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[[Image:FredThompson.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Fred Thompson]]

[[Image:FredThompson.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Fred Thompson]]

'''Fred Dalton Thompson''' (born August 19, 1942 in Sheffield, [[Alabama]]) is an [[United States of America|American]] lawyer, actor and former [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[U.S. Senate|senator]] from [[Tennessee]]. He is married to attorney Jeri Kehn, a political and media consultant, with whom he has two children.

'''Fred Dalton Thompson''' (born August 19, 1942 in Sheffield, [[Alabama]]) is an [[United States of America|American]] lawyer, actor and former [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[U.S. Senate|senator]] from [[Tennessee]]. He is married to attorney Jeri Kehn, a political and media consultant, with whom he has two children.

==Early years==

==Early years==

Thompson grew up in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, where he attended public school. He received his undergraduate degree in philosophy and political science from Memphis State University in 1964 and his law degree from Vanderbilt University in 1967, working his way through school. He was admitted to the Tennessee bar that same year.

Thompson first attended Florence State College and then Memphis State University where he earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy and political science in 1964. At this time, Fred worked to put himself through Vanderbilt University Law School and support his wife and three children. Thompson went on to earn his J.D. degree from Vanderbilt in 1967.

Thompson was an assistant U.S. attorney from 1969 to 1972; minority counsel, then to the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities ("Watergate Committee") from 1973 to 1974. He became special counsel to Tennessee Governor [[Lamar Alexander]] in 1980, special counsel, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 1980-1981, Special counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence 1982. He became a member of the Tennessee Appellate Court Nominating Commission 1985-1987. 

Thompson was admitted to the State Bar of Tennessee in 1967 and worked as an assistant U.S. attorney from 1969 to 1972. He was the campaign manager for Republican U.S. Senator [[Howard Baker]]'s successful re-election campaign in 1972, which led to a close personal friendship with Baker. He later served as co-chief counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities ("Watergate Committee") from 1973 to 1974.

From 1975 to 1992 Thompson worked as a corporate lobbyist in Washington, D.C. He represented firms such as General Electric, Westinghouse and the Tennessee Savings and Loan League. In 1982, Thompson lobbyed the U.S. Congress for passage of the Savings and Loan deregulation legislation. Thompson contributed to the the Garn - St Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982. In 1991, he worked with the Washington, D.C. firm of Arent, Fox, Kintner, Plotkin, & Kahn, representing overseas business entities as a registered foreign agent.

He was responsible for Baker asking one of the questions that is said to have led directly to the downfall of President Richard Nixon-"What did the President know, and when did he know it?" Also, Thompson's voice has become immortalized in recordings of the Watergate proceedings, with him asking the key question, "Mr. Butterfield, are you aware of the installation of any listening devices in the Oval Office of the President?" For leading the line of inquiry that revealed the audio-taping system in the [[White House]] Oval Office, he gained national attention. Later, he documented his role in the hearings, writing the book, ''At That Point in Time: The Inside Story of the Senate Watergate Committee''.  

In 1977 Thompson took on the case of a Tennessee Parole Board chairman fired under suspicious circumstances. Thompson's work helped to expose a cash-for-clemency scheme that ultimately toppled the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] governor. The scandal became the subject of a best-selling book and later a 1985 film, ''Marie'', in which Thompson portrayed himself. The director of that film, Roger Donaldson, later cast Thompson in the part of the CIA Director in his next movie, ''No Way Out'', in 1987. Thompson would go on to appear in many films and television shows, including ''The Hunt for Red October'', ''Days of Thunder'', ''Cape Fear'', ''Die Hard 2'', and ''In the Line of Fire''. He was a co-star of the popular television series ''Law and Order'' from 2002 to 2007. He frequently portrayed governmental figures; in the 1993 film adaptation of ''Born Yesterday'', Thompson played the character of a United States senator prior to his election to the real-life United States Senate. He portrayed President [[Ulysses S. Grant]] in the HBO 2007 original movie ''[[Wounded Knee Massacre|Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee]]''.

Thompson would return to Tennessee, where he maintained law offices in Nashville and Washington, D.C.. His practice varied from pro bono work to representing the state of Tennessee and large corporations, such as Westinghouse.  

In 2002, he joined the Council on Foreign Relations, a non-partisan think tank that promotes improved understanding of international affairs through public and private discussion. He is also a former member of the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission and a Visiting Fellow with the [[American Enterprise Institute]], researching national security and intelligence. Thompson also serves as a public speaker with the Washington Speakers Bureau and is a special program host and senior analyst for ABC News Radio. He publishes a daily blog and podcast on the ABC Radio web site.

In 1977 Thompson took on the case of Marie Ragghianti, a Tennessee Parole Board chairman fired under suspicious circumstances. Thompson confirmed that her firing was due to her refusal to release from prison felons who had bribe aides of [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] governor Ray Blanton to buy their freedom. Thompson filed a suit challenging Ragghianti's dismissal. A jury found in July of 1978, that Governor Blanton had fired her "arbitrarily and capriciously" and ordered her reinstatement with an award of $38,000 for back pay. Ragghianti's case would garner national attention, along with the publication of a book titled, simply, Marie. Thompson's work helped to expose this cash-for-clemency scheme ultimately toppled Blanton.

 

Thompson went on to became special counsel to Tennessee Governor [[Lamar Alexander]] in 1980, special counsel, Senate Committee on Foreign Relations 1980-1981, Special counsel to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence 1982. He became a member of the Tennessee Appellate Court Nominating Commission 1985-1987.

 

From 1975 to 1992 Thompson worked as a corporate lobbyist in Washington, D.C. He represented firms such as General Electric, Westinghouse and the Tennessee Savings and Loan League.

 

In 1982, Thompson lobbyed the U.S. Congress for passage of the Savings and Loan deregulation legislation. Thompson contributed to the the Garn - St Germain Depository Institutions Act of 1982, which gave U.S. thrifts the freedom to invest in potentially more profitable, but riskier, ventures; eliminated interest-rate ceilings on new accounts; and allowed for additional government support of ailing S&Ls. This Act was a contributing factor to the Savings and Loan crisis of the late 1980s.

 

In 1991, he worked with the Washington, D.C. firm of Arent, Fox, Kintner, Plotkin, & Kahn, representing overseas business entities as a registered foreign agent.

 

The 1977 Ray Blanton-Tennessee Parole Board scandal later became the subject of a 1983 book, ''Marie'', by Peter Maas. Director Roger Donaldson bought the film rights and travelled to Nashville to speak with the people involved with the original case. After meeting with Thompson, Donaldson asked Thompson if he wanted to play himself in the movie; Thompson agreed. The resulting film, ''Marie'', was released in 1985. Donaldson then cast Thompson in the part of the CIA Director in his next movie, ''No Way Out'', in 1987.

 

Thompson would go on to appear in many films and television shows, including ''The Hunt for Red October'', ''Days of Thunder'', ''Cape Fear'', ''Die Hard 2'', and ''In the Line of Fire''. He frequently portrayed governmental figures; in the 1993 film adaptation of ''Born Yesterday'', Thompson played the character of a United States senator prior to his election to the real-life United States Senate. He portrayed President [[Ulysses S. Grant]] in the HBO 2007 original movie ''[[Wounded Knee Massacre|Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee]]''.

 

Thompson also is the chair of the International Security Advisory Board, a bipartisan advisory panel that reports to the Secretary of State and focuses on emerging strategic threats.

:''"The glowering, hulking Mr. Thompson has played a White House chief of staff, a director of the Central Intelligence Agency, a highly placed F.B.I. agent, a rear admiral, even a senator. When Hollywood directors need someone who can personify governmental power, they often turn to him."''

Prior to his election to the U.S. Senate, Thompson maintained law offices in Nashville and Washington.

In the final months of his U.S. Senate term in 2002, Thompson joined the cast of the long-running NBC television series ''Law & Order'', playing New York district attorney Arthur Branch. Thompson filmed his parts during Senate recesses. In the spring of 2005, Thompson concurrently played the role on the original series and the short-lived sister series ''Law & Order: Trial by Jury''. He has also made occasional appearances on ''Law & Order: Special Victims Uni'' and ''Law and Order: Criminal Intent'', and was in the pilot episode of ''Conviction''.

==U.S. Senate==

==U.S. Senate==