Tom Udall

Birth Name: Thomas Stewart Udall

Place of Birth: Tucson, Arizona, U.S.

Date of Birth: May 18, 1948

Ethnicity: Swiss-German, English, distant Welsh, Swiss-Italian, Irish, German, Scottish, Dutch, and French Huguenot

Tom Udall is an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he has served as Attorney General of New Mexico, from January 1, 1991 to January 1, 1999, a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico, from January 3, 1999 to January 3, 2009, and a U.S. Senator from New Mexico, from January 3, 2009 to January 3, 2021.

Tom is the son of Ermalee Lenora (Webb) and Stewart Udall (Stewart Lee Udall). He comes from a political family, of LDS (Mormon) settlers and pioneers. His father was a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona, from January 3, 1955 to January 18, 1961, and U.S. Secretary of the Interior, from January 21, 1961 to January 20, 1969. Tom is married to Jill Cooper Udall, with whom he has a daughter.

Tom’s uncle (father’s brother), Mo Udall, was also a politician, who was a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona, from May 2, 1961 to May 4, 1991, and Chair of the House Interior Committee, from January 3, 1977 to May 4, 1991. He was a candidate for the Democratic Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 1976. Mo was the only major Mormon (LDS) candidate to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination.

Tom’s paternal grandfather, Levi Stewart Udall, was a lawyer, who served as Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, in 1951, and from 1957 to 1958. Tom’s great-uncle, Levi’s half-brother, Jesse Addison Udall, was Chief Justice in 1964. Tom’s great-grandfather, David King Udall, was a representative to the Arizona Territorial Legislature.

Tom is a cousin of Mark Udall, a Democratic politician, who was a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado, from January 3, 1999 to January 3, 2009, and a U.S. Senator from Colorado, from January 3, 2009 to January 3, 2015. Mark is Mo Udall’s son. Tom is also a double second cousin of Gordon H. Smith, who was a Republican U.S. Senator from Oregon, and a second cousin of Mike Lee, who is a Republican U.S. Senator from Utah.

Tom’s paternal grandfather was Levi Stewart Udall (the son of David King Udall and Eliza Stewart Udall, born Eliza Luella Stewart). Levi was born in St. Johns, Apache, Arizona. David was born in Missouri, the son of English parents, David Udall, from Goudhurst, Kent, and Eliza King, from Waltham, St. Lawrence, Berkshire. Tom’s great-grandmother Eliza Stewart Udall was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was the first telegraph operator in the Arizona Territory. She was the daughter of Levi Stewart, an LDS pioneer, who founded Kanab, Utah, and of Margery Wilkerson.

Tom’s paternal grandmother was Louise/Louisa Lee (the daughter of John David Lee and Inez Louise/Louisa Hamblin). Tom’s grandmother Louise was born in New Mexico, and was a writer, interested in Indian life and culture. John was born in Utah, the son of John Doyle Lee and Lavina Young. Inez was born in Utah, the daughter of Jacob Vernon Hamblin and Louisa Bonelli, who was born in Bern, Switzerland, and had Swiss-Italian and Swiss-German ancestry; she was the daughter of George Bonelli and Anna Maria Ammann, from Affeltrangen, Thurgau, Switzerland.

Tom’s maternal grandfather was James Levi Webb (the son of Edward Milo Webb, Jr. and Charolette/Charlotte Martha Maxwell). James was born in Utah. Edward was born in Missouri, the son of Edward Milo Webb and Caroline Amelia Owens. Charlotte was born in Utah, the daughter of William Bailey Maxwell and Lucetia/Lucretia Charolette/Charlotte Bracken.

Tom’s maternal grandmother was Mary Lily/Lillie Alespach/Alispach/Alispaw/Alispah (the daughter of Charles Frederic/Fredrick/Frederick Alispach and Elisabetha/Elisabeth Diem/Dunn/Diens). Mary was born in Utah, to Swiss parents, of Swiss-German descent. Charles was born in Hemmiken, Baselland, the son of John Jakob Alispach and Ursula Hanchen. Elisabeth was the daughter of Johannes Diem and Anna Elisabeth Frischknecht.

Sources: Genealogy of Tom Udall – https://web.archive.org/web/20160122004555/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com

Genealogy of Tom Udall (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.geni.com

Genealogies of Tom’s maternal grandparents, James Levi Webb and Mary Lily/Lillie (Alespach/Alispach/Alispaw/Alispah) Webb – https://www.findagrave.com