Warren G. Harding biography

Synopsis

Younger Years

Warren G. Harding was born on November 2, 1865, in Corsica, Ohio (now known as Blooming Grove). The son of two doctors, father George and mother Phoebe, Harding had four sisters and a brother. To many, including himself, Harding enjoyed an idyllic American childhood, growing up in a small town, attending a one-room school house, enjoying summers at the local creek and performing in the village band. All of these experiences later helped promote his political career.

At age 14, Harding attended Ohio Central College, where he edited the campus newspaper and became an accomplished public speaker. After graduation in 1882, he taught in a country school and sold insurance. That same year, he and two friends purchased the near defunct Marion Daily Star newspaper in Marion, Ohio. Under Harding's control, the paper struggled for a time, but later prospered, due in part to Harding's good-natured manner and strong sense of community. His 1891 marriage to Florence Kling de Wolfe, a wealthy divorcée with a keen business eye and ample financial resources, also helped the paper to prosper. Harding avoided printing stories critical of others and shared company profits with employees.

Early Political Career

In 1898, at his wife's urging, Warren G. Harding embarked on a political career. That year, he won a seat in the Ohio legislature, and subsequently served two terms. An unwavering conservative Republican with a vibrant speaking voice, Harding did favors for city bosses who, in turn, helped him advance in Ohio politics. In 1903, he became lieutenant governor; and served in that position for two years before returning to the newspaper business.

Though unsuccessful in a run for the governorship in 1910, Harding won election to the U.S. Senate four years later in a hard fought campaign. As senator, he actively supported business interests and advocated for protective tariffs. Like other Republicans at the time, he opposed Woodrow Wilson's "Fourteen Points" peace plan and supported prohibition. Although Harding held strong views on important issues of the time, he didn't often actively participate in the legislative process. According to his congressional voting record, he missed two-thirds of the votes held during his tenure as senator, including the vote on women's suffrage—a cause that he strongly supported.

Presidential Bid

In 1920, political insider and friend Harry Daugherty began to promote Warren G. Harding for the Republican presidential nomination. Daugherty believed that Harding "looked like a president." His upbringing was classically homegrown American.