Harold L. Runnels
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew Mexico's2nd district
In office January 3, 1971 – August 5, 1980
Preceded by	Ed Foreman
Succeeded by	Joe Skeen
Member of theNew Mexico State Senate
In office 1960–1970
Personal details
Born	Harold Lowell Runnels (1924-03-17)March 17, 1924 Dallas,Texas, US
Died	August 5, 1980(1980-08-05) (aged 56) New York City, US
Resting place	Rest Haven Memorial Gardens inLovington, New Mexico, US
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Dorothy Runnels
Profession	Businessman
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army Air ForcesReserve
Years of service	December 1942 – July 1943
Rank	Private

Harold Lowell Runnels (March 17, 1924 – August 5, 1980) was an American businessman and politician who served five terms as aU.S. representative fromNew Mexico from 1971 to 1978.

Runnels attended Dallaspublic schools andCameron State Agricultural College (now Cemeron University) inLawton, Oklahoma.

He was employed by theFederal Bureau of Investigation inWashington, D.C., in 1942. From 1945 to 1951, Runnels was a manager for the Magnolia Amusement Co. inMagnolia, Arkansas. He moved toLovington, New Mexico, in 1951 and became a partner in Southland Supply Co., in 1952. In 1953 he formed Runnels Mud Co. and in 1964 RunCo Acidizing & Fracturing Co. In 1960, he was a founder of thePermian Basin Petroleum Association.

He served as a member of theNew Mexico Senate from 1960 to 1970, and as a delegate to New Mexico State Democratic conventions from 1960 to 1979.

Runnels was elected as aDemocrat to theNinety-second and to the four succeeding Congresses and served from January 3, 1971, until his death.

He died inNew York City on August 5, 1980, of respiratory failure while being treated for pleurisy and cancer.^[1] He was interred at Rest Haven Memorial Gardens in Lovington, New Mexico.

The Harold Runnels Papers (1971-1980) from his time in the U.S. Congress are held in the Special Collections of Eastern New Mexico University. Within the Golden Student Success Center is the Runnels Room, an art gallery name in Runnels' honor after a portion of his estate was bequeathed to the university].^[2]

His son,Mike Runnels, served asLieutenant Governor of New Mexico from 1983 to 1987.

• List of members of the United States Congress who died in office (1950–1999)

• United States Congress."Harold L. Runnels (id: R000510)".Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

 This article incorporatespublic domain material fromBiographical Directory of the United States Congress.Federal government of the United States.

• 1924 births
• 1980 deaths
• Federal Bureau of Investigation agents
• Law enforcement officials from Washington, D.C.
• Democratic Party New Mexico state senators
• Deaths from cancer in New York (state)
• Politicians from Dallas
• Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Mexico
• Deaths from respiratory failure in the United States
• People from Lovington, New Mexico
• United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
• United States Army Air Forces soldiers
• United States Army reservists
• Cameron University alumni
• 20th-century United States representatives
• 20th-century members of the New Mexico Legislature

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• Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress