David Lyle Boren

Democrat Senator of Oklahoma

Senator
Oklahoma
January 15, 1979 - January 3, 1985
Senator
Oklahoma
January 3, 1985 - January 3, 1991
Senator
Oklahoma
January 3, 1991 - November 15, 1994

Congresses Served

Senate Terms

January 1, 1941 (84 years old)

Birthday

Served as the 21st governor of Oklahoma from 1975 to 1979
Served three terms in the United States Senate from 1979 to 1994
Known as a conservative Democrat and the last Democrat to have served as U.S. Senator from Oklahoma to date
Served as the 13th president of the University of Oklahoma from 1994 to 2018, making him the second-longest serving president in the university’s history
Was the longest-serving chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Born in Washington, D.C., to a family with a history of political involvement
Graduated from Yale University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and was a member of Skull and Bones
Earned a master’s degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar
Earned a J.D. degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law
Served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1967 to 1975
Served in the Oklahoma Army National Guard, reaching the rank of captain
Advocated for the nationwide deregulation of natural gas prices during the Energy Crisis as governor
As a U.S. Senator, was known for his centrist or conservative stance, advocating for tax cuts and opposing the windfall profit tax on the domestic oil industry
Played a key role in the release of Nelson Mandela through his work on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Faced accusations and underwent an investigation for alleged misconduct during his tenure as president of the University of Oklahoma, which ended with no charges
Was involved in a controversy over the expulsion of students for racist behavior during his presidency at the University of Oklahoma
After the Senate, was considered for the U.S. Secretary of Defense position in 1994 but was not selected
Expressed regret over his vote to confirm Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas in a New York Times Op/Ed
Has been married twice and has two children, including a son who served in the U.S. House of Representatives
Received praise from Nelson Mandela for his efforts to promote democracy abroad