(born 1943) Newt Gingrich was elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives in 1995. His election capped a dramatic shift in American politics in which the Republican Party regained control of Congress for the first time in a generation. Gingrich is largely credited with formulating the “Contract with America,” a platform for conservative ideas such as support for welfare reform and cutting taxes, which became a Republican mantra.

Though named Time magazine’s 1995 Man of the Year, Gingrich found difficult the transition from opposition party member of Congress to congressional leader. Lacking the charisma of other politicians, Gingrich suffered from low ratings in national opinion polls. Weakened by a large fine for violations of ethics rules, he was almost removed from his leadership position in 1997, and then resigned a year later after the Republican Party’s poor showing in mid-term elections.

First elected to the Congress in 1978, Gingrich previously taught history at West Georgia College after receiving his PhD from Tulane University In his years before winning the Speakership, Gingrich was known for his effective use of television to reach Republican activists and rebuke the Democratic Party. His fierce partisanship earned him regular challengers to his seat in Congress from suburban Atlanta, GA. Gingrich’s enthusiasm for technological solutions to complex human problems earned him derision—for example his recommendation for giving poor people laptop computers as a way to improve their conditions. He is the author of four books, including To Renew America (1995) which lays out his political vision.