(CNN) — Here’s a look at the life of former presidential candidate and US Representative Ron Paul.
Personal
Birth date: August 20, 1935
Birth place: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Birth name: Ronald Ernest Paul
Father: Howard Paul, dairy farmer
Mother: Margaret (Dumont) Paul, dairy farmer
Marriage: Carol (Wells) Paul (February 1, 1957-present)
Children: Ronald Jr., Lori, Rand, Robert and Joy
Education: Gettysburg College, B.A., Biology, 1957; Duke University Medical Center, M.D., 1961
Military Service: US Air Force, 1963-1965, Flight Surgeon; US Air National Guard, 1965-1968
Religion: Baptist
Other Facts
Practiced obstetrics and gynecology and has delivered more than 4,000 babies.
Never voted for legislation unless the proposed measure was expressly authorized by the Constitution; was known as “Dr. No” for this policy.
Voted against the Patriot Act.
Was the first representative in US history to serve alongside his child serving in the Senate. His son Rand Paul is a US senator from Kentucky.
Timeline
1961-1962 – Completes internship and residency training at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
1963-1965 – Flight surgeon in the US Air Force.
1965-1968 – Completes obstetrics and gynecology training at the University of Pittsburgh.
1965-1968 – Reservist in the US Air National Guard.
1975 – Runs for a seat in Congress representing the 22nd district of Texas. Paul loses to incumbent Robert Casey (D-Texas).
April 3, 1976-January 3, 1977 – Serves as a member of the US House of Representatives for Texas’ 22nd district, replacing Casey who is appointed to the Federal Maritime Commission.
November 1976 – Loses bid for reelection to Democrat Robert Gammage.
January 3, 1979-January 3, 1985 – Represents Texas’ 22nd District after beating Gammage in the 1978 election.
May 1983 – Loses primary to Representative Phil Gramm (R-Texas) for John Tower’s Senate seat.
November 8, 1988 – Unsuccessfully runs for president of the United States as the Libertarian Party candidate.
November 7, 1996 – Defeats Charles Morris and is elected to the US House of Representatives as a Republican for the 14th District of Texas.
January 7, 1997-January 3, 2013 – Represents Texas’ 14th District.
March 12, 2007 – Files a statement of candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission to run for president as a Republican, officially entering the race for the White House.
June 12, 2008 – Suspends his presidential campaign.
May 13, 2011 – Announces his run for the presidency in Exeter, New Hampshire.
July 12, 2011 – Paul announces he will not seek reelection for his Congressional seat in 2012.
May 14, 2012 – Paul ends active campaigning for the presidency.
January 3, 2013 – Retires from the US House of Representatives.
April 17, 2013 – Launches his foreign policy think tank, the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.
August 5, 2015 – Three of Paul’s aides from the 2012 presidential campaign are indicted for conspiring to pay an Iowa state senator $73,000 to secure his endorsement before the state held its caucuses. All three of the former aides are convicted in 2016.
September 25, 2020 – Is hospitalized after an apparent medical episode but is “doing fine,” according to a tweet posted to his Twitter account. Just prior to his hospitalization, Paul was seen visually slurring his words during a livestream on his YouTube channel “Ron Paul Liberty Report.” The video has since been removed.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.