Ralph Eugene Spelbring is a distinguished expert in the fields of chemistry and education. Drawing upon over 40 years of professional experience in his areas of interest, he served Whitehall Laboratories in Elkhart, Indiana, for much of his career. For nearly 20 years, between 1972 and 1991, he was a chemist, where he was noteworthy for analyzing raw materials and conducting quality control processes on the finished products. More recently, he served as a chemist with Apex Pharmaceutical in Elkhart from 1993 until his retirement in 1995.
Prior to embarking on his career in chemistry, Mr. Spelbring served as a chemistry teacher at LaSalle High School in South Bend, Indiana, and a teacher at Corydon High School. Following his retirement from his roles in the science industry, he was a substitute teacher in the states of Indiana and Michigan until easing into full retirement in 2007. However, always desiring to remain active in his life, Mr. Spelbring has served as a commercial delivery driver since 2011. In this role, he obtains and transports commercial vehicles to the east of the Mississippi River and Ontario, Canada.
Mr. Spelbring is supported by a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry, which he earned from DePauw University in 1967. Lending his expertise to the written word, as well, he has penned various letters to the editor for periodicals and magazines, such as Barron’s and the Chicago Tribune. Likewise, he has written prolifically for numerous newspapers in Indiana. Civically involved, Mr. Spelbring is a former member of the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Club of Michiana, with whom he served for 20 years and 30 years, respectively. Moreover, he is a past treasurer and vice president of the Elkhart Jaycees.
Outside of his work in the sciences and education, Mr. Spelbring was honored as a candidate for the United States House of Representatives in a myriad of districts in Indiana between 1986 and 2020. Notably, he was recognized as a Democratic candidate for the Elkhart County Council in both 2012 and 2018 and as a candidate for the Indiana General Assembly in 1982 and 1984. In his spare time, Mr. Spelbring enjoys bowling. He has bowled in over two dozen counties across the states of Ohio and Indiana.