37 Facts About Tom Vandergriff

Tommy Joe Vandergriff was a politician from Texas.

Tom Vandergriff served as Mayor of Arlington from 1951 to 1977, as a US Representative from from 1983 to 1985, and as County Judge of Tarrant County from 1991 to 2007.

Tom Vandergriff was born in Carrollton, Texas on January 29,1926.

Tom Vandergriff's father, William Thomas "Hooker" Vandergriff was a prominent businessman who operated a local car dealership with his father, John Thomas Vandergriff.

Tom Vandergriff had sent an audition tape to the station, who hired him before learning of his age.

In 1947, Tom Vandergriff graduated from the University of Southern California earning a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism.

In 1958, the Tom Vandergriff family spearheaded the original fund-raising effort and donated the land to construct Arlington's first hospital, Arlington Memorial Hospital.

In honor of their contributions, the hospital dedicated the Tom Vandergriff Professional Building on campus.

Tom Vandergriff served as the hospital board chairman for more than 35 years, and in 2007, the Tom Vandergriff Surgical Tower was named in his honor.

Tom Vandergriff was one of the driving influences behind the transformation of Arlington State College into The University of Texas at Arlington.

Tom Vandergriff felt that Arlington could be the beneficiary of such development and become an entertainment destination as well.

In 1958, Tom Vandergriff met with Walt Disney in an attempt to persuade him into building a second Disneyland park.

When Knott declined, he suggested Tom Vandergriff explore the newly built marine park in San Diego, SeaWorld.

Tom Vandergriff purposely waited within 90 days in order to avoid the city from having to finance a special election.

Stovall succeeded Tom Vandergriff to fill the remainder of the term.

Tom Vandergriff would go on to win the general election and serve six terms.

The district lines were set up to favor a Republican, having been carried by President Reagan with 67.1 percent of the vote in 1980, but Tom Vandergriff ultimately chose to run as a Democrat.

Tom Vandergriff's opponent was Republican candidate Jim Bradshaw, who had previously run for District 12, but lost to incumbent Jim Wright then serving as House Majority Leader.

Tom Vandergriff was sworn into the 98th Congress on January 3,1983.

Tom Vandergriff was assigned to the Public Works and Transportation Committee, serving on the Subcommittees on Aviation and Surface Transportation, as well as the Select Aging Committee and the Small Business Committee.

In 1983, Tom Vandergriff co-sponsored a revival of the Equal Rights Amendment with full support from Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill.

Tom Vandergriff's campaign left him with almost $800,000 in debt from spending his own money and Armey would go on to become House Majority Leader from 1995 until his retirement in 2003.

Tom Vandergriff considered running again in 1986 in an attempt to regain the seat, but ultimately declined.

Tom Vandergriff won as a Republican and served in that capacity for 16 years until his retirement in 2007.

In 1991, newly elected County Judge Tom Vandergriff worked with the Texas Congressional delegation, Fort Worth Mayor Kay Granger, and Dallas County officials to advocate for a $151 billion transportation bill which would create roughly 900,000 jobs annually over its six-year life.

Judge Roy Hofheinz of the Houston Astros tried to block any attempt Tom Vandergriff made in his efforts to bring a ball club to Arlington, which he attempted to do for over ten years.

Tom Vandergriff was thrown out of a cab because the driver learned who he was.

Tom Vandergriff was known for spending his own money on traveling expenses for road games.

In 2004, Tom Vandergriff was inducted into the Texas Rangers Baseball Hall of Fame along with Gold Glove third baseman Buddy Bell and Hall of Fame pitcher Ferguson Jenkins.

In 1997, a full-size bronze statue of Tom Vandergriff was dedicated in the centerfield plaza, which bears the name Tom Vandergriff Plaza.

Tom Vandergriff worked in his family's businesses including a chain of car dealerships.

Three years later, on November 22,1963, Tom Vandergriff attended a breakfast in Fort Worth hosted by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce in honor of President Kennedy.

Tom Vandergriff was part of a welcome "honor guard" that escorted President Kennedy at the Hotel Texas.

When news broke of the assassination, Tom Vandergriff was still in the car traveling home from the Fort Worth breakfast.

Tom Vandergriff was employed by Amon G Carter, a prominent businessman in Fort Worth.

Just months before the assassination, Lee Oswald and his wife, Marina, visited the Tom Vandergriff home to pick up a high chair for their newborn daughter.

Later that night, Tom Vandergriff fell and broke his hip, forcing him to miss the team's first World Series.