected official representing the Tulsa area for nearly three decades.

In 1961, his father formed a new life insurance company, Quaker Insurance, and Inhofe was the vice-president.

He served in various elected offices in the state of Oklahoma for nearly sixty years, between 1966 and 2023.

He represented parts of Tulsa in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1966 to 1969 and the Oklahoma Senate from 1969 to 1977.

During his time in the state legislature he was known for feuding with the Democratic Party's state leadership, particularly Governor David Hall and state treasurer Leo Winters, and spearheading the movement to bring the USS Batfish to Oklahoma.

On June 17, 1970, Perry Inhofe died of a heart attack; James Inhofe became president of Quaker Life Insurance and vice-president of Mid-Continental Casualty Co. and Oklahoma Surety Co., while his brother Perry Jr. became president of Mid-Continental and Surety and vice-president of Quaker Life.

Inhofe received a B.A. in economics from the University of Tulsa in 1973.

While a state senator, he unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Oklahoma in the 1974 election and the U.S. House in 1976.

He was elected to three terms as the Mayor of Tulsa, serving between 1978 and 1984.

He served in the United States House of Representatives representing OK's 1st congressional district from 1987 to 1994; he resigned after his election to the United States Senate.

Inhofe chaired the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) from 2003 to 2007 and again from 2015 to 2017.

Inhofe served as acting chairman of the Armed Services Committee between December 2017 and September 6, 2018, while John McCain fought cancer.

After McCain's death, he became chairman and served until February 3, 2021.

From February 3, 2021, to January 3, 2023, he served as Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

During his Senate career he was known for his rejection of climate science, his support of constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage, and the Inhofe Amendment to make English the national language of the United States.