Ralph R. Harding

{{Short description|American politician (1929–2006)}} {{more citations needed|date=March 2013}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Ralph R. Harding | image = Ralph R. Harding.jpg | caption = Harding in 1963 | state1 = Idaho | district1 = 2nd | term_start1 = January 3, 1961 | term_end1 = January 3, 1965 | preceded1 = Hamer Budge | succeeded1 = George Hansen | office2 = Member of the Idaho State Legislature | term2 = 1955–1956 | birth_date = {{birth date|1929|9|9|mf=y}} | birth_place = Malad City, Idaho, US | death_date = {{death date and age|2006|10|26|1929|9|9}} | death_place = Blackfoot, Idaho, US | resting_place = Malad City Cemetery<br>Malad City, Idaho | spouse = Wilhelmina Conrad Harding<br>(m.1954–2006, his death) | children = 2 sons, 3 daughters | profession = Agriculture, Accountant | party = Democratic | allegiance = United States | branch = U.S. Army | rank = Lieutenant | unit = | battles = Korean War | service_years = 1951–1953 }}

'''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.<ref name=obitrrh06>{{cite news|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1090929/Obituary-Ralph-Ray-Harding.html?pg=all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131021181115/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1090929/Obituary-Ralph-Ray-Harding.html?pg=all |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 21, 2013 |newspaper=Deseret News|title=Obituary: Ralph Ray Harding|date=October 30, 2006|access-date=March 3, 2013}}</ref><ref name=rhdfott>{{cite news|url=http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?issue_date=11-01-2006&ID=2005112973#.UfbSBy7n-M8 |newspaper=Idaho Mountain Express |last=Cordes |first=Jeff |title=Ralph Harding, driving force of the Thompson, dies at 77 |date=November 1, 2006 |access-date=July 29, 2013}}</ref>

==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 loss 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"; Harding's congressional district was home to a large LDS population.

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, Eisenhower thanked Harding for defending him against Welch's allegations.

After his 1964 defeat, Harding served as special assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force.<ref name=rhft>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0rszAAAAIBAJ&sjid=qPcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7230%2C4196895 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |agency=Associated Press |title=Ralph Harding finishes tour|date=April 14, 1966|page=b3}}</ref> In 1966, Harding won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, but was defeated by Republican incumbent Len Jordan in the general election.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%" |+ U.S. House elections (Idaho's 2nd district): Results 1960–1964 !|Year ! !|Democrat !|Votes !|Pct ! !|Republican !|Votes !|Pct |- |1960 | |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |'''Ralph Harding''' |{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |90,161 |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |53.0% | |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Hamer Budge (inc.) |{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |86,100 |{{Party shading/Republican}} |47.0% |- |1962 | |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |'''Ralph Harding''' (inc.) |{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |83,152 |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |52.8% | |{{Party shading/Republican}} |Orval Hansen |{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |74,203 |{{Party shading/Republican}} |47.2% |- |1964 | |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Ralph Harding (inc.) |{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |84,022 |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |47.8% | |{{Party shading/Republican}} |'''George Hansen''' |{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |91,838 |{{Party shading/Republican}} |51.8% |}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%" |+ U.S. Senate elections in Idaho (Class II): Results 1966 !|Year ! !|Democrat !|Votes !|Pct ! !|Republican !|Votes !|Pct |- |1966 | |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |Ralph Harding |{{Party shading/Democratic}} align="right" |112,637 |{{Party shading/Democratic}} |44.6% | |{{Party shading/Republican}} |'''Len Jordan''' (inc.) |{{Party shading/Republican}} align="right" |139,819 |{{Party shading/Republican}} |55.4% |} <br> Harding attempted to regain the 2nd district seat again in 1978, but lost the Democratic primary to Stan Kress.<ref name=krharem>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5cVeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CDIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5426%2C3294223 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=Idaho |agency=Associated Press |title=Kress has rematch with George Hansen |date=August 9, 1978 |page=12A}}</ref> 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. Harding was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and is interred at Malad City Cemetery in Malad City.

In 1977, Harding and baseball hall of famer Harmon Killebrew of Payette co-founded the Danny Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament.<ref name=kpscg>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mKcqAAAAIBAJ&sjid=GFwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4517%2C3323808 |newspaper=Deseret News |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |agency=Associated Press |title=Killebrew plans 2nd charity golf |date=July 13, 1978 |page=B13}}</ref><ref name=hk79t3>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7PdLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vu4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4896%2C1045944 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Harmon Killebrew sponsors tourney |date=August 2, 1979 |page=26 }}</ref><ref name=htemstrs>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=niJTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JYMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6576%2C1679257 |newspaper=Deseret News |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |agency=Associated Press |title=Still hitting 'em straight - sometimes |last=Benson |first=Lee |date=August 22, 1980 |page=4B}}</ref> The first edition included former President Gerald Ford, Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill, and Hall of Fame slugger Mickey Mantle.<ref name=fpbgrev>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AS8PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZoUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3412%2C4218455 |newspaper=Victoria Advocate |location= Texas |agency=Associated Press |title=Ford plays best golf round ever |date=August 21, 1977 |page=3C }}</ref><ref name=ftaposlc>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=k2VTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nYUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6905%2C5275887 |newspaper=Deseret News |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |last=Miller |first=Hack |title=Ford takes a payoff|date=August 20, 1977 |page=6A }}</ref><ref name=lted77>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9flLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8PgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2399%2C23318 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |agency=(letter) |last1=Killebrew |first1=Harmon |last2=Harding |first2=Ralph |title=Charity golfers drawing thanks |date=September 1, 1977 |page=4 }}</ref> Now the Killebrew–Thompson Memorial, the event 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 at the University of Minnesota.<ref name=rhdfott/><ref name=rhbrmae>{{cite news|url=http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005112975#.UfbVLC7n-M8|newspaper=Idaho Mountain Express |location=Ketchum|last=Cordes |first=Jeff |title=Ralph Harding: back room maestro of the Thompson |date=November 1, 2006|orig-year=August 23, 1984 |access-date=July 29, 2013}}</ref>

== References == {{Bioguide}} {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{CongBio|H000191}} * [http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/documentStore/d/y/f/dyf16b00/Sdyf16b00.pdf UCSF Library] – Harding biography, circa 1981, on Killebrew & Harding stationery * [http://www.killebrewthompsonmemorial.com/ Killebrew-Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament]  *[http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/harding.html#829.19.48 Political Graveyard] – Ralph Harding *[http://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=8406&WhenStart=2005-02-12+17%3A21%3A32 Our Campaigns] – Ralph R. Harding *{{Find a Grave|16338428}}

{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-hs}} {{succession box | title=United States House of Representatives, Idaho Second Congressional District | before=Hamer Budge | years=January 3, 1961–January 4, 1965 | after=George Hansen }} {{s-ppo}} {{succession box | title=Democratic Party nominee, U.S. Senator (Class 2) from Idaho | before=Gracie Pfost | after=William E. Davis | years=1966 (lost) }} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harding, Ralph R.}} Category:1929 births Category:2006 deaths Category:Latter Day Saints from Idaho Category:Brigham Young University alumni Category:Democratic Party United States representatives from Idaho Category:People from Malad City, Idaho Category:People from Blackfoot, Idaho Category:20th-century United States representatives Category:20th-century members of the Idaho Legislature