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Tom Coburn.
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NEW YORK—Tom Coburn, an optical industry veteran who later gained prominence as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, died at his home here on March 28. He was 72. The cause of death was complications from prostate cancer, a former aide, Roland Foster, told The Washington Post. Thomas Allen Coburn was born March 14, 1948, in Casper, Wyoming. He grew up in Muskogee, where his father, O.W. Coburn, founded Coburn Optical Industries.

The company grew to be a major manufacturer of ophthalmic lens processing equipment, and was once owned by Revlon. Today, the Coburn brand name lives on in Coburn Technologies.

After earning a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from Oklahoma State University Coburn went into the family business. He served as the manufacturing manager of the ophthalmic division of Coburn Optical Industries in Colonial Heights, Va. from 1970 to 1978. After the family business was sold, he returned to school, graduating from the University of Oklahoma's Medical School. He returned to Muskogee in 1983 to practice obstetrics.


From 1995 to 2001, Coburn represented Oklahoma's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He then returned full time to his medical practice in Muskogee before serving as the junior U.S. senator of Oklahoma from 2005 to 2014.

Although Coburn preferred to be called Dr. Coburn, he was also known as “Doctor No” for his unyielding opposition to federal spending and pork barrel politics.