C. Harding Walker | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Walker,c. 1912 | |
| President pro tempore of theSenate of Virginia | |
| In office January 13, 1915 – January 14, 1920 | |
| Preceded by | Edward Echols |
| Succeeded by | Saxon W. Holt |
| Member of theVirginia Senate from the34th district | |
| In office December 6, 1899 – January 14, 1920 | |
| Preceded by | John E. Mason |
| Succeeded by | Thomas J. Downing |
| Member of theVirginia House of Delegates forNorthumberland andWestmoreland | |
| In office December 1, 1897 – December 6, 1899 | |
| Preceded by | Malcolm A. Coles |
| Succeeded by | George J. Gouldman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cyrus Harding Walker (1859-01-27)January 27, 1859 Northumberland,Virginia,U.S. |
| Died | February 23, 1934(1934-02-23) (aged 75) Heathsville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mary Rosa Starke |
| Alma mater | University of Virginia |
Cyrus Harding Walker (January 27, 1859 – February 23, 1934) was an American lawyer andDemocratic politician. First elected to theVirginia Senate in 1898 after a brief stint in theHouse of Delegates, he went on to serve in this body for the next two decades. For the last five years of his tenure as the34th district's senator, he was thePresident pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia.
Walker was born inNorthumberland County, Virginia on January 27, 1859. He was the third child of William Wright Walker, an attorney, and Clara Rebecca Walker (née Harding). He received a law degree from theUniversity of Virginia; while there, he was a member of the Eta chapter of thePhi Kappa Sigma fraternity. Remaining active in the affairs of the school up until his death, he served on its Board of Visitors from 1917 to 1934 and as therector from 1922 to 1930.
From 1883 to 1893, after graduating from law school, Walker taught atDavis Military School inNorth Carolina.
After being elected on theDemocratic ticket in 1897 to theVirginia House of Delegates, Walker served one full two-year term, representingNorthumberland andWestmoreland counties. As was typical in the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, the Democrats had an overwhelming majority in the state's legislature.
In 1898, Harding was elected to theVirginia Senate for the34th district, which was then composed ofKing George,Richmond, Westmoreland, Northumberland, andLancaster. By then a leader in local politics, he was elected to participate in the1901-1902 Virginia Constitutional Convention. With the death of formerlieutenant governor and then-senior senatorEdward Echols, the office ofPresident pro tempore was vacant. Walker was elected by his peers to take Echols's place.
Walker married Mary Rosa Starke in 1887. The couple had two sons, Henry and George, and one daughter, Marie. Their historic home,Oakley, inHeathsville is on theNational Register of Historic Places.
| Virginia House of Delegates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Virginia Delegate forNorthumberland andWestmoreland 1897–1899 | Succeeded by |
| Senate of Virginia | ||
| Preceded by | Virginia Senator for the 34th District 1899–1920 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President pro tempore of the Senate of Virginia 1915–1920 | Succeeded by |