Tipper Gore

Tipper Gore
Second Lady of the United States
In office January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001
Preceded by	Marilyn Tucker Quayle
Succeeded by	Lynne Cheney
Personal details
Born	August 19, 1948 (1948-08-19) (age 63) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Al Gore (1970-2010) (Separated)[1]
Relations	John Kenneth Aitcheson and Margaret Odom
Children	Karenna, Kristin, Sarah, Albert III
Occupation	Author, photographer
Religion	Episcopalian

Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Gore (born August 19, 1948), née Aitcheson, is an author, photographer, former second lady of the United States, and the estranged wife of Al Gore. She is also well known for her active role in the Parents Music Resource Center and voicing strong opinions for the labeling of record covers of releases featuring profane language, especially in the heavy metal and rap genres.

Background

Born Mary Elizabeth Aitcheson in Washington, D.C., Tipper Gore is the daughter of John "Jack" Kenneth Aitcheson Jr., a plumbing-supply entrepreneur, and his first wife, Margaret Ann Carlson Odom (who lost her first husband during World War II). Gore has English ancestry and grew up in Arlington, Virginia. Her parents divorced and she was raised by her mother and grandmother. Her nickname, Tipper, derives from the lullaby "Tippy, Tippy, Tin",^[2] originally sung in the 1940 Our Gang short "All About Hash" by child actress Janet Burston.

She attended St. Agnes (now St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School), a private Episcopal school in Alexandria, Virginia, where she excelled in athletics and played the drums for an all-girl band, The Wildcats.^[2]

She met Gore at his senior prom in 1965. Although she came to the prom with one of his classmates, Gore and Tipper began to date immediately afterwards.^[3] When Gore began attending Harvard University, she enrolled in Garland Junior College (now part of Simmons College) and later transferred to Boston University, receiving her B.A. in psychology in 1970.^[4][5] Gore pursued a master's degree in psychology from George Peabody College, graduating in 1975.^[6] She then worked part-time as a newspaper photographer until her husband was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1976. In 1982, she resumed her photography career, working part-time for^[7]Quarante Magazine (1982-1985) published by Kathleen Katz of Arlington.^[2]

On May 19, 1970, she and Gore were married at the Washington National Cathedral.^[8][9] She has four children: Karenna Aitcheson Gore Schiff^[10] (born on August 6, 1973), Kristin Carlson Gore^[11] (born on June 5, 1977), Sarah LaFon Gore^[11] (born on January 7, 1979), and Albert Gore III (born on October 19, 1982).^[12] A longtime family friend of Al and Tipper Gore confirmed on June 1, 2010, that the Gores sent out an e-mail to family friends announcing that they have made a mutual decision to separate.^[13]

Al and Tipper Gore's wedding day, May 19, 1970 at the Washington National Cathedral

Author

Tipper Gore is the author of a number of books including:

• Raising PG Kids in an X-Rated Society, 1987, ISBN 0-687-35282-7
• Picture This: A Visual Diary, 1996, ISBN 0-553-06720-6
• From the Bottom of Our Hearts, 2002, ISBN 1-931718-32-6 (introduction)
• Joined at the Heart: The Transformation of the American Family, 2002, ISBN 0-8050-7450-3, (with Al Gore)
• The Spirit of Family, 2002, ISBN 5-550-15167-7 (with Al Gore)

Politics and activism

From left: Bill Clinton, Tipper Gore, Al Gore and Hillary Clinton

In 1985, she co-founded the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) with Susan Baker, wife of then United States Secretary of the Treasury James Baker, because Tipper heard her then 11-year-old daughter playing "Darling Nikki" by Prince. According to an article by NPR, Gore went "before Congress to urge warning labels for records marketed to children."^[14] A number of individuals including Dee Snider of Twisted Sister,^[15] Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys, John Denver,^[16] Joey Ramone and Frank Zappa^[14] criticized the group, arguing that it was a form of censorship. In response, NPR further stated that according to Gore, she "wasn't out to censor the objectionable material" and quoted her as stating that she is "a strong believer in the First Amendment" who is calling for greater "consumer information in the marketplace."^[14] Gore resigned from the group in 1992 when she became Second Lady.^[16]

She was actively involved in her husband's presidential campaign in 2000, making numerous campaign stops nationwide such as at Chicago's Taste of Polonia over Labor Day Weekend where she appeared along with Hadassah Lieberman.^[17][18]

In 2002, Tipper was urged by her supporters to run for the vacant U.S. Senate seat her husband once held in Tennessee, which was being vacated by Fred Thompson. However, she declined.^[19]

In 2003, Gore spoke at the "Erasing the Stigma Awards" about her experience with depression after her son, Al Gore III, was hit by a car when he was a young child.^[20]

References

1. ^ Schelzig, Erik (06-01-2010). "Al and Tipper Gore to separate after 40 years". Associated Press through Yahoo News. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100601/ap_on_re_us/us_gore_separation. Retrieved 06-01-2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} , CNN: Tipper Gore Bio
3. ^ "Al Gore, Growing Up in Two Worlds". Washington Post. October 10, 1999. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh2000/stories/gore101099a.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-22. 
4. ^ Next First Lady Will Recast Role - Tipper Gore and Laura Bush
5. ^ Photo Gallery: Garland Junior College dance
6. ^ ABC News: Tipper Gore In and Out of Public Eye
7. ^ [1]
8. ^ "Gore Chronology". PBS. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/choice2000/gore/cron.html. Retrieved 2008-06-16. 
9. ^ Howd, Aimee (December 31, 1999). "Wedding photograph". Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/galleries/lifeofgore/photo9.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-22. 
10. ^ Marcano, Tony (1997-03-21). "CHRONICLE". The New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE6D9173BF932A15750C0A961958260&scp=6&sq=karenna%20gore%20andrew%20schiff&st=cse. Retrieved 2009-01-06. 
11. ^ ^{a b} Gore, Al (May 22 2007). The Assault on Reason. New York: Penguin Press. ISBN 1594201226. http://books.google.ca/books?id=15oBuYPjex4C&pg=PA275&lpg=PA275&dq=kristin+carlson+gore&source=bl&ots=ENEHFd0YWK&sig=Ep6-zkH-YmgKxO1zOMRJfIFIDiQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result. Retrieved January 8, 2009. 
12. ^ "Biography: Gore's road from Tennessee to the White House. She worked as a photographer for newspapers and magazines, including Quarante Magazine (1982 - 1984), published by Kathleen Katz of Arlington, Virginia.". CNN. June 16, 1999. http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/06/16/president.2000/gore.biography/. Retrieved 2008-06-22. 
13. ^ AP: Al and Tipper Gore to separate after 40 years
14. ^ ^{a b c} Siegel, Robert (2005-01-11). "Tipper Gore and Family Values". National Public Radio. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4279560. Retrieved 2007-09-12. 
15. ^ Dee Snider's Statement on Censorship to the U.S. Senate
16. ^ ^{a b} The History of the PMRC
17. ^ Taste of Polonia
18. ^ Copernicus Foundation page on the festival
19. ^ Tipper Gore says no to Senate bid
20. ^ Tipper Gore Honors Mental Health Achievements

External links

• Tipper Gore Photography
• Official White House homepage (archived)
• Early version of official White House homepage, 1994
• Warm and personable wins points with public - Tipper Gore (1996)
• Biography - Frontline
• Biography
• Tipper Gore and Family Values - NPR
• Tipper Gore speaks at the Democratic National Convention, 1996
• The Women Who Made Al Gore

Honorary titles
Preceded by Marilyn Tucker Quayle	Second Lady of the United States 1993-2001	Succeeded by Lynne Cheney
United States order of precedence
Preceded by Al Gore Former Vice President	Order of precedence in the United States of America	Succeeded by Dick Cheney Former Vice President

Persondata
Name	Gore, Tipper
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	August 19, 1948
Place of birth	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Date of death
Place of death