Herman Welker

Herman Welker ( born December 11, 1906 in Cambridge, Idaho, † October 30, 1957 in Bethesda, Maryland ) was an American politician ( Republican) and U.S. Senator for the state of Idaho.

Biography

Early life

Herman Welker was born as the youngest of seven children of John Thornton Welker and his wife Zelda (nee Shephard ). The Welker's were around 1900 drawn from the Guilford County in North Carolina to Idaho, where she managed a potato farm. After visiting the schools - including elementary school in Cambridge and the High School in Weiser - he made in 1929 at the University of Idaho with a degree in law.

Career

In 1928, while still a student, Welker was appointed coroner in Washington County; He was re- elected twice. 1936 Welker moved to Los Angeles, opened his own law firm and practiced there until 1943. As a soldier of the United States Army Air Forces Welker then moved into the Second World War and served until 1945.

He returned to Idaho and opened a law firm in 1946 in Payette. However, he closed it after only two years since he had decided to go into politics.

U.S. Senator

From 1949 to 1951 Welker was a member of the Senate from Idaho. In 1950 he ran for the office of U.S. Senator and won the election. Senator Welker was considered very conservative and can be numbered among the right wing of the Republican Party. As a close friend of Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, he supported this in his intention to pursue communism in the United States. For this procedure, the so-called McCarthy era Welker was popularly nicknamed " Little Joe from Idaho ."

Welker worked on numerous supervisory boards, Komiteen and committees. So he sat down for a Justice, supported agricultural projects and was involved in the postal system in the United States. In addition, Welker was a member of a Masonic Lodge and a member of Sigma Chi connection and Phi Alpha Delta.

Late life and death

After only one term as U.S. Senator Welker was voted out of office in 1956 because of its conservatism. The successor as senator joined in January 1957, the Democrat Frank Church. Welker settled in Boise and practiced as a lawyer again.

In the fall of 1957 Welker was suddenly taken ill. After a consultation at a hospital in Washington a brain tumor was diagnosed with Welker. On October 16, 1957, the surgery to remove the tumor was performed in a clinic in Bethesda; a second operation successes on 28 October 1957. died two days later, Herman Welker, at the age of 50 years, from the effects of the operations.

How unpopular was Welker's style as a senator, demonstrated by the fact that only about 150 people were present at his funeral at Arlington National Cemetery, which took place on November 1. He is survived by his wife, Gladys, whom he married in September 1930 and their daughter Nancy.