Thomas S. Kleppe

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41st United States Secretary of the Interior
Thomas S. Kleppe

In office October 17, 1975 – January 20, 1977
President	Gerald Ford
Preceded by	Stanley K. Hathaway
Succeeded by	Cecil D. Andrus
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Dakota's 2nd district
In office January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1971
Preceded by	Rolland W. Redlin
Succeeded by	Arthur A. Link

Born	July 1, 1919(1919-07-01) Emmons County, North Dakota
Died	March 2, 2007 (aged 87) Bethesda, Maryland
Political party	Republican
Religion	Lutheran

Thomas Savig Kleppe (July 1, 1919 – March 2, 2007) was an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from North Dakota and as United States Secretary of the Interior.

The son of homesteaders, Kleppe was born in Kintyre in Emmons County, North Dakota, he graduated from Valley City High School in Valley City, North Dakota in 1936. In 1937, he attended Valley City Teachers College. During World War II, from 1942 to 1946 he was a Warrant Officer.

From 1950 to 1954, he was the mayor of Bismarck, North Dakota. From 1946 to 1964, he was the president and treasurer of the Gold Seal Company.

In 1964, he was the Republican nominee for United States Senate. In 1966 he was elected as a Republican to the Ninetieth United States Congress, and he was reelected in 1968 to the Ninety-first United States Congress (January 3, 1967 to January 3, 1971). In 1970 he was again an unsuccessful candidate for election to the Senate.

From 1971 to 1975, he was the administrator of the Small Business Administration. From 1975 to 1977, he was the Secretary of the Interior under Gerald Ford. In 1977, he joined the faculty of the University of Wyoming.

He suffered from Alzheimer's disease later in life, and died of it in Bethesda, Maryland.

[edit] See also

Thomas S. Kleppe at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

Preceded by Rolland W. Redlin	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Dakota's 2nd congressional district 1967 – 1971	Succeeded by Arthur A. Link
Preceded by Stanley K. Hathaway	United States Secretary of the Interior 1975–1977	Succeeded by Cecil D. Andrus

v • d • e United States Secretaries of the Interior

Ewing • McKennan • Stuart • McClelland • Thompson • C Smith • Usher • Harlan • Browning • Cox • Delano • Chandler • Schurz • Kirkwood • Teller • Lamar • Vilas • Noble • M Smith • Francis • Bliss • Hitchcock • Garfield • Ballinger • Fisher • Lane • Payne • Fall • Work • West • Wilbur • Ickes • Krug • Chapman • McKay • Seaton • Udall • Hickel • Morton • Hathaway • Kleppe • Andrus • Watt • Clark • Hodel • Lujan • Babbitt • Norton • Kempthorne

v • d • e Cabinet of President Gerald Ford (1974-1977)

Vice President	Vacant (1974), Nelson Rockefeller (1974-1977)

Secretary of State	Henry Kissinger (1974–1977)

Secretary of the Treasury	William E. Simon (1974–1977)

Secretary of Defense	James R. Schlesinger (1974–1975) • Donald Rumsfeld (1975–1977)

Attorney General	William Saxbe (1974-1975) • Edward Levi (1975-1977)

Secretary of the Interior	Rogers Morton (1974–1975) • Stanley K. Hathaway (1975) • Thomas S. Kleppe (1975-1977)

Secretary of the Agriculture	Earl Butz (1974–1976) • John Albert Knebel (1976-1977)

Secretary of Commerce	Frederick B. Dent (1974–1975) • Rogers Morton (1975) • Elliot Richardson (1975-1977)

Secretary of Labor	Peter J. Brennan (1974–1975) • John Thomas Dunlop (1975–1976) • William Usery, Jr. (1976-1977)

Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare	Caspar Weinberger (1974-1975) • F. David Mathews (1975-1977)

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development	James Thomas Lynn (1974-1975) • Carla Anderson Hills (1975–1977)

Secretary of Transportation	Claude Brinegar (1974–1975) • William Thaddeus Coleman, Jr. (1975–1977)