Al Gore

Al Gore
Name	Al Gore
Caption	Official portrait, 1994
Office	45th Vice President of the United States
President	Bill Clinton
Term start	January 20, 1993
Term end	January 20, 2001
Predecessor	Dan Quayle
Successor	Dick Cheney
Office1	United States Senator from Tennessee
Term start1	January 3, 1985
Term end1	January 2, 1993
Predecessor1	Howard Baker
Successor1	Harlan Mathews
Office2	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee
Term start2	January 3, 1977
Term end2	January 3, 1985
Predecessor2	Joe L. Evins
Successor2	Jim Cooper
Birth date	31 March 1948
Birth place	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Aitcheson, 1970, 2010
Children	4, including Karenna
Education	Harvard University (BA), Vanderbilt University (attended)
Awards	Nobel Peace Prize (2007), Primetime Emmy Award (2007), Webby Award (2005), Grammy Award (2009)

Al Gore is an American politician, environmentalist, and businessman who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. A former U.S. representative and senator from Tennessee, he was the Democratic nominee for president in the 2000 election, which he lost to George W. Bush after a controversial recount in Florida and a ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States. Following his political career, Gore became a leading global advocate for climate change awareness, co-founding the Climate Reality Project and Generation Investment Management.

Early life and education

Albert Arnold Gore Jr. was born in Washington, D.C., the son of politician Albert Gore Sr., who served as a U.S. senator from Tennessee, and Pauline LaFon Gore. He spent much of his childhood split between the family farm in Carthage, Tennessee, and the Fairfax Hotel in the Embassy Row section of Washington, D.C. Gore attended St. Albans School, an elite preparatory institution, where he was an academic standout. He enrolled at Harvard University, graduating in 1969 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in government. While at Harvard, he took a class with oceanographer Roger Revelle, an early influence on his environmental thinking. After graduation, despite his opposition to the Vietnam War, Gore voluntarily enlisted in the United States Army and served as a military journalist at Fort Rucker in Alabama. He later attended Vanderbilt University Divinity School and Vanderbilt University Law School but did not complete degrees at either institution.

Political career

Gore's political career began in 1976 when he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 4th congressional district, succeeding Joe L. Evins. He served four terms in the House, focusing on issues like arms control and technology. In 1984, he was elected to the United States Senate, winning the seat vacated by Republican leader Howard Baker. As a senator, he was known for his work on the High Performance Computing and Communication Act of 1991, which helped develop the early internet. In 1992, Bill Clinton selected him as his running mate, and the Clinton-Gore ticket won the presidential election. As vice president, Gore was a key advisor on environmental policy, technology, and foreign affairs, championing the Information Superhighway and playing a significant role in the Kyoto Protocol negotiations. He won the Democratic nomination for president in 2000 but lost the general election in an electoral college defeat following the Supreme Court case Bush v. Gore.

Post-vice presidency and environmental advocacy

After leaving the White House, Gore dedicated himself to raising public awareness of climate change. He authored the book *An Inconvenient Truth*, which became the basis for a critically acclaimed documentary film that won two Academy Awards in 2007. That same year, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for his efforts. He founded the Climate Reality Project, a nonprofit organization focused on climate education and advocacy. Gore has delivered thousands of presentations worldwide, testified before the United States Congress, and been a prominent voice at international forums like the United Nations Climate Change Conference. His advocacy has been central to global movements such as the Paris Agreement and has influenced policies of the European Union and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Business ventures and investments

Gore has been a successful entrepreneur and investor in sustainable technology and media. In 2004, he co-founded Generation Investment Management, a London-based firm focused on sustainable investing, with former Goldman Sachs asset management head David Blood. He served as chairman of the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers' green technology division. Gore was a founding chairman of Current TV, an independent cable news network later sold to Al Jazeera Media Network. He also serves as a board member for technology companies like Apple Inc. and as a senior advisor to Google. His investments and board positions often align with his environmental and technological interests, promoting clean energy and digital innovation.

Awards and recognition

Gore has received numerous accolades for his environmental work. His most prestigious honor is the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded in 2007. He won a Primetime Emmy Award for Current TV's interactive coverage of the 2006 midterm elections and a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for the audio version of *An Inconvenient Truth*. He has also received a Webby Award for lifetime achievement. Other honors include the Dan David Prize, the James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award, and being named a Commander of the Order of the Legion of Honour by France. Several universities, including Harvard University and the University of Tennessee, have awarded him honorary doctorates.

Personal life

Gore married Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Aitcheson in 1970; they had four children: Karenna, Kristin, Sarah, and Albert III. The couple separated in 2010 and later divorced. Karenna Gore is an author and attorney. Gore is known for his passion for technology, fly-fishing, and running. He resides in Nashville, Tennessee, and Montecito, California. A lifelong Democrat, he remains an influential figure in the party, though he has not sought elected office again. He is also an author of several bestselling books on climate, technology, and the future, including *The Assault on Reason* and *The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change*.

Category:American environmentalists Category:Vice presidents of the United States Category:Nobel Peace Prize laureates