User:Tomlingenfelter/sandbox

Tom Lingenfelter, president of the Heritage Collectors' Society (www.heritagecs.com), was born at the farm of his grand-parents (William and Martha Hearn) near Williamsburg, Blair County, Pennsylvania, where he spent much of his early life. He attended public schools in Boyertown, Berks County, and has resided in the Bux-Mont area for the past 35 years. He currently resides in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Tom earned a BA degree in History at The Kings College, NY, and 30+ Masters Degree credits in educational psychology at Temple University, Philadelphia.

For most of his life he has been an active athlete. College soccer, National Masters indoor sprint Bronze medal, Pennsylvania indoor sprint champion, Keystone Games medalist in field hockey and shooting. He was a Bronze Medalist at the Pan-American Games as a member of the US Olympic Field Hockey Team. Tom participated in the 2008 USA Olympic Pistol Shooting Trials and is preparing for the 2012 Olympic Shooting Trials.

Tom won high honors for physical training and the designation of Expert in all rifle and pistol competition during his military service. Selected for the elite Counter-Intelligence Corps (CIC). Tom served with a Top Secret clearance as a Special Agent.

Upon completion of his military service, and four years as a public school teacher, Tom started an advertising business that led to his founding of the Heritage Collectors’ Society, now located in Bucks County. As a nationally known historian, and one of America’s major dealers in original historic documents and artifacts, he is involved daily with the history of America. For over fifteen years he performed appraisals requested by the White House. He has frequently been interviewed and quoted by local and national media and was featured in two PBS television shows. Tom led the investigative research that discovered the previously unknown True Copy of the Original Declaration of Independence and the ‘Birth Certificate’ of the US Constitution.

Tom Lingenfelter has for the past 15 years challenged the political machines of both parties – in the courts, in the media and at the ballot box. Running against the party boss’s endorsement he twice won a GOP State Committee slot and garnered 40% in a GOP Congressional primary against an entrenched incumbent. Tom recently had an 89% primary victory over the Democrat party boss’s hand picked challenger and a 47% showing against the incumbent in the General election. Because of his “think for yourself” reputation Tom has a base of support in both major parties. “Running for office as an independent has given me the experience of real political freedom and a wider view of the possibilities.”

Tom believes that running and winning as an independent is the key to repairing what has become an “of the few, by the few, for the few,” broken political system. “I have learned in my venture into the ‘other world’ of politics that America is in the grip of a duopolistic political machine, controlling and devouring the Constitutional process. As a trained ‘cold war’ Intelligence Agent, I recognize in America’s political system, an insidious enemy threatening our basic principles of freedom. This evil system must be confronted. We must not be naïve or timid in this battle. We must take the offensive and compel responsibility and accountability by those entrusted with our government."