Representative Thomas Norman Kindness

Thomas Norman Kindness (August 26, 1929 – January 8, 2004) was an American politician and attorney who served six terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Ohio from January 3, 1975, to January 3, 1987. A member of the Republican Party, he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents in Ohio’s 8th congressional district.

Kindness was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on August 26, 1929. During his youth his family moved to California, and he graduated from Glendale High School in Glendale, California, in 1947. He then attended the University of Maryland, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1951. While at Maryland, he became a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, an affiliation that reflected his early engagement in campus and civic life. Pursuing a legal career, he enrolled at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., earning a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree in 1953, which prepared him for a professional path that combined law, business, and public service.

After completing his legal education, Kindness embarked on a career in corporate law. He became assistant counsel for Champion International, a major paper company based in Hamilton, Ohio, in 1957. He held this position from 1957 to 1973, advising the company on legal and regulatory matters during a period of industrial growth and change. His work for Champion International brought him into close contact with the Hamilton community and provided a platform for his entry into local politics.

Kindness’s political career began at the municipal level in Hamilton, Ohio. In 1964 he was elected to the Hamilton city council, where he served until 1969. Concurrently, he served as mayor of Hamilton from 1964 to 1967, giving him executive responsibility for city governance and local policy. Building on his municipal experience, he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives, serving from 1971 to 1974. His tenure in the state legislature broadened his legislative experience and visibility within the Republican Party and set the stage for his subsequent election to Congress.

In 1974, Kindness was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Ohio’s 8th congressional district, defeating Democrat T. Edward Strinko. He took office on January 3, 1975, and went on to serve six consecutive terms, remaining in the House until January 3, 1987. He was re-elected five times, defeating Democrat John W. Griffin in 1976, Luella R. Schroeder in 1978, John W. Griffin again in 1980 and 1982, and John T. Francis in 1984. During his twelve years in Congress, Kindness participated actively in the legislative process as a Republican representative, contributing to debates and policymaking during a period marked by economic challenges, Cold War tensions, and shifting domestic priorities.

Kindness played a notable role in one of the more consequential congressional proceedings of the 1980s. In 1986, he was appointed one of the House impeachment managers in the case of federal Judge Harry E. Claiborne. In this capacity, he helped prosecute the impeachment trial before the United States Senate. The Senate ultimately found Claiborne guilty, and the judge was removed from his federal judgeship, underscoring Congress’s constitutional role in overseeing the federal judiciary. That same year, Kindness sought higher office, winning the Republican nomination for the United States Senate from Ohio. In the general election, however, he was defeated by the incumbent Democratic senator, John Glenn, bringing his congressional career to a close at the end of his House term in January 1987.

After his Senate loss, Kindness remained in Washington, D.C., and entered the field of government relations, working as a lobbyist. His experience and connections from twelve years in the House made him a prominent figure in the capital’s policy and advocacy circles. In 1990, following a sex scandal involving Donald “Buz” Lukens, the congressman who had succeeded him in representing Ohio’s 8th district, Kindness attempted a political comeback. He entered the Republican primary to reclaim his former seat, joining a field that included Lukens, state Representative John Boehner, and other lesser-known candidates. Early polling showed Kindness with a commanding lead of about 60 points over the relatively obscure Boehner. During the campaign, however, Boehner attacked Kindness’s ethics, criticizing his votes for congressional pay raises and his opposition to limits on fees for speeches by members of Congress, and portrayed him as a carpetbagger who had abandoned his district for Washington. Despite outspending Boehner by a margin of roughly five to one, Kindness lost the primary; Boehner won the nomination with 49 percent of the vote, while Kindness received 32 percent and Lukens 17 percent.

In his later years, Kindness lived abroad. He died in Exeter, Devonshire, England, on January 8, 2004, at the age of 74. His career spanned local, state, and federal office, including service as a city councilman and mayor of Hamilton, a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, and a six-term United States Representative from Ohio, reflecting a long engagement with public life and the legislative process.