Carlson trades ball fields for public service

Sen. Carlson and his wife Margo enjoy spending time with their twin grandchildren, Ian and Ava.

Sen. Tom Carlson loves southern Baptist gospel music.

His favorite group is the Signature Sound Quartet. He can remember singing with his mother as a child. She had him take piano lessons.

“I wish I’d have continued that but, at the time, I was more concerned about when the lesson would be over so I could go play ball,” he said, laughing.

His love of sports continued throughout his childhood and into adulthood. As a professor at Taylor University in Indiana, Carlson also coached football and baseball. And even now, in the Legislature, Carlson said he still keeps a sportsman’s mindset.

“In the Legislature, every day’s a new ballgame and at the end of the day you hope the people of Nebraska are the winners,” he said. “You can’t predict what’s going to happen on any given bill.”

The Legislature is a whole new ballgame for Carlson, who said he’d never been to a committee hearing until this year’s session started. His favorite part, Carlson said, is when meaningful debate leads to positive results.

“Whenever you feel like you’ve had an influence on making something happen that’s good for all Nebraskans, that’s very satisfying,” he said.

Serving in the Legislature, Carlson said, has provided him a way to give back.

“It’s a way of repaying the people of Nebraska for being so good to me.”

Carlson grew up on a farm about 15 miles north of Holdrege.

“I had the privilege of growing up in a wonderful family,” he said.

After high school, Carlson attended the University of Northern Colorado for both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and then received his PhD in education from the University of Iowa. He is a financial advisor in Holdrege, where he served on the local school board for eight years.

His education included an emphasis on statistics and research methods, which he said has served him well in the Legislature.

“It’s been helpful down here,” Carlson said. “I’m kind of looked at as a numbers guy.”

Carlson and Margo, his wife of 43 years, have three children: Chad, Erin and Nathan. Chad and his wife Amanda live in Des Moines where Chad is in sports medicine. Erin works at a Chicago law firm and Nathan lives and works in Holdrege. Margo was a speech pathologist for 40 years. She is now retired.

The Carlsons very much enjoy spending time with their twin grandchildren, Ava and Ian. Although, the grandkids live in Des Moines, Carlson said they see them about once a month.

“They love their grandma and grandpa,” Carlson said.

When he’s not busy with the Legislature or his grandkids, Carlson and his wife enjoy attending Husker baseball and football games. They also spend time looking for antique dishes, which they collect.

Carlson also loves playing golf.

“You learn a lot about a person when you play golf with them,” Carlson said. “The golf course equalizes everyone.”