Tipper and Al Gore Marriage Profile

By Sheri & Bob Stritof, About.com Guides

Tipper and Al Gore in Boston, Massachusetts on July 26, 2004.

Photo: Mark Wilson / Getty Images

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Although Tipper and Al Gore's long lasting marriage relationship was tested by the near loss of their son when he was six years old and by Al's public roles, they decided to separate after 40 years of marriage.

Here is information about how Tipper and Al met, where they were married, and more.

Fast Marriage Facts - Al and Tipper
Met: At his high school graduation dance.
Married: May 19, 1970.
Separated: 2010.
First Marriage: Yes.
Did You Know?
Since their separation, Al lives in Nashville and also has an apartment in San Francisco. Tipper lives near Santa Barbara, California and Arlington, Virginia.

News Updates:

6/01/2010: Al and Tipper Gore announced that after 40 years of marriage, they decided to separate. MSNBC reports "According to an e-mail circulated among the couple's friends and obtained by The Associated Press on Tuesday, the Gores said it was "a mutual and mutually supportive decision that we have made together following a process of long and careful consideration."

So why are Tipper and Al calling it quits? Some reports are saying the couple grew apart. Tipper reportedly wants a quiet life enjoying their grandchildren and travel while Al doesn't want to slow down. Although not likely, we hope the separation will help them find their misplaced love in one another.

Al and Tipper Gore: "If couples are in unhappy marriages, they are more likely to eventually divorce as they face so much of their lifetimes together after their child-rearing years are over."
Source: Al Gore, Tipper Gore. Joined at the Heart: The Transformation of the American Family. 2002. pg. 27.

Born:

Albert Arnold Gore Jr: March 31, 1948 in Washington, D.C.

Mary Elizabeth "Tipper" Aitcheson: August 19, 1948 in Washington, D.C.

How Al and Tipper Met:

Tipper and Al met and "fell in love the night of his high school graduation dance ... 'it was just like everyone else melted away,' Tipper wrote.
Source: Karen Tumulty, "The Women Who Made Al Gore", CNN.com, August 14, 2000.

Al called her the next day for their first date. Al proposed marriage at the end of Tipper's Junior year at Boston University. He proposed while they were walking along the banks of the Charles River.

Wedding Date and Information:

Al and Tipper were married on May 19, 1970 at Washington's National Cathedral. The headmaster of St. Alban's School officiated the wedding ceremony and "All You Need is Love" by the Beatles was played by the organist.

Children:

Al and Tipper have four children and several grandchildren.

Karenna Gore: Born in 1973.

Kristin Gore: Born in 1977.

Sarah Gore: Born in 1979.

Albert Gore III: Born in 1982.

Residences:

The Gores owned a small farm near Carthage, Tennessee and in Spring 2010 purchased a home in Montecito, California. Montecito Villa Pictures.

After their separation, Al moved to Nashville and also spends time in San Francisco. Tipper has a home near Santa Barbara, California and visits her family's home in Arlington, Virginia.

Occupations:

Al: Volunteered in the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam; newspaper reporter; served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate; 45th Vice President of the U.S.; author; presidential candidate. Al won an Academy Award for his global warming documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. He also won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize on October 12, 2007.

Tipper: Drummer, photographer, and author. Tipper Gore Photographs

Quotes About the Marriage of Tipper and Al Gore:

Tony Coehlo: “Al and Tipper were the happily married couple of American politics for 30 years. They packaged themselves that way for political consumption, and now they have unpackaged that image in the interest of their own happiness. They are still a family, but they have become the kind of family that they want to be.”
Source: Patrick Healy. "The End of the Line." NYTimes.com. 8/25/2012.

Al about Tipper: "One of the lessons here I've learned from her is a way to enrich my own experience of life by opening up to the heart as well as the head ... she's been a great teacher for me."
Source: "Tipper Gore: Family comes first." CNN.com

Tipper about Al: "I don't know anyone more compassionate, more sensitive. There's a gentleness to him."
Source: Karen Tumulty. "The Women Who Made Al Gore." CNN.com. August 14, 2000.

Tipper on the campaign trail talking about Al: "I have here, as you all probably know, the best-kept secret in America. He is funny, he is good-lucking, he is handsome and he is sexy. I love him no matter what he's doing and we'll be happy no matter what he's doing."
Source: "Tipper Gore: Family comes first." CNN.com

Karenna about her parents being opposites: "... even after they have been married 30 years, Karenna describes her parents as 'mysteries to each other.'"
Source: Karen Tumulty. "The Women Who Made Al Gore." CNN.com. August 14, 2000.

Al and Tipper about marriage and family life: "In a democracy, we are all responsible for supporting healthy family life. No one can or should tell families how to raise their children, but we can all use help, and we can cheer others on in a multitude of ways."
Source: Al Gore and Tipper Gore. Joined at the Heart: The Transformation of the American Family. 2002. pg. 325.

Bob Shrum about Tipper: "She's the first person he talks to about an idea and the last person he listens to before he decides."
Source: Karen Tumulty. "The Women Who Made Al Gore." CNN.com. August 14, 2000.

Pauline Gore's advice to Tipper: "Pauline Gore advised her daughter-in-law to relinquish her job and follow her husband: 'You grow together. And he'll have experiences that you should participate in.'"
Source: U.S. Senate

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