American Decades
Gingrich, Newt 1943-
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE (1979-1998);SPEAKER (1995-1998)
Background.
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on 17 June 1943 and spent most of his childhood years with extended family, or in following his stepfather to military postings in Europe. He learned the pleasures of reading early, and his years overseas influenced his interest in European history and led to his determination to be involved in politics. He graduated from Emory University (1965) and earned his Masters (1968) and Ph.D. (1971) degrees from Tulane University. Beginning in 1970 he served as an assistant professor of history at West Georgia College. While he was a popular teacher, he did not envisage a long career as an obscure academic and, instead, got involved in politics. After unsuccessful runs for a seat in Congress in 1974 and 1976, he was finally elected in 1978 after dropping his previous commitment to environmentalism and...
[The entire page is 1519 words long]
1990's Government and Politics
