Paul Ryan Elected Speaker of the House of Representatives

Paul Ryan (Miami University 1992) has been elected Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. A member of Congress since 1999, Rep. Ryan is the second Delt to serve as Speaker of the House and first since James B. (Champ) Clark (Bethany College 1873) of Missouri from 1911-1919.

Ryan, 45, was the second youngest member of the House of Representatives when he assumed office representing the First District of Wisconsin. He is the first speaker born after 1950, the youngest since Joseph W. Keifer of Ohio in 1883, and the first representing Wisconsin. Ryan is a native of Janesville, Wis., and resides there with his wife, Janna, and their three children.

His nine-term Congressional career includes stints as chairman of the House Budget Committee and most recently as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. He has introduced more than 70 bills during this tenure. Those include the original submission of the College Housing and Infrastructure Act in 2003 aimed at providing tax parity for non-profit college housing.

He was the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2012, running with Mitt Romney unsuccessfully against President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

Ryan was presented the Fraternity’s Alumni Achievement Award at the 2004 Karnea in Denver.