Thomas S. Kleppe

Infobox US Cabinet official
name=Thomas S. Kleppe


order=41st
title=United States Secretary of the Interior
term_start=October 17 1975
term_end=January 20 1977
predecessor=Stanley K. Hathaway
successor=Cecil D. Andrus
president=Gerald Ford
order2=Member
title2=of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Dakota's 2nd district
term_start2=January 3 1967
term_end2=January 3 1971
predecessor2=Rolland W. Redlin
successor2=Arthur A. Link
birth_date=birth date|1919|7|1|mf=y
birth_place=Emmons County, North Dakota
death_date=death date and age|2007|3|2|1919|7|1
death_place= Bethesda, Maryland
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.

ee also

*North Dakota United States Senate election, 1970
*North Dakota United States Senate election, 1964