William Lloyd Harding | |
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| 22nd Governor of Iowa | |
| In office January 11, 1917 – January 13, 1921 | |
| Lieutenant | Ernest R. Moore |
| Preceded by | George W. Clarke |
| Succeeded by | Nathan E. Kendall |
| Lieutenant Governor of Iowa | |
| In office January 16, 1913 – January 11, 1917 | |
| Governor | George W. Clarke |
| Preceded by | George W. Clarke |
| Succeeded by | Ernest R. Moore |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1877-10-03)October 3, 1877 Sibley, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | December 17, 1934(1934-12-17) (aged 57) Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | University of South Dakota |
William Lloyd Harding (October 3, 1877 – December 17, 1934) was an American Republican politician. He was the22nd Governor of Iowa, from 1917 to 1921.
William Lloyd Harding, was born inSibley, Iowa, on October 3, 1877. He later lived inSioux City. From 1897 to 1901, he attendedMorningside College, and then went on to earn his law degree from theUniversity of South Dakota.[1]
Harding entered politics in 1906, serving as a Republican member of the Iowa House of Representatives, a position he held for six years.[1] He also served as Iowa's lieutenant governor from 1913 to 1917 during the terms of Republican governorGeorge W. Clarke. Harding won the 1916 Republican gubernatorial nomination and then won the election in a landslide (winning 98 of 99 counties.[2]) He was sworn into the governor's office on January 11, 1917.
Harding was reelected to a second term in 1918 and thus was governor during the four years which roughly coincided withWorld War I.[3] During that time, there were "defense councils" in every state,[4] following President Wilson's famous statement "the world must be made safe for democracy",[5] and "millions of men and women of German birth and native sympathy live amongst us....Should there be any disloyalty it will be dealt with a firm hand of repression."[5]
Harding was convinced that assimilation would heighten patriotism and felt there is a connection between communication and assimilation. He also claimed that any foreign language provided an opportunity for the enemy to scatter propaganda. Harding became the only governor in the United States to outlaw the public use of all foreign languages.[6] He addressed those issues in an edict whose title was theBabel Proclamation, which prohibited all public communication in any language other than English.[7] It forbade the use offoreign languages in public, over the telephone, in school, and in religious services. In response to complaints from pastors, Harding stated that "there is no use in anyone wasting his time praying in languages other than English. God is listening only to the English tongue."[8]
Harding's time in office was marred by scandal and controversy. His hostility towards immigrants and foreign ethnic groups extended beyond Germans and included Iowans ofNorwegian[9] and Danish[10] descent.
An investigation revealed an alleged bribe of $5,000 for the Governor's pardon of a felon convicted of rape. Several resignations resulted, and an impeachment proposal was initiated but denied. A censure motion was approved by a vote of 70-34. He did not run again in 1920.[11][12]
| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Republican nomineeGovernor of Iowa 1916,1918 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Lieutenant Governor of Iowa 1913–1917 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Iowa January 11, 1917 – January 13, 1921 | Succeeded by |
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| State(since 1846) | ||
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