Corker, Robert Phillips, Jr. (1952-…), served as a United States senator from 2007 to 2019. Corker, a Republican, represented Tennessee. Prior to his election to the Senate, Corker had served as mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and worked as a real estate investor.
Robert Phillips Corker, Jr., usually called Bob, was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, on Aug. 24, 1952. He grew up in Chattanooga and graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial management.
After graduation, Corker worked for four years as a superintendent for a construction company. He started his own construction business in 1978. During the 1980’s, Corker’s business focus changed from construction to real estate investment. He sold the construction part of his business in 1990. In 1986, Corker founded a nonprofit organization to help revitalize many Chattanooga neighborhoods.
In 1994, Corker ran for the Republican nomination for a seat in the U.S. Senate but failed to win it. Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist appointed Corker state commissioner of finance and administration in 1995. Corker won election as Chattanooga’s mayor in 2001 and served until 2005. Corker won election to the U.S. Senate in 2006. He was reelected in 2012. As a senator, Corker served on several committees, including the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee. Corker did not seek reelection to his Senate seat in 2018.
