 Thomas
Andrew Luken was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 9,
1925. He graduated from Purcell High School in 1942,
attended Bowling Green State University for a short
time, and eventually graduated from Xavier University
in 1947. Luken also served as a first lieutenant in
the United States Marine Corps from 1943-1945. In 1950,
he received his law degree from Salmon P. Chase Law
School in Cincinnati. He was admitted to the Ohio bar
that same year and began his practice in Cincinnati.
Luken's interests tended far more toward politics than
the legal field. He has held a large number of public
offices throughout his life and has become a well-known
figure in the Cincinnati area. From 1955-1961, Luken
worked as the city solicitor for Deer Park and then
worked as the Federal District Attorney from 1961-1964.
He served as a member of the Cincinnati City Council
from 1964-1967, again from 1969-1971, and a third time
from 1973-1974. From 1971-1972, Luken was mayor of Cincinnati.
He was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions
in 1964 and 1968. In early 1974, Republican William
Keating resigned from his seat in Congress as the representative
of Ohio's 1st District. Luken won election to the Ninety-third
Congress as a Democrat in a special election to fill
the vacancy caused by Keating's resignation. He lost
the general election later that same year, however,
to Willis Gradison.
In the 1976 Congressional elections, Luken again won
a seat in the House of Representatives, but this time
representing Ohio's 2nd District, and defeating long-time
incumbent Republican Donald Clancy. In doing so, Luken
became the first Democrat to represent the 2nd District
of Ohio since 1950. He won re-election for the next
two terms as well.
After the 1980 census, Luken's district was renumbered
District 1, and Ohio's 2nd District became the district
represented by Willis Gradison, Luken's former opponent
in 1974. In effect, Luken and Gradison switched districts
in 1982. Luken served as the Representative for the
first district of Ohio for four terms until the end
of the 101st Congress in 1991. In 1990, Luken did not
choose to run for another term, instead retiring in
favor of his son Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken who
won his father's seat.
The elder Luken served on the Cincinnati City Council
for a fourth time until retiring in 1995. He later became
regional transit commissioner and was a member of the
Southwestern Ohio Regional Transit Authority board.
Luken and his wife Shirley, whom he married in 1947,
have eight children. Their family has been politically
active for a long time. Luken's brother Jim and son
Charlie both served as mayor of Cincinnati, and Charlie
also served in Congress. Tom Luken earned a reputation
as a tough politician who did not give up easily. He
was a strong opponent of the death penalty, even leading
occasional protests against it. He consistently won
elections against well-known Republicans in a historically
strong Republican area. Tom Luken lives in semi-retirement
in College Hill.
Sources:
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Wikipedia
Article in Cincinnati Enquirer, "Retirement Agrees
with Tom Luken" by William Weathers, Feb 23, 2004
Cincinnati Enquirer on Politics Extra, posted
July 9, 2005
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