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I was born in South Bend, Indiana on September 26, 1948 and named after Republican Thomas E. Dewey, who was supposed to have been elected President - according to my very Republican parents. When I'm asked about my early background, I respond that who I am today is a direct result of the quality of coaching I've had during the course of my life. The best coach anybody could've asked for was my Dad. Fact is, his life's avocation was coaching and his first job out of college was coaching high school athletic teams and teaching health. In addition to coaching Bud, my younger brother, and myself, Dad was also proud of having been Chuck Tanner's coach. (Mr. Tanner is well known for successfully managing the Pittsburgh Pirates for many years and being a great coach.) Dad encouraged me to take some measured risks, but not to take foolish chances. He motivated me to do well in school and join the Boy Scouts which, in turn, provided my first leadership opportunities. I rose quickly through the ranks to the rank of 'Life Scout'. My Dad also motivated me to get my first job at age 14, bagging groceries after school in Mishawaka, Indiana. 1965 was an important year for our family. That was the year we permanently relocated to Largo, Florida. I continued working while attending Largo High School (Class of '66) and thereafter while enrolled at the newly opened Clearwater Campus of St. Petersburg Junior College. Following my graduation from St. Petersburg Junior College (Class of '69), having earned my commercial pilot's license and while waiting for the word of acceptance from Metropolitan State College in Denver (where I worked my way through B.S. degree in Aerospace Management), it was my Dad who helped me hire on with his company (the Launch Support Division of the Bendix Corporation at Kennedy Space Center) during the summer of 1969. Working as an associate engineer with the Launch Pad Engineering Group, I was one of the youngest and proudest on the team that launched Apollo X and the historic Apollo XI man's first footsteps on the moon. My recollection of that historical day is burned deeply into my memory. For I stood with then Senator Barry Goldwater, his son Barry Goldwater, Jr. and astronaut Eugene Cernan at the forward perimeter fence. The four of us having walked together the quarter mile from the VIP viewing area to better capture the moment on film. Following graduation from Metropolitan State College in 1971, for ten weeks, my brother and I toured Europe. While enjoying this cultural adventure, I came to realize how fortunate we are to live in America. And how easy it is for us to take the liberties our ancestors fought so hard to obtain, for granted. Upon my return to the States, I re-established my residency in Pinellas County, Florida and first became active in the Republican Party. |
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Tom's Early Years
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