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Philip Ruppe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Philip Edward Ruppe
Ruppe in 1975
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Michigan's 11th district
In office
January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1979
Preceded byRaymond F. Clevenger
Succeeded byBob Davis
Personal details
Born (1926-09-29) September 29, 1926 (age 98)
Laurium, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
(m. 1957; died 1996)
Children5
Alma materCentral Michigan University
University of Michigan
Military service
Branch/service United States Navy
RankLieutenant
Battles/warsKorean War

Philip Edward Ruppe (born September 29, 1926) is an American retired politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1967 to 1979 before running, unsuccessfully for the United States Senate in 1982. He is a Korean War veteran, having served as a lieutenant in the United States Navy. After leaving the U.S. House, Ruppe became active in business before running for election, without success, to the 103rd Congress.

Biography

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Ruppe was born in the town of Laurium, Michigan, and graduated from high school in 1944. He is of Slovak and Slovenian descent. He attended the V-12 Navy College Training Program at Central Michigan University and University of Michigan, 1944–1946 and graduated from Yale University in 1948. He served in United States Navy during the Korean War as a lieutenant. He then served as director of Houghton National Bank, Commercial National Bank of L’Anse and R.L. Polk and Co.

Political activity

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In 1966, Ruppe was the Republican candidate for the United States House of Representatives from Michigan's 11th congressional district. He defeated incumbent Democratic Raymond F. Clevenger, one of the "Five Fluke Freshmen", to be elected to the 90th Congress and was subsequently re-elected to the next five Congresses, serving from January 3, 1967, to January 3, 1979. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1978 to the 96th Congress. Republican Bob Davis from St. Ignace won election succeeding him in the district.

Post-political career and personal life

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After leaving Congress, Ruppe was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate in 1982 against Donald Riegle. He served as president of Woodlak Company to 1986.

After a decade out of politics, Ruppe sought to retake his old district, now renumbered as the 1st District. He lost to former state representative Bart Stupak.

His wife, Loret Miller Ruppe, who he married in 1957, was a Presidential Elector for Michigan in 1980, Director of the Peace Corps from 1981 to 1989, and U.S. Ambassador to Norway from 1989 to 1993. She died in 1996; they had five children.

Ruppe is a member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Rotary International and currently resides in Bethesda, Maryland.

References

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  • United States Congress. "Philip Ruppe (id: R000512)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
  • The Political Graveyard
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by United States Representative for the 11th Congressional District of Michigan
1967–1979
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for United States Senator from Michigan
(Class 1)

1982
Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Representative Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Representative
Succeeded byas Former US Representative