Thomas E. Petri (born May 28, 1940), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1979, representing the Sixth Congressional District of Wisconsin (map). Born as Thomas Evert in Marinette, Wisconsin, his father was killed during World War II and he adopted the name Petri after his mother remarried when he was still a young child. He graduated from Goodrich High School in Fond du Lac. Petri then attended Harvard University where he received his bachelors and law degrees. During 1966-1967, he worked with the Peace Corps and the United States Agency for International Development in Somalia. He served in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1973 to 1979, when he entered the House of Representatives. Petri is Vice Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Education and the Workforce Committee. Petri is a member of The Republican Main Street Partnership and supports stem-cell research.
