Tom Cole: Oklahoma, National Republican Congressional Committee, United States House Committee on Armed Services

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Thomas Jeffery Cole (born April 28, 1949) is a politician from the state of Oklahoma, currently representing Oklahoma's 4th Congressional District (map) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Cole, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) from 2006-2008, was, during his tenure, the fourth-ranking Republican leader in the House. He also serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Natural Resources Committee, and is a Deputy Minority Whip. As of 2009, Cole - a member of the Chickasaw Nation - is currently the only registered Native American in Congress. Although born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Cole is a fifth-generation Oklahoman, having been raised in Moore, Oklahoma. He graduated from Grinnell College in 1971 with a B.A. in History. His postgraduate degrees include an MA from Yale University (1974) and a Ph.D from the University of Oklahoma (1984), both in British History. Cole did research abroad as a Thomas J. Watson Fellow and was a Fulbright Fellow (1977-78) at the University of London. He was a college professor in history and politics before becoming a politician.