Tom Copeland
{{Short description|American politician (born 1924)}}
{{use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Tom Copeland
| image=Tom Copeland.jpg
| image_size=
| caption =Copeland in 1967
|office= 35th Speaker of the Washington House of Representatives
Acting
|term_start = March 12, 1970
|term_end = January 11, 1971
|predecessor = Don Eldridge
|successor = Thomas A. Swayze Jr.
| office1 = Speaker pro tempore of the Washington House of Representatives
| term_start1 = January 9, 1967
| term_end1 = January 8, 1973
| predecessor1 = Avery Garrett
| successor1 = John L. O'Brien
| office2 = Minority Leader of the Washington House of Representatives
| term_start2 = January 11, 1965
| term_end2 = January 9, 1967
| predecessor2 = Daniel J. Evans
| successor2 = John L. O'Brien
| state_house3 =Washington
| district3 = 11th
| term_start3 = January 14, 1957
| term_end3 = January 8, 1973
| predecessor3 = Lester L. Robison
| successor3 = A. N. “Bud” Shinpoch
| party = Republican
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1924|4|17}}
| birth_place = Pendleton, Oregon, U.S.
| death_date=
| death_place =
| profession =
| residence =
| relations=
| alma_mater=Washington State University
| spouse ={{marriage|Dolly Doble||1970|end=d.}}
{{marriage|Donna Edwards|1973}}
| children = 3
| religion =
| website =
|branch=
|serviceyears=
|rank=
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}}
Thomas L. Copeland (born April 17, 1924) is an American former politician from Washington.
Life and career
Copeland was born in Pendleton, Oregon on April 17, 1924, to Edwin and Delia Copeland. He served in the United States Army during World War II, serving in Europe as a tank destroyer commander. After the conclusion of the war, he stayed with the Army as an administrator and was eventually promoted to captain.{{cite web |title=Thomas L. "Tom" Copeland - State Representative |url=https://www.sos.wa.gov/legacy/legacymakers/detail.aspx?personid=914 |website=Washington Secretary of State}} He is an alumnus of Washington State University, where he majored in agricultural engineering.
Copeland was elected to the Washington House of Representatives in 1957, for District 11, which encompassed the counties of Asotin, Columbia, Garfield and parts of Walla Walla. He is a Republican. He served until 1972; during his time he served stints as Whip (1961, 1963), Minority Leader (1965), and Speaker pro tempore (1967–1972).{{cite web |title=State of Washington Members of the Legislature, 1889 {{endash}} 2011 |url=https://leg.wa.gov/History/Legislative/Documents/MembersOfLeg2011.pdf |website=Washington State Legislature |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220420082957/https://leg.wa.gov/History/Legislative/Documents/MembersOfLeg2011.pdf |archive-date=April 20, 2022 |url-status=live}} In 1972, he retired to run for the Washington State Senate, however he was unsuccessful in his election, later opting to retire from politics.{{cite web |last1=Kilgannon |first1=Anne |title=Thomas L. Copeland, An Oral History |url=https://apps.leg.wa.gov/oralhistory/copeland.pdf |website=Washington State Legislature |date=2007}}
He was married to Dolly Doble, whom he met at college, until her death in 1970. They had three children. In 1973, he married Donna Edwards; the couple lives in Arizona. He turned 100 in April 2024.{{cite web|title='This is a much better birthday': Arizona veteran who spent 21st birthday fighting in WWII celebrates turning 100|url=https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/surprise-wwii-vet-celebrates-100th-birthday-stories-only-he-can-tell/75-798e2134-3cc9-4247-9dd0-0f67008cf81d|date=April 22, 2024|last=Simchuk|first=Kyle|publisher=12 News|access-date=September 24, 2024}}
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Copeland, Tom}}
Category:Republican Party members of the Washington House of Representatives
Category:Politicians from Pendleton, Oregon
Category:Washington State University alumni
Category:United States Army personnel of World War II
Category:American men centenarians
Category:United States Army officers
Category:Military personnel from Oregon
Category:Speakers of the Washington House of Representatives
Category:20th-century members of the Washington State Legislature
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