Paul Popham
Paul Graham Popham | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 6, 1941 |
| Died | May 7, 1987 (aged 45)[1] |
| Cause of death | Complications arising from AIDS[1] |
| Known for | AIDS activist, Vietnam War veteran |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | ?–1969 |
| Rank |  Major |
| Unit | |
| Battles / wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards |  Bronze Star Medal |
Paul Graham Popham (1941-1987) was an American gay rights activist who was a founder of the Gay Men's Health Crisis and served as its president from 1981 until 1985.[3][4][5] He also helped found and was chairman of the AIDS Action Council, a lobbying organization in Washington.[1] He was the basis for the character of Bruce Niles in Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart, which was one of the first plays to address the HIV/AIDS crisis.[4]
Life and career
Popham was born in Emmett, Idaho, and graduated from Portland State College, Oregon.[1]
He was a Vietnam War veteran who was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for valor in 1966, serving as a first lieutenant in the Fifth Air Cavalry. He retired in 1969 as a Special Forces major in the United States Army Reserve.[1]
After his time in the army, Popham worked as a banker on Wall Street for the Irving Trust Company, leaving as a vice president in 1980.[1][4] Thereafter, he joined McGraw-Hill Inc. as a general manager.[1][2][4]
Popham didn't become politically active until reading a newspaper article in 1981 about the disease that became known as AIDS. Richard D. Dunne, president of the Gay Men's Health Crisis at the time of Popham's death said: "His history had been quite the opposite from a gay activist. It was only an issue like AIDS that galvanized people like Paul."[1] Popham was diagnosed with AIDS in February 1985 and remained active with GMHC until his illness became too severe.[3][4]
Larry Kramer, who later left GMHC to found ACT UP, frequently fought with Popham.[4] Kramer wrote in Reports from the Holocaust that, as a result, when writing the roman à clef play The Normal Heart, Kramer made the protagonist Ned Weeks (the cypher for himself) be obnoxious and Bruce Niles (the cypher for Popham) be a clearly sympathetic leader, by way of contrition.[4] On his deathbed, Popham repeated to Kramer on the phone, "keep fighting, keep fighting, keep fighting".[4] He was survived by his mother, brother, two sisters and his longtime partner Richard DuLong.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rosentham, Andrew (May 8, 1987). "Paul Popham, 45, a founder of AIDS organization, dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
- ^ a b "Paul Popham, AIDS activist". Los Angeles Times. May 9, 1987. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
- ^ a b "Gay Men's Health Crisis records". New York Public Library. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "The Normal Heart study guide" (PDF). TimeLine Theatre. 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
- ^ Graham, Jeff (January–February 2006). "25 years of AIDS and HIV: A look back — 1981–1986: In the Beginning..." The Body. Retrieved July 20, 2014.