John Pippy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John R. Pippy
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| Member of the Pennsylvania Senate from the 37th district |
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| In office March 24, 2003 – June 30, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Tim Murphy |
| Succeeded by | Matt Smith |
| Constituency | Parts of Allegheny and Washington Counties |
| Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from the 44th district |
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| In office January 7, 1997 – March 24, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Ronald Gamble |
| Succeeded by | Mark Mustio |
| Constituency | Part of Allegheny County |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 12, 1970 Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Katherine Pippy |
| Children | Katelyn, Reagan, and Sean Pippy |
| Residence | Peters Township |
| Alma mater | United States Military Academy |
| Profession | Environmental engineer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1992–present |
| Rank |  Major General |
| Unit | 1st Cavalry Division |
John Pippy was born on December 12, 1970, in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand. He is an American politician and a high-ranking military officer. He holds the rank of Major General. As a member of the Republican Party, he served in the government of Pennsylvania. He was part of the Pennsylvania State Senate from 2003 to 2012. Before that, he served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1997 to 2003.
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About John Pippy's Life
John Pippy was born on a United States Air Force Base in Thailand. His mother was from Thailand, and his father was in the United States Air Force. When he was one year old, his family moved to the United States. They first lived in public housing in Boston.
Pippy went to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He earned a degree in environmental engineering. This field focuses on protecting the environment.
After college, he served in the military with the 1st Cavalry Division. This unit was based in Fort Hood, Texas. Later, he joined the Pennsylvania National Guard. He is now a major general in the Guard. He returned to active duty in 2003-2004. This was during the Iraq War.
He lives in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Kathy. They have three children. His daughter, Katelyn, acted on the TV show Army Wives. She also played hockey for Cornell University.
John Pippy's Political Journey
John Pippy had an interesting career in politics. He served in both the state House and the state Senate in Pennsylvania.
Serving in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Pippy was first elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1996. This is where state laws are made. He won against Andrew McGraw.
Before the 1998 election, some people questioned if he lived in Pennsylvania long enough. This was because he had been on active military duty in Texas. He also had a Texas driver's license. However, a new law was passed that helped him. It allowed him to run for re-election.
Despite this challenge, Pippy won his re-election in 1998. He ran unopposed in 2000 and 2002. This means no one ran against him in those elections.
Serving in the Pennsylvania State Senate
In 2003, State Senator Tim Murphy left his seat. He went to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. John Pippy decided to run for Murphy's open seat.
Soon after he announced his plan, Pippy's military unit was called to active duty. This caused a problem because active-duty soldiers usually cannot be involved in politics. However, with help from others, he received special permission. This allowed him to stay on the ballot. He could not campaign for himself, though.
Pippy won the election with 67% of the votes. He was still with his military unit at the time. He got a special one-day pass to go to Harrisburg. There, he took his oath of office. Then, he had to return to his military duties right away.
Pippy came home from Iraq in January 2004. He then fully returned to his work in the Senate. Later that year, he ran for re-election and won again.
During his time in the Senate, Pippy held important roles. He was the Chairman of the Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee. He also led the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee. He was a member of several other committees too. These committees help make decisions about money, transportation, and other important topics.
He also served on advisory boards for Penn State Beaver and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. He was on the board for the Boy Scouts of America and the Heinz History Center.
Pippy left his state Senate seat on June 30, 2012. This was after the state budget was approved. Since then, he has been the President of the Pennsylvania Coal Association. In 2017, he earned a master's degree from the Army War College.
