Ronnie Flippo

Ronnie Gene Flippo (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.

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. After one term, he gave up his State House seat for a successful run for the Alabama Senate, serving from November 6, 1974 to November 1976.

Congress In 1976, incumbent congressman Robert E. Jones, Jr. retired. Flippo won the election on November 2, 1976. He developed a reputation as a conservative Democrat, supporting business interests and fiscally conservative budgets. In 1980, he addressed the Democratic National Convention, speaking about the role of the Democratic Party in the American South. The Act asserts United States title to certain abandoned shipwrecks located on or embedded in submerged lands under state jurisdiction, and transfers title to the respective state, thereby empowering states to manage these cultural and historical resources more efficiently, with the goal of preventing treasure hunters and salvagers from damaging them. President Ronald Reagan signed it into law on April 28, 1988.

Flippo served in the House until 1991. He did not seek re-election in 1990, but ran for Governor of Alabama. He was defeated in the Democratic primary, finishing fourth in a field led by eventual nominee Paul Hubbert, who lost the general election to Republican incumbent H. Guy Hunt.

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.

He currently resides in Florence, Alabama.