William H. Harrison (Wyoming Congressman)

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William Henry Harrison (August 10, 1896–October 8, 1990) was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. representative from Wyoming.

[edit] Early life

Harrison was born in Terre Haute, Indiana, and attended the public schools of Omaha, Nebraska, and Washington, D.C. During the First World War he served in the United States Army as a private in the Signal Enlisted Air Corps. He went to the College of Agriculture at the University of Nebraska in 1919 and 1920. He was admitted to the Indiana bar in 1925 and practiced in Indianapolis between 1925 and 1936.

[edit] Political career

Harrison served as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives from 1927 to 1929. He later moved to Wyoming and was admitted to the Wyoming bar in 1937. He practiced in Sheridan, Wyoming and later served as a member of the Wyoming house of representatives between 1945 and 1950. He served as the secretary to the Wyoming Interim Committee from 1947 to 1950.

Later, he was elected as a Republican to the House of Representatives and served between 1951 and 1955. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1954, but ran for the Senate for the open seat vacated by the retirement of Edward D. Crippa. He lost the election to Joseph C. O'Mahoney. After that, he served as the regional administrator of the Housing and Home Finance Agency from 1955 to 1956 and as liaison officer, Housing and Home Finance Agency from 1957 to 1958. He was returned to Congress in 1960 and served between 1961 and 1965. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1964, among dozens of Republican members swept out of office in the Lyndon B. Johnson-Hubert H. Humphrey landslide election.

Despite his defeat, he ran again and was elected to the Ninetieth Congress, and served between 1967 and 1969. He was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1968. He was appointed by President Richard Nixon as a member to the Renegotiation Board of the United States on July 23, 1969, and served until 1971.

After he retired, he lived in North Redington Beach, Florida, until his death in St. Petersburg.

[edit] Trivia

• Many of his family members were politicians as well. His great-great-great grandfather, Benjamin Harrison V, signed the United States Declaration of Independence, his great-great-grandfather, William Henry Harrison, served as the 9th President, and his grandfather, Benjamin Harrison, served as the 23rd President. His other grandfather was Alvin Saunders, United States Senator from Nebraska.

This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.