Tom Ridge

Tom Ridge (born August 26, 1945, Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.) is an American politician who was governor of Pennsylvania (1995–2001) and who later served as the first director of the Office of Homeland Security (2001–03) and the first secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (2003–05).

Ridge earned a scholarship to Harvard University (B.S., 1967). In 1969, after his first year at Dickinson School of Law, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he was drafted to serve in the Vietnam War. He became a staff sergeant in the army and won the Bronze Star for Valor, among other decorations. After returning to Dickinson to complete his J.D. (1972), he practiced law in Erie and in 1982 narrowly won election to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Republican. Ridge solidified his hold on his congressional seat, winning reelection five times.

Although considered a long shot in the 1994 gubernatorial elections, Ridge defeated the incumbent lieutenant governor. He stumbled in his first years in office, with failed attempts to institute school vouchers and privatize liquor stores. Soon afterward, however, buoyed by a strong economy and a budget surplus, Ridge found his footing and launched his programs with success. He became a leading figure in the Republican Party and was considered as a running mate for presidential candidates in 1996 and 2000, despite his supporting abortion rights—a position that put him outside the mainstream of the party.

In response to the September 11 attacks in 2001, Pres. George W. Bush created by executive order a new department to counter future domestic threats—the Office of Homeland Security—and on September 20, 2001, he selected Ridge, a longtime friend, to head it. Taking the post required Ridge to step down as governor of Pennsylvania. No sooner had he been sworn in (October 8, 2001) than he found himself reacting to widespread public fear and outrage over bioterrorism in the form of anonymous letters carrying lethal amounts of anthrax that were mailed to public figures and resulted in several deaths. Ridge developed a program of antiterrorist training, preventive technologies, and emergency responses. In addition, he was tasked with coordinating the myriad activities of some 46 different state and federal agencies related to his chain of command. In 2002 he unveiled a new color-coded system for assessing the risk of a terrorist attack. The system was often criticized, and some later charged that threat levels were raised for political purposes.

In 2003 the Office of Homeland Security, which includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency, was elevated to a cabinet-level department, and on January 24 Ridge was sworn in as its secretary. Soon after, the U.S. led an invasion of Iraq, which heightened concerns of a terrorist attack (see Iraq War). In December 2004 Ridge announced his resignation, citing personal finances and job stress; he was succeeded by Michael Chertoff. Ridge subsequently founded a global advisory firm. He also remained involved in politics, backing various Republican politicians. In the 2020 presidential election, however, he endorsed the Democratic nominee Joe Biden, who defeated Republican Pres. Donald Trump. Ridge wrote (with Lary Bloom) The Test of Our Times: America Under Siege…And How We Can Be Safe Again (2009), which recounts his experiences as secretary of homeland security.