Encyclopedia · Biography
John Boehner
American politician and U.S. House speaker (2011–2015)
Personal details
- Full name
- John Andrew Boehner
- Born
- November 17, 1949 · Ohio
- Parents
- Earl Henry Boehner; Mary Anne Hall Boehner
- Education
- Archbishop Moeller High School (1968); Xavier University, B.S. business administration (1977)
- Religion
- Roman Catholic
- Spouse
- Deborah Gunlack Boehner (m. 1973)
- Children
- Lindsay and Tricia
- Military
- Brief U.S. Navy service (1968); medical discharge
- Political party
- Republican
- Public offices
- U.S. House, Ohio (1991–2015); Speaker (2011–2015)
John Andrew Boehner (born 1949) is an American Republican politician and former business executive who served as speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015.
Family, school and business
Boehner was born in Ohio and was the second-oldest of twelve children. His parents were Earl Henry and Mary Anne Hall Boehner. He graduated from Archbishop Moeller High School in 1968, entered the Navy but received an early medical discharge, and earned a business degree at Xavier University in 1977 while working. He married Deborah Gunlack in 1973; they have two daughters. He worked for and later led Nucite Sales, a packaging and plastics distributor.
Political career
Boehner entered local office on the Union Township board of trustees in 1981 and served in the Ohio legislature before election to Congress in 1990. He chaired the House Republican Conference, became majority leader and minority leader, and served as Speaker of the House from January 2011 until October 2015.
Candidate training and professional activity
Before becoming a member of Congress, Boehner listened to candidate-training materials produced through Newt Gingrich’s GOPAC. The Library of Congress reports that he credited those recordings with encouraging his run. After Congress, he worked in an advisory capacity at Squire Patton Boggs. His receipt of training material is not evidence of a personal mentorship contract.
References
Research compiled through November 12, 2026. Sources and historical roles are dated where known.