[1] Gaum was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, part of the Whitney Pier Jewish community which arose mainly from immigration from eastern European countries in the early 1900s.
He was one of a number of descendants of those immigrants who rose to positions of prominence in a variety of professional and business fields.
[4] Gaum entered provincial politics in the 1956 election, winning the new riding of Cape Breton Nova.
[8] On July 16, 1968, Gaum was appointed to the Executive Council of Nova Scotia as Minister of Public Welfare.
[3][9] Gaum was defeated when he ran for re-election in 1970, losing to New Democrat Paul MacEwan by 61 votes.