Al Gore was born on March 31, 1948 to Albert Gore, Sr. and Pauline LaFon Gore. The son of a U.S. Senator, Gore grew up in both Carthage, Tennessee, and in Washington, D.C.

He graduated from Harvard University in 1969, where he received a degree in government with honors.

After graduation, Gore volunteered for enlistment in the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam.

When he returned, Gore settled in Tennessee, where he studied religion at Vanderbilt University and worked as a newspaper reporter with The Tennessean. In 1973, he and Tipper purchased a farm in Carthage, Tennessee. That same year their first child was born, Karenna. Gore later attended Vanderbilt Law School. Gore began his career in public service in 1976 when he was elected to represent Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives.

He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1984 and was re-elected in 1990, when he became the first statewide candidate in modern history to carry all 95 Tennessee counties.

A candidate for the Democratic nomination for President in 1988, he won Democratic primaries and caucuses in seven states. Four years later, Gore joined Bill Clinton as the Vice Presidential nominee on the Democratic ticket in 1992. He was sworn into office in 1993. Clinton and Gore were re-elected into office in 1996.

In 2000, Gore ran for the Democratic nomination for President again and swept every single state that held a Democratic primary or caucus. He went on to win the popular vote in the 2000 presidential campaign.

In addition to serving as Honorary Chair for Leadership '02, Gore currently teaches at Fisk University, Middle Tennessee State University and University of California - Los Angeles. Gore also serves as a Vice Chairman of Metropolitan West Financial, a Los Angeles based financial services firm. He is writing a book on the American family with his wife, the former Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Aitcheson, an author, photo-journalist and mental health activist. They have four children: Karenna, Kristin, Sarah, and Albert and two grandchildren. Al and Tipper Gore own a home in Nashville, TN, Arlington, VA and a small farm near Carthage, TN.

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