Brad Carson
A Cherokee Nation citizen who navigated from Congress to a university presidency, bridging policy, law, and higher education with a focus on tribal issues.
Born 1967 (age 59)·American politician·Birthday: March 11·Generation X
Biography
Brad Carson's career is a study in thoughtful transition, moving through the corridors of power in Washington to the leadership of a major university. A member of the Cherokee Nation, he brought that perspective to his two terms representing Oklahoma's 2nd district in the U.S. House, where he served on the Armed Services Committee and focused on veterans' affairs and energy policy. After a narrow Senate race loss, he shifted to academia and administration, serving as General Counsel of the Army and later as a senior fellow at the University of Oklahoma. In 2021, he was named president of the University of Tulsa, a role that combined his legal acumen, policy experience, and deep commitment to his tribal heritage, steering the institution through a period of strategic change before concluding his tenure in 2025.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Brad was born in 1967, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brad Was Born
The biggest hits of 1967
#1 Movie
The Jungle Book
Best Picture
In the Heat of the Night
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Brad's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1967Born
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1972Started school
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1980Became a teenager
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Could drive
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1985Could vote
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Turned 21
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1997Turned 30
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 40
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 50
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 59 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the 21st President of the University of Tulsa from 2021 to 2025.
- Represented Oklahoma's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms from 2001 to 2005.
- Served as the Under Secretary of the Army and later as the Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness under President Obama.
- Was the first enrolled member of a Native American tribe from Oklahoma to serve in Congress in the modern era.
Did You Know?
He is a Rhodes Scholar, having studied at the University of Oxford.
He served as a U.S. Navy officer prior to his political career.
He authored a book, 'The Year of the Bible', exploring the role of scripture in American public life.
He ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004, losing in a close race.
“Real progress is built on consensus, not conflict, and that requires listening.”
