Ralph R. Harding

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.[1][2]

Ralph R. Harding
Harding in 1963
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Idaho's 2nd district
In office January 3, 1961 – January 3, 1965
Preceded by	Hamer Budge
Succeeded by	George Hansen
Member of the Idaho State Legislature
In office 1955–1956
Personal details
Born	September 9, 1929 Malad City, Idaho
Died	October 26, 2006 (aged 77) Blackfoot, Idaho
Resting place	Malad City Cemetery Malad City, Idaho
Nationality	United States
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Wilhelmina Conrad Harding (m.1954–2006, his death)
Children	2 sons, 3 daughters
Residence	Blackfoot
Profession	Agriculture, Accountant
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	U.S. Army
Years of service	1951–1953
Rank	Lieutenant
Battles/wars	Korean War

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.[3] In 1966, Harding won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, but was defeated by Republican incumbent Len Jordan in the general election.

U.S. House elections (Idaho's 2nd district): Results 1960–1964

Year		Democrat	Votes	Pct		Republican	Votes	Pct
1960		Ralph Harding	90,161	53.0%		Hamer Budge (inc.)	86,100	47.0%
1962		Ralph Harding (inc.)	83,152	52.8%		Orval Hansen	74,203	47.2%
1964		Ralph Harding (inc.)	84,022	47.8%		George Hansen	91,838	51.8%

U.S. Senate elections in Idaho (Class II): Results 1966

Year		Democrat	Votes	Pct		Republican	Votes	Pct
1966		Ralph Harding	112,637	44.6%		Len Jordan (inc.)	139,819	55.4%

Harding attempted to regain the 2nd district seat again in 1978, but lost the Democratic primary to Stan Kress.[4] 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.[5]

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 Killebrew-Thompson Memorial, formerly 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 at St. Luke's Mountain States Tumor Institute in Idaho and Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota.[2][6]

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress website http://bioguide.congress.gov.

1. "Obituary: Ralph Ray Harding". Deseret News. October 30, 2006. Retrieved March 3, 2013.
2. Cordes, Jeff (November 1, 2006). "Ralph Harding, driving force of the Thompson, dies at 77". Idaho Mountain Express. Retrieved July 29, 2013.
3. "Ralph Harding finishes tour". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. April 14, 1966. p. b3.
4. "Kress has rematch with George Hansen". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). Associated Press. August 9, 1978. p. 12A.
5. "Ralph R. Harding". Find A Grave. Retrieved September 25, 2012.
6. Cordes, Jeff (November 1, 2006) [August 23, 1984]. "Ralph Harding: back room maestro of the Thompson". Idaho Mountain Express. Retrieved July 29, 2013.

External links

• United States Congress. "Ralph R. Harding (id: H000191)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• UCSF Library – Harding biography, circa 1981, on Killebrew & Harding stationery
• Killebrew-Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament
• Political Graveyard – Ralph Harding
• Our Campaigns – Ralph R. Harding
• Ralph R. Harding at Find a Grave