1. John Boehner was born on Nov. 17, 1949, in Cincinnati and was the second of 12 children. He's lived in southwest Ohio his whole life.
2. He attended Archbishop Moeller High School, where he played football under Gerry Faust, who later coached at Notre Dame.
3. He was the first in his family to attend college, working his way through as a janitor and graduating with a bachelor's degree in business from Xavier University in 1977.
4. After college, he worked for a plastics and packaging business called Nucite Sales. Boehner says he paid more in taxes than he earned his first year there, spurring him to become a Republican.
5. He began his career in politics as a Union Township trustee from 1982 to 1984. Later, from 1984 to 1990, he served as a representative in the Ohio state legislature.
6. He was elected to the U.S. House in 1990. In his first year, he and other freshman members of the "Gang of Seven" condemned House banking practices and congressional perks.
7. From 2001 to 2006, he was chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee, helping to enact the No Child Left Behind Act.
8. Before smoking was prohibited there, he was a regular presence at "Smoker's Alley" on Capitol Hill. His favorite cigarette is Barclays.
9. Boehner is an avid golfer and has a 7.9 handicap. He has been a member of Wetherington Golf and Country Club in West Chester, Ohio, and the Burning Tree Club in Bethesda, Md.
10. He and his wife, Debbie, have been married for 36 years. They have two daughters, Lindsay and Tricia.
- See photos of the last week of the healthcare debate.
Sources:
- Whorunsgov.com
- Washington Post
- johnboehner.house.gov
- Xavier University website
- Washingtonian, Politico
Reader Comments Read all comments (33)
baby food stages of AL 10:01PM October 05, 2011
Marc of SC 3:03AM November 05, 2010
Goldi Lox of SC 6:55PM November 03, 2010