Philip Ruppe

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

Biography

Ruppe was born in the small 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

In 1966, Ruppe was the Republican Party candidate for the United States House of Representatives from Michigan's 11th congressional district. He defeated incumbent Democratic Party member Raymond F. Clevenger, one of the "Five Fluke Freshmen", to be elected to the 90th United States 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 the town of St. Ignace, Michigan won election succeeding him in the district.

Post-political career and personal life

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 Michigan's 1st congressional district. He lost to former Michigan House of Representatives member Bart Stupak.

Ruppe married his first wife, Loret Miller Ruppe, in 1957 and they had five daughters. Loret was a member of the United States Electoral College for Michigan in 1980, Director of the Peace Corps from 1981 to 1989, and U.S. Ambassador to Norway from 1989 to 1993. After her death on August 6, 1996, he then married his second wife, Ann Hammond Boutell of Palm Beach, Florida in 2000, who had three children from her previous marriage to Wilbur Boutell, who died in 1998. They spent 22 years between his residence in Bethesda and her residence in Palm Beach. Ann Boutell Ruppe died on December 25, 2022.

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

References

• The Political Graveyard