Ralph R. Harding
Encyclopedia
Ralph R. Harding was a former congressman
from eastern Idaho
; he served two terms as a Democrat
from 1961-65.
Born in Malad City
, Harding graduated from Brigham Young University
in Provo
, Utah
, after serving in Korea
from 1951-53 in the U.S. Army
, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant
.
Harding served in the Idaho state legislature from 1955-56. He ran against Republican congressman Hamer Budge, a 10-year incumbent in Idaho's Second Congressional District
, in 1960. He pulled off an upset victory with 51.1 percent, winning by 4,000 votes. Harding was re-elected in 1962, but was one of the few incumbent Democrats in the U.S. House who did not get re-elected when President Lyndon B. Johnson
won in a landslide in 1964. Many attribute Harding's congressional defeat to a speech he made in the U. S. House of Representatives for criticizing LDS Apostle Ezra Taft Benson
for being a "spokesman for the radical right of this nation." Benson was Secretary of Agriculture for two terms during the Eisenhower administration. After he left the Department of Agriculture Benson vigorously supported the views of John Birch Society founder Robert Welch. In his book "The Patriot" Welch called Eisenhower a communist sympathizer. In a letter to Harding, Eisenhower thanked Harding for defending him against Welch's allegations. LDS members constituted a large portion of the population in Harding's Idaho Congressional District.
After his 1964 defeat, Harding served as special assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force. In 1966 Harding won the Democratic nomination for United States Senate
, but was defeated by Republican
incumbent Len Jordan
.
Harding attempted to regain the 2nd Congressional Seat again in 1978, but lost in the Democratic primary. He then worked on a variety of business ventures, including representing the Philippine
sugar
industry and attempting to launch an Asia
n version of the NBA
.
Harding died at age 77 in Blackfoot
. According to a news report in the Idaho Statesman
, a cause of death was not released by the hospital or family at the time of his passing.
He was buried in Malad City
.
Harding was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Harding and baseball
hall of famer Harmon Killebrew
co-founded the Danny Thompson
Memorial Golf Tournament in 1977. The tournament is held annually in Sun Valley
in late August to benefit leukemia
and cancer
research.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from eastern Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
; he served two terms as a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
from 1961-65.
Born in Malad City
Malad City, Idaho
For the Mumbai, India Suburb, see Malad .Malad City is the only city in and the county seat of Oneida County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 2,158 at the 2000 census....
, Harding graduated from Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
in Provo
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, after serving in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
from 1951-53 in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
.
Harding served in the Idaho state legislature from 1955-56. He ran against Republican congressman Hamer Budge, a 10-year incumbent in Idaho's Second Congressional District
Idaho's 2nd congressional district
Idaho's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Idaho. The district encompasses Eastern Idaho and the Magic Valley region of the state and other outlying areas, as well as a small portion of the Boise Metropolitan Area, including two-thirds of the city of Boise...
, in 1960. He pulled off an upset victory with 51.1 percent, winning by 4,000 votes. Harding was re-elected in 1962, but was one of the few incumbent Democrats in the U.S. House who did not get re-elected when President Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
won in a landslide in 1964. Many attribute Harding's congressional defeat to a speech he made in the U. S. House of Representatives for criticizing LDS Apostle Ezra Taft Benson
Ezra Taft Benson
Ezra Taft Benson was the thirteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1985 until his death and was United States Secretary of Agriculture for both terms of the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower.-Biography:Born on a farm in Whitney, Idaho, Benson was the oldest of...
for being a "spokesman for the radical right of this nation." Benson was Secretary of Agriculture for two terms during the Eisenhower administration. After he left the Department of Agriculture Benson vigorously supported the views of John Birch Society founder Robert Welch. In his book "The Patriot" Welch called Eisenhower a communist sympathizer. In a letter to Harding, Eisenhower thanked Harding for defending him against Welch's allegations. LDS members constituted a large portion of the population in Harding's Idaho Congressional District.
After his 1964 defeat, Harding served as special assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force. In 1966 Harding won the Democratic nomination for United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, but was defeated by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
incumbent Len Jordan
Leonard B. Jordan
Leonard Beck "Len" Jordan was the 23rd Governor of Idaho and United States Senator from Idaho.Jordan served in World War I as an Army officer. He was a sheep rancher in Hell's Canyon during the Great Depression...
.
Harding attempted to regain the 2nd Congressional Seat again in 1978, but lost in the Democratic primary. He then worked on a variety of business ventures, including representing the Philippine
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
industry and attempting to launch an Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n version of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
.
Harding died at age 77 in Blackfoot
Blackfoot, Idaho
Blackfoot is a city in Bingham County, Idaho, United States. The population was 10,419 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Bingham County. Blackfoot is self-designated the "Potato Capital of the World", because it claims to have the largest potato industry in the world...
. According to a news report in the Idaho Statesman
Idaho Statesman
The Idaho Statesman is a U.S. daily newspaper serving the Boise, Idaho metropolitan area. The paper has a circulation of 61,000 daily, 83,038 Sunday, and employs about 300 people. It is owned by The McClatchy Company....
, a cause of death was not released by the hospital or family at the time of his passing.
He was buried in Malad City
Malad City, Idaho
For the Mumbai, India Suburb, see Malad .Malad City is the only city in and the county seat of Oneida County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 2,158 at the 2000 census....
.
Harding was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Harding and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
hall of famer Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Killebrew
Harmon Clayton Killebrew , nicknamed "Killer" and "Hammerin' Harmon", was an American professional baseball first baseman, third baseman, and left fielder. During his 22-year career in Major League Baseball , he played for the Washington Senators, a team which later became the Minnesota Twins, and...
co-founded the Danny Thompson
Danny Thompson (baseball)
Danny Leon Thompson was a professional baseball player, a major league shortstop from 1970-76.Born in Wichita, Kansas, Thompson grew up in tiny Capron, Oklahoma, and played college baseball at Oklahoma State, where he was an All-American. He broke into the majors with the Minnesota Twins in 1970...
Memorial Golf Tournament in 1977. The tournament is held annually in Sun Valley
Sun Valley, Idaho
Sun Valley is a resort city in Blaine County in the central part of the U.S. state of Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum, lying within the greater Wood River valley. Tourists from around the world enjoy its skiing, hiking, ice skating, trail riding, tennis, and cycling. The population was 1,427...
in late August to benefit leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
and cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
research.
External links
- Idaho Mountain Express - Ralph Harding - 01-Nov-2006