Tom Harkin
Early Life
Senator Tom Harkin was born in the small village of Cumming, Iowa on November 19th 1939. His Father was a coal miner and his mother a Slovenian immigrant. He spent all of his early life in Cumming with his 5 siblings and his parents.
Senator Harkin Was educated locally and After Graduating from Des Moines High School, He went on to Iowa State University and graduated from there in 1962. He Joined the Navy in the same year, and served until 1967. Senator Harkin was stationed in Japan where he undertook the task of ferrying damaged aircraft from Vietnam to Japan. He was also stationed in Cuba for a time, running reconaisance missions over communist Cuba.
Political Career
In 1972 he graduated from Law school, returned to Iowa, and ran against the Republican congressman, William Scherle. Harkin was defeated however, and he practiced law for the next 2 years.Harkin was elected to the House of Representatives in 1974 and served there until being elected to the US senate in 1984.
Harkin ran for president in 1992 but he lost the Democratic party nomination to Bill Clinton. Harkin is known to be an avid supporter of legalized abortion.
Family
Senator Harkin married Minnesota native Ruth Raduenz in 1968 and has two daughters: Amy, born in 1976, and Jenny, born in 1981.
