Paul, Ron (1935-…), is an American politician and medical doctor. A member of the Republican Party, he represented a Texas district in the United States House of Representatives from 1997 to 2013. He also served in the House in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Paul ran unsuccessfully for the 2008 and 2012 Republican nominations for president. He developed a small yet passionate following during his national campaigns.
Ronald Ernest Paul was born on Aug. 20, 1935, in Pittsburgh. He graduated from Gettysburg College in 1957. He earned a medical degree from the Duke University Medical Center in 1961. From 1963 to 1965, Paul served as a flight surgeon in the U.S. Air Force. In 1968, Paul moved to Brazoria County, Texas, where he set up a private medical practice. He specialized in obstetrics and gynecology, branches of medicine that deal with women’s health.
Paul took political office in 1976, after winning a special election to the U.S. House. In 1978, Paul won a full term in the House. He served there from 1979 until 1985, when he returned to his medical practice. Paul was the Libertarian Party’s candidate for president in 1988. In 1996, Paul again won a seat in the House. He was reelected every two years through 2010.
As a congressman, Paul was an outspoken critic of the Federal Reserve System, the nation’s central banking system. He also supported efforts to reduce the national debt and criticized the federal government’s “war on drugs.” Paul served on the House Financial Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee. He did not seek reelection to the House in 2012.
Paul has written several books. They include Gold, Peace, and Prosperity (1981); Challenge to Liberty (1990); and Pillars of Prosperity (2008). He is the coauthor, with his son Rand, of Government Bullies: How Everyday Americans Are Being Harassed, Abused, and Imprisoned by the Feds (2012). Rand Paul has served as a U.S. senator since 2011.
