Paul Popham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Graham Popham
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| Born | October 6, 1941 |
| Died | May 7, 1987 (aged 45) New York City, New York, U.S.
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| Cause of death | Complications arising from AIDS |
| Alma mater | Portland State University |
| Known for | AIDS activist, Vietnam War veteran |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |
 United States Army |
| Years of service | ?–1969 |
| Rank |  Major |
| Unit |
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| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards |  Bronze Star Medal |
Fifth Air Cavalry
Paul Graham Popham (born October 6, 1941 – died May 7, 1987) was an American activist who worked to support the rights of gay people. He helped start a group called the Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) and was its president from 1981 to 1985. He also helped create the AIDS Action Council, a group in Washington that worked to influence laws. Paul Popham was the inspiration for the character Bruce Niles in Larry Kramer's play The Normal Heart. This play was one of the first to talk about the HIV/AIDS crisis.
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Paul Popham's Story
Paul Popham was born in Emmett, Idaho. He later went to Portland State College in Oregon.
Military Service
Paul was a veteran of the Vietnam War. He was given the Bronze Star Medal in 1966 for his bravery. He served as a first lieutenant in the Fifth Air Cavalry. He left the army in 1969 as a major in the Special Forces.
Life After the Army
After his time in the army, Paul worked in banking on Wall Street for the Irving Trust Company. He became a vice president there before leaving in 1980. Then, he joined McGraw-Hill Inc. as a general manager.
Becoming an Activist
Paul Popham became active in helping others in 1981. This happened after he read a newspaper article about the AIDS epidemic. The article was called 'Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals' and was in The New York Times on July 3, 1981.
Paul was very dedicated to helping people during the AIDS crisis. He worked with groups all over the world. For example, when Gordon Price, who helped start AIDS Vancouver, asked for help, Paul traveled to Canada. This partnership led to the first AIDS Information Forum on March 12, 1983. Paul's ideas at this event were recorded on film. This was an important step in the early efforts to deal with the epidemic.
Richard D. Dunne, who was president of the Gay Men's Health Crisis when Paul died, said that Paul's past was very different from a typical gay activist. He said that only a big issue like AIDS could motivate people like Paul. Paul was diagnosed with AIDS in February 1985. He continued to work with GMHC until his illness became too serious.
Paul Popham's family included his mother, brother, two sisters, and his longtime partner, Richard DuLong.
The Normal Heart Play
Larry Kramer, who later left GMHC to start another group called ACT UP, often had disagreements with Paul Popham. Kramer wrote in his book Reports from the Holocaust that because of these disagreements, he made the characters in his play The Normal Heart a certain way. The main character, Ned Weeks (who was like Kramer), was shown as difficult. Bruce Niles (who was like Popham) was shown as a kind and strong leader. Kramer did this to make up for their arguments.
Many actors have played Bruce Niles in The Normal Heart:
- David Allen Brooks (The Public Theatre, 1985)
- Andrzej Szczytko (Polish Theatre in Poznań, 1987; Polish Television Theatre, 1989)
- Lee Pace (Golden Theatre, 2011)
- Taylor Kitsch (HBO television film, 2014)
