Ben Sasse
A Republican senator turned university president who charted an independent path defined by intellectual conservatism and criticism of Trumpism.
Born 1972 (age 54)·American academic administrator and politician·Birthday: February 22·Generation X
Biography
Ben Sasse built a career at the intersection of academia and politics long before entering the Senate. With a PhD in history from Yale, he led Midland University in Nebraska, pulling it from the brink of financial collapse. His 2014 Senate campaign emphasized policy depth over personality, positioning him as a brainy reformer. In Washington, he became known for lengthy, philosophical floor speeches and a pointed critique of what he called the 'rage-addicted' culture of modern politics. His vote to convict Donald Trump in the second impeachment trial cemented his break with much of his party's base. Choosing institutional stewardship over electoral politics, he resigned in 2023 to become president of the University of Florida, aiming to reshape higher education with a focus on viewpoint diversity and civic mission.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Ben was born in 1972, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ben Was Born
The biggest hits of 1972
#1 Movie
The Godfather
Best Picture
The Godfather
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Ben's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1972Born
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1977Started school
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1985Became a teenager
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Could drive
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1990Could vote
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Turned 21
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Turned 30
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 40
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 50
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 54 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 2015 until his resignation in 2023.
- Was one of only seven Republican senators to vote to convict President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial.
- As president of Midland University, he rescued the institution from near-bankruptcy and significantly grew its enrollment.
- Authored the book 'The Vanishing American Adult,' examining the cultural forces delaying maturity in young Americans.
Did You Know?
He is a fifth-generation Nebraskan.
Sasse worked as a consultant for the Boston Consulting Group early in his career.
He briefly served as an assistant secretary in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President George W. Bush.
He and his wife homeschooled their three children for a period.
““Politics isn’t about the weird worship of one dude. The party can be rebuilt, but it’s going to have to be rebuilt from the precinct level up.””
