Jim Inhofe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Inhofe
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Official portrait, 2018
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| United States Senator from Oklahoma |
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| In office November 17, 1994 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | David Boren |
| Succeeded by | Markwayne Mullin |
| Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee | |
| In office September 6, 2018 – February 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | John McCain |
| Succeeded by | Jack Reed |
| Chair of the Senate Environment Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2017 |
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| Preceded by | Barbara Boxer |
| Succeeded by | John Barrasso |
| In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Jeffords |
| Succeeded by | Barbara Boxer |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oklahoma's 1st district |
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| In office January 3, 1987 – November 15, 1994 |
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| Preceded by | James R. Jones |
| Succeeded by | Steve Largent |
| 32nd Mayor of Tulsa | |
| In office May 2, 1978 – May 8, 1984 |
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| Preceded by | Robert LaFortune |
| Succeeded by | Terry Young |
| Minority Leader of the Oklahoma Senate | |
| In office January 1975 – February 1976 |
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| Preceded by | Donald Ferrell |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Wolfe |
| Member of the Oklahoma Senate from the 35th district |
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| In office January 7, 1969 – January 4, 1977 |
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| Preceded by | Beauchamp Selman |
| Succeeded by | Warren Green |
| Member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from the 70th district |
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| In office December 29, 1966 – January 7, 1969 |
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| Preceded by | Joseph McGraw |
| Succeeded by | Richard Hancock |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Mountain Inhofe
November 17, 1934 Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | July 9, 2024 (aged 89) Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Kay Kirkpatrick
(m. 1959) |
| Children | 4, including Molly |
| Education | University of Tulsa (BA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1957–1958 |
| Rank | Specialist 4 |
James Mountain Inhofe (born November 17, 1934 – died July 9, 2024) was an American politician. He served as a U.S. Senator for Oklahoma from 1994 to 2023. He was a member of the Republican Party. Jim Inhofe was the longest-serving U.S. Senator from Oklahoma. He held various elected positions in Oklahoma for almost 60 years, from 1966 to 2023.
Contents
Early Life and Education
James Mountain Inhofe was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on November 17, 1934. His parents were Blanche and Perry Dyson Inhofe. In August 1942, his family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma. This happened after his father became president of a company there.
His father, Perry Inhofe, went to Duke University. He worked as a lawyer and led several insurance companies and banks. He was also active in the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce and the YMCA. Jim's mother, Blanche, was well-known in Tulsa society.
School and Military Service
Inhofe started school in Iowa. His family moved to Tulsa, where he attended Barnard Elementary School. He then went to Woodrow Wilson Junior High and Tulsa Central High School. He was part of the school's track team. In 1952, his team set a new school record in the mile relay. He graduated from Central High School in 1953.
In 1956, he received a draft letter for the United States Army. He served from 1957 to 1958. He reached the rank of Specialist 4th Class. He mostly worked on supply duties at Fort Lee, Virginia.
Business Career
After his military service, Inhofe joined his family's business. In 1961, his father started a new life insurance company called Quaker Insurance. Jim Inhofe became its vice president. After his father passed away in 1970, Jim became president of Quaker Life Insurance. He also became vice president of other related companies.
Political Career
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Jim Inhofe was an elected official for almost 30 years, representing the Tulsa area. He served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1966 to 1969. Then he was in the Oklahoma Senate from 1969 to 1977. During his time in the state legislature, he helped bring the USS Batfish to Oklahoma.
He ran for Governor of Oklahoma in 1974 but did not win. He also ran for the U.S. House in 1976, but was not successful.
Mayor of Tulsa and U.S. Congress
Inhofe was elected Mayor of Tulsa three times, serving from 1978 to 1984. He then served in the United States House of Representatives for Oklahoma's 1st district from 1987 to 1994. He resigned from the House after being elected to the United States Senate.
United States Senator
In the Senate, Inhofe led important committees. He chaired the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works from 2003 to 2007 and again from 2015 to 2017. He also led the Armed Services Committee from 2018 to 2021. After that, he was the top Republican on the committee until 2023.
During his time in the Senate, he was known for his views on environmental issues. He also supported making English the official language of the United States.
Committee and Caucus Memberships
Inhofe was a member of several important committees in the Senate:
- Committee on Armed Services
- Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Committee on Environment and Public Works
- Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship
He was also part of several groups called caucuses, which focus on specific topics:
- International Conservation Caucus
- Senate Army Caucus
- Senate Diabetes Caucus
- Senate General Aviation Caucus
- Senate Rural Health Caucus
- Senate Tourism Caucus
- Sportsmen's Caucus
Retirement
On July 15, 2021, Jim Inhofe announced his plan to retire from the Senate at the end of his term in 2027. However, he resigned earlier, on January 3, 2023. It was later reported that he retired due to health issues from long COVID. This condition made it hard for him to do his daily activities.
Personal Life
Jim Inhofe married Kay Kirkpatrick on December 19, 1959. They had four children together. Sadly, one of his sons, Perry Inhofe, died in a plane crash in 2013. His daughter, Molly Rapert, is an academic.
Inhofe had a pilot's license since he was 28 years old. He flew his own plane, a Van's Aircraft RV-8. He loved attending the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh event for 20 years. He even camped in the same tent there every year. He had to make emergency landings with his plane a few times during his career.
He received the U.S. Air Force Academy's Character and Leadership Award. This award recognized his strong character and leadership in public service.
Death
Towards the end of his life, Inhofe experienced symptoms from long COVID. These symptoms made it difficult for him to do his daily activities.
Jim Inhofe passed away from complications of a stroke on July 9, 2024, in Tulsa. He was 89 years old.
Political Views
Environmental Issues
Inhofe had strong views on environmental topics. In 1997, he called the Kyoto Protocol a "fiasco." This treaty aimed to reduce gases that warm the planet.
He was known for questioning the idea of climate change. In 2003, he stated that global warming was a "hoax." He believed that the media and some groups exaggerated the threat of climate change. He argued that climate change was due to natural causes.
Inhofe also signed a letter to President Donald Trump. This letter asked the President to remove the United States from the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement is another international effort to address climate change.
Social Issues
Inhofe generally held conservative views on social matters. He voted to ban certain hiring practices that favored minorities and women. He also supported a constitutional amendment to protect the American flag from physical damage.
Economic Issues
Aviation
Inhofe was trained by the U.S. Navy and held a commercial pilot's license. He often used his plane for travel, including during his campaigns. He was very active in Senate discussions about rules for aircraft. In 2012, he wrote a bill called the Pilot's Bill of Rights.
Federal Disaster Relief
Inhofe often voted against federal money for disaster relief. For example, he voted against aid for states affected by Hurricane Sandy. However, he supported federal aid when natural disasters, like tornadoes, hit Oklahoma. He explained that the situations were "totally different." He felt that in other cases, people tried to take advantage of the tragedy.
See also
In Spanish: Jim Inhofe para niños
- Politics of Oklahoma
- List of United States senators from Oklahoma
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2018
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The USS Batfish museum ship in Muskogee, Oklahoma, in 2013
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A campaign button for Inhofe's 1974 gubernatorial campaign
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Inhofe greeting President Ronald Reagan in 1982
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Jim Inhofe's official 100th United States Congress photo taken in 1987 after his first election to the United States House of Representatives
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Inhofe meeting with Neil Gorsuch in March 2017
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Inhofe shakes hands with Vice Admiral Michael M. Gilday, director of the Joint Staff, before his confirmation hearing for the position of Chief of Naval Operations at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., July 31, 2019.
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CODEL James Inhofe during a visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, October 27–28, 2014
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Inhofe boarding his airplane at Tinker Air Force Base in 2017
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On the floor of the U.S. Senate, Inhofe displayed a snowball—in winter—as evidence the globe was not warming—in a year that was found to be Earth's record warmest to date. The director of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies distinguished local weather in a single location in a single week from global climate change.
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Inhofe meets with Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett.
