▁a ▁former ▁baseball ▁player ▁and ▁then ▁manager ▁of ▁the ▁public ▁relations ▁department ▁at ▁Reyn olds ▁Elect rical ▁and ▁Engineering ▁Company ▁( REE CO ). ▁He ▁had ▁a ▁half - s ister ▁from ▁his ▁mother ' s ▁previous ▁marriage . ▁His ▁great - grand father , ▁Bernard ▁O ' R our ke , ▁was ▁an ▁Irish ▁Catholic ▁railway ▁worker ▁originally ▁from ▁Glen car , ▁County ▁Le it rim ▁and ▁natural ized ▁as ▁an ▁American ▁citiz en ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 8 . ▁His ▁first ▁name ▁on ▁his ▁birth ▁certificate ▁was ▁Pat ▁and ▁not ▁Patrick . ▁He ▁attended ▁Dav y ▁Cro cket ▁Element ary ▁School ▁and ▁Austin ▁High ▁School ▁before ▁gradu ating ▁from ▁New ▁Mexico ▁Military ▁Institute . ▁He ▁got ▁his ▁under grad uate ▁degree ▁at ▁Texas ▁Western ▁University ▁( now ▁University ▁of ▁Texas ▁at ▁El ▁Pas o ) ▁and ▁took ▁courses ▁at ▁the ▁business ▁school ▁of ▁U CLA . ▁ ▁Public ▁life ▁By ▁age ▁ 2 5 , ▁both ▁of ▁O ' R our ke ' s ▁parents ▁were ▁dece ased . ▁ ▁His ▁first ▁for ays ▁into ▁politics ▁were ▁greatly ▁a ided ▁by ▁his ▁uncle , ▁Raymond ▁O ' R our ke , ▁head ▁j ail er ▁for ▁El ▁Pas o ▁County ▁who ▁ultimately ▁held ▁that ▁position ▁for ▁ 3 0 ▁years . ▁ ▁His ▁uncle ' s ▁ins ights ▁and ▁connections ▁in ▁El ▁Pas o ▁politics ▁were ▁" t rem end ously ▁valuable " ▁for ▁Pat ▁O ' R our ke ' s ▁political ▁start . ▁▁ ▁O ' R our