Preceded by Hamer Budge Name Ralph Harding Battles and wars Korean War Children 2 sons, 3 daughters Succeeded by George V. Hansen | Political party Democratic Party Democratic Party Nationality United States | |
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Born September 9, 1929
Malad City, Idaho ( 1929-09-09 ) Resting place Malad City Cemetery
Malad City, Idaho Spouse(s) Wilhelmina Conrad Harding
(m.1954–2006, his death) Died October 26, 2006, Blackfoot, Idaho, United States Residence Blackfoot, Idaho, United States | ||
Education Brigham Young University | ||
Ralph R. Harding (September 9, 1929 – October 26, 2006) was a former congressman from eastern Idaho; he served two terms as a Democrat from 1961 to 1965.
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Early life
Born in Malad City, Idaho, Harding served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for two years. He graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah in 1956, after serving in Korea from 1951 to 1953 in the U.S. Army, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant.
Career
Harding served in the Idaho state legislature from 1955 to 1956. He ran against Republican congressman Hamer Budge, a ten-year incumbent in Idaho's 2nd district in 1960. Harding pulled off an upset victory with 51.1 percent, winning by 4,000 votes. He was re-elected in 1962, but was one of the few incumbent Democrats in the U.S. House who lost to Republican challengers even as 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 the U.S. Senate, but was defeated by Republican incumbent Len Jordan in the general election.
Harding attempted to regain the 2nd district 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 Asian version of the NBA.
Death and legacy
Harding died at the age of seventy-seven 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 death. He is interred at Malad City Cemetery 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 of Payette 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.