Ron Wyden Born in Wichita

Summary

Ronald Lee Wyden was born on May 3, 1949, in Wichita, Kansas. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara before transferring to Stanford University, where he earned a bachelor's degree, and later received a law degree from the University of Oregon. Wyden worked on issues affecting older Americans and co-founded the Oregon chapter of the Gray Panthers before entering electoral politics. He won election to the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon in 1980 and served there until winning a 1996 special election to the United States Senate. Over his long Senate career, Wyden became especially associated with tax policy, health care, energy, privacy, technology, trade, and government surveillance. He chaired the Senate Finance Committee during Democratic majorities and has held senior positions on several other committees. His continued Senate service has made him one of Oregon's longest-serving federal elected officials.