Tom Rooney – Bio – (R-FL-16)
Tom Rooney Congressman Florida District 16
Tom Rooney Biography from House.gov
Biography of Tom Rooney
Tom Rooney was raised in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Following high school, Tom went on to play college football at Syracuse University and Washington and Jefferson College. After receiving his BA in English Literature, Tom worked for Senator Connie Mack in Washington, DC.Click here to download his official portrait.
Tom returned home to Florida to attend the University of Florida where he received a Masters Degree and the University of Miami, School of Law where he earned his J.D. and met his wife Tara.
After graduation, Tom and Tara spent over four years in the United States Army JAG Corps. Most notably he served as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney on Fort Hood, TX prosecuting all civilian crimes on post. In 2002, Tom was selected to teach Constitutional and Criminal Law at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
In 2004, Tom returned to Florida and went to work as an Assistant Attorney General. After leaving the Attorney General’s office, Tom became CEO of “The Children’s Place at Home Safe,” a home for abused and neglected children. Tom was later appointed by Governor Bush to the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County Board of Directors. In 2006, Tom entered private practice and joined a Stuart law firm.
On November 4th 2008, Tom was elected to represent Florida’s 16th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Tom currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the Agriculture Committee, and the Select Committee on Intelligence. For the 112th Congress, Tom will Chair the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry. He will also serve as a Deputy Whip for the Majority.
Tom and Tara reside in Tequesta and with their three young sons: Tommy Jr., Sean, and Seamus.
Biography from Rooney for Congress
I’m Not a Career Politician
Growing up in my family, you learned to carry your own weight at an early age. My grandfather, son of a mill worker, taught all his children and grandchildren the values of hard-work, honesty, and generosity. A commitment to public service is something I grew up with and have continually been drawn to – in the Army, as a criminal prosecutor, and now as U.S. Congressman. I’ve worked hard to live my life the way my grandfather would have wanted: serve others, help out when needed, and always have the courage and strength to do what’s right…
Growing Up in Florida
My dad, one of five boys, moved our family south in 1984 and I was raised right here in South Florida. I graduated from high school in North Palm Beach. Upon graduation, I left to play football at Syracuse University and then Washington and Jefferson College.
After receiving my degree, I went to Washington, DC and worked for U.S. Senator Connie Mack and then returned home to attend the University of Florida where I earned a Masters Degree and later to the University of Miami Law School where I met my wife, Tara.
Service To Our Country
After law school, Tara and I became commissioned officers in the United States Army, and we both served in the Army’s JAG Corps from 2000-2004. After being promoted to Captain, I became the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for all of Fort Hood, the largest military installation in the United States.
From there, Tara, our son, and I packed up and moved to West Point, NY where I began teaching Constitutional, Criminal, and Military Law to hundreds of cadets at the United States Military Academy.
Service To Our Community
Tara and I were Honorably Discharged from the Army and our family returned to Florida. I began working for then – Attorney General Charlie Crist as one of his top prosecutors. Continuing to follow through on the values I learned as a child, I became deeply involved with The Children’s Place at Home Safe – a charity that serves over 300 abused, neglected, and abandoned children. And in 2005, Governor Jeb Bush appointed me to the Board of the Children’s Service Council of Palm Beach.
Do you know where you still on the political spectrum? See “Political Beliefs, Where Are You” to find out where you stand.
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