Al Gore

Albert Arnold Gore Jr. is an American politician, author, environmental advocate, and former vice president who served under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 2001. Before becoming vice president, Gore represented Tennessee in the House of Representatives and Senate for sixteen years. His career combined traditional legislative work with a growing focus on environmental protection, technology, and government reform.

Gore was born in Washington, D.C., to Albert Gore Sr., who represented Tennessee in Congress and later served in the Senate, and Pauline LaFon Gore. Gore grew up between Washington and Tennessee and attended Harvard University, graduating in 1969. He then served in the U.S. Army and spent part of his military service in Vietnam as a journalist. After returning to civilian life, he worked as an investigative reporter for The Tennessean and attended Vanderbilt University's divinity and law schools without completing either degree.

Gore entered electoral politics in 1976 when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives at age twenty-eight. He served four terms before winning election to the Senate in 1984, taking office in 1985. In Congress he became particularly interested in environmental issues, arms control, hazardous waste, biomedical research, and technology. He also sponsored the High Performance Computing Act of 1991, legislation associated with the development of advanced computer networking and the growth of the internet.

In 1992 Gore accepted Bill Clinton's invitation to become the Democratic vice-presidential nominee. The Clinton-Gore ticket won the election, and Gore became the 45th vice president on January 20, 1993. He was reelected with Clinton in 1996. As vice president, Gore took an active role in government reform, environmental policy, information technology, and efforts to reduce government waste and fraud. He also became closely associated with the administration's efforts to promote technological development. The Senate Historical Office notes his active role as a presidential adviser in these areas.

Gore became the Democratic presidential nominee in 2000 and selected Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut as his running mate. The election ultimately turned on the disputed vote count in Florida. Gore sought recounts through litigation, but the Supreme Court's decision in Bush v. Gore brought the recount process to an end, and Gore conceded the election on December 13, 2000. He remained vice president until January 20, 2001.

After leaving government, Gore became a prominent environmental advocate and author. His 2006 film An Inconvenient Truth and his environmental work brought him renewed national and international attention. In 2007 he and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize for their work concerning climate change. Gore has also remained involved in technology, media, investment, and environmental organizations.