Ronnie Gene Flippo/ˈflɪpoʊ/ (born August 15, 1937) is an American politician and accountant who served seven terms as a United States Congressman from Alabama from 1977 to 1991.
Early life and education
Flippo was born August 15, 1937, in Florence, Alabama, to Claude Nathaniel Flippo and Esther McAfee. Claude Flippo was killed in a construction accident in 1943.[4]
In 1955 Ronnie graduated from Coffee High School in Florence. After high school, he began work as an iron worker. In 1958, he married Faye Cooper, with whom he would have six children.[5]
Like his father, Ronnie suffered a significant construction accident, falling 55 feet while working at a Tennessee Valley Authority steam plant in 1961. He survived, but was hospitalized for more than a year with major injuries.[6]
Flippo worked as a CPA after graduating from college, eventually starting his own accounting firm in 1971. He also taught accounting at UNA prior to running for the state legislature.[7]
In 1976, incumbent congressman Robert E. Jones, Jr. retired, necessitating a special election to fill the vacancy. Flippo won the runoff on November 2, 1976. He developed a reputation as a conservative Democrat, supporting business interests and fiscally conservative budgets. In 1980, he addresses the Democratic National Convention, speaking about the role of the Democratic Party in the American South.[8]
During his tenure, he was a leader on tax reform issues, as well as the debate on the modernization of the Tennessee Valley Authority. He also led a successful three-year legislative battle to protect 28,000 acres in the Sipsey Wilderness Area within the Bankhead National Forest.[9]
He served in the House until 1991, when he retired from his seat to run for Governor of Alabama. He was defeated in his bid, finishing fourth in a field led by eventual winner Paul Hubbert.
Later career
After leaving politics, Flippo founded a private management consulting firm, R.G. Flippo & Associates. He served on several boards and governing bodies, including the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, the Alabama Commission on Infrastructure, and the University of North Alabama Foundation.[10]
