Tom Fink
Encyclopedia
Thomas A. "Tom" Fink is a Republican politician in Alaska
. He was Mayor of Anchorage from 1987-1994 and Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives from 1973-1975. He is also a former member of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
after being appointed by President George W. Bush
and confirmed by the United States Senate
.
. He received a Bachelor of Science
from Bradley University
in 1950, and a J.D.
from the University of Illinois Law School
in 1952. He moved to Anchorage, Alaska
in 1952, and has worked as a life insurance
salesman since 1958. He received his Chartered Life Underwriter certification from American College in 1963. Fink was in partnership with Don Schroer for 20 years, doing business as
The Schroer-Fink Agency. Schroer was also often involved in Fink's various campaigns for office.
He raised 11 children (6 daughters and 5 sons) with his wife, Pat. He stays fit during the long winter months by engaging in alpine skiing
.
in 1966, and became Speaker of the House in 1973. In 1975, he resigned in protest of a new law that would have required him to release a list of his insurance clients.
Fink mounted an unsuccessful bid to succeed term-limited Republican Governor of Alaska Jay Hammond
in 1982. He ran on a platform promoting the relocation of the state capital from Juneau
to Willow
, but was defeated by Democrat Bill Sheffield.
In 1986, Fink was elected Mayor of Anchorage in the wake of a dramatic drop in the price of oil which devastated the local economy. During his term in office, he advocated the sale of ATU, the municipal telephone utility. He received national attention for his stance on gay rights when he vetoed a 1993 municipal ordinance that would protect city employees from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The same year, he called for the cancellation of funding for a local theater group that included homosexual themes. In both cases, he was overridden by the Anchorage Assembly.
In 1997, after sitting out one term, Fink returned to politics to mount an unsuccessful challenge to incumbent Republican mayor Rick Mystrom
.
Fink wrote a weekly newspaper column, and became known for his trademark bowtie.
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. He was Mayor of Anchorage from 1987-1994 and Speaker of the Alaska House of Representatives from 1973-1975. He is also a former member of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board
The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board was established as an independent agency of the United States government by the Federal Employees Retirement System Act of 1986. It is one of the smaller executive branch agencies, with just over 80 employees...
after being appointed by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and confirmed by the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
.
Personal life
Tom Fink was born in Peoria, IllinoisPeoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
. He received a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
from Bradley University
Bradley University
Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
in 1950, and a J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
from the University of Illinois Law School
UIUC College of Law
The University of Illinois College of Law is the law school of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the flagship campus of the public University of Illinois university system. The College of Law was established in 1897, and offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in law...
in 1952. He moved to Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
in 1952, and has worked as a life insurance
Life insurance
Life insurance is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the death of the insured person. Depending on the contract, other events such as terminal illness or critical illness may also trigger...
salesman since 1958. He received his Chartered Life Underwriter certification from American College in 1963. Fink was in partnership with Don Schroer for 20 years, doing business as
Doing business as
The phrase "doing business as" is a legal term used in the United States, meaning that the trade name, or fictitious business name, under which the business or operation is conducted and presented to the world is not the legal name of the legal person who actually own it and are responsible for it...
The Schroer-Fink Agency. Schroer was also often involved in Fink's various campaigns for office.
He raised 11 children (6 daughters and 5 sons) with his wife, Pat. He stays fit during the long winter months by engaging in alpine skiing
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
.
Political career
Tom Fink was elected to the Alaska House of RepresentativesAlaska House of Representatives
The Alaska House of Representatives is the lower house in the Alaska Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Alaska. The House is composed of 40 members, each of whom represents a district of about 15,673 people . Members serve two-year terms without term limits...
in 1966, and became Speaker of the House in 1973. In 1975, he resigned in protest of a new law that would have required him to release a list of his insurance clients.
Fink mounted an unsuccessful bid to succeed term-limited Republican Governor of Alaska Jay Hammond
Jay Hammond
Jay Sterner Hammond was an American politician of the Republican Party, who served as the fourth Governor of Alaska from 1974 to 1982.-Early life:...
in 1982. He ran on a platform promoting the relocation of the state capital from Juneau
Juneau, Alaska
The City and Borough of Juneau is a unified municipality located on the Gastineau Channel in the panhandle of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has been the capital of Alaska since 1906, when the government of the then-District of Alaska was moved from Sitka as dictated by the U.S. Congress in 1900...
to Willow
Willow, Alaska
Willow is a census-designated place in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Anchorage, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the 2000 census the population was 1,658.-History:...
, but was defeated by Democrat Bill Sheffield.
In 1986, Fink was elected Mayor of Anchorage in the wake of a dramatic drop in the price of oil which devastated the local economy. During his term in office, he advocated the sale of ATU, the municipal telephone utility. He received national attention for his stance on gay rights when he vetoed a 1993 municipal ordinance that would protect city employees from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The same year, he called for the cancellation of funding for a local theater group that included homosexual themes. In both cases, he was overridden by the Anchorage Assembly.
In 1997, after sitting out one term, Fink returned to politics to mount an unsuccessful challenge to incumbent Republican mayor Rick Mystrom
Rick Mystrom
Rick Mystrom is a Republican politician and businessman in Anchorage, Alaska. He was Mayor of Anchorage from 1994 to 2000.-Biography:Mystrom was born in Minnesota and came to Alaska in 1972. In 1975, he established Mystrom/Beck Advertising. In 1982, he received the Small Business Person of the Year...
.
Fink wrote a weekly newspaper column, and became known for his trademark bowtie.
External links
- Alaska's Digital Archives Tom Fink's 1970 campaign photo
- Tom Fink at The Political Graveyard