[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.

[1] After his time in the United States Army, Popham worked as a banker on Wall Street for the Irving Trust Company, leaving as a vice president in 1980.

[2][5] Popham became politically active in 1981 after learning about the AIDS epidemic through a newspaper article titled 'Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals,' published in The New York Times on July 3, 1981.

[6][7] Paul Popham's commitment to addressing the AIDS crisis and his collaborative efforts with organizations worldwide exemplified his dedication to public health.

When Gordon Price, a co-founder of AIDS Vancouver, reached out, Popham promptly traveled across the country to the west coast of Canada to lend his expertise.