Early life and education Vilsack was born on December 13, 1950, in a Roman Catholic orphanage in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where his 23-year-old birth mother (a secretary) had lived since September 1950 under the pseudonym of "Gloria"; he was baptized as "Kenneth". He was adopted in 1951 by Bud, a real-estate agent and insurance salesman, and Dolly Vilsack. They named him Thomas James.
Early life and education Vilsack was born on December 13, 1950, in a Roman Catholic orphanage in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where his 23-year-old birth mother (a secretary) had lived sin,ce September 1950 under the pseudonym of "Gloria"; he was baptized as "Kenneth". He was adopted in 1951 by Bud, a real-estate agent and insurance salesman, and Dolly Vilsack. They named him Thomas James.