Otha Wearin
Otha Wearin | |
|---|---|
 Wearin c. 1929 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 7th district | |
| In office March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1939 | |
| Preceded by | Cassius C. Dowell |
| Succeeded by | Ben F. Jensen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 10, 1903 Hastings, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | April 3, 1990 (aged 87) Glenwood, Iowa, U.S. |
| Resting place | Malvern, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater | Grinnell College |
| Occupation | Writer, cattleman |
Otha Donner Wearin (January 10, 1903 – April 3, 1990) was an American writer and politician. Elected as the youngest member of President
Personal background
Wearin was born on a farm near Hastings, Iowa, in Mills County, and graduated from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. While returning to Mills County to farm, the reputation he developed as a writer helped to jump-start his political career. He travelled to Europe to inspect their farming methods, which he described in articles printed in rural Iowa newspapers[3] and published in his first book, "An Iowa Farmer Abroad." By age 25, a newspaper reported that he had already "gained prominence as a farm bureau speaker and writer in the past few years."[4] Later that year he was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives as a Democrat,[2] even though his home county was a traditional Republican stronghold and the influence of native-son presidential candidate Herbert Hoover at the top of the Republican ticket led to Republican gains throughout Iowa. He served two terms in the Iowa House, winning re-election in 1930.[5]
Congress
In 1932, he became the
Later election bids
In 1950, he made a second unsuccessful attempt to win the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. He finished a distant third in the primary, behind Al Loveland and
In 1969, after an
After politics
After the end of his active political career, Wearin raised purebred Angus cattle on the 1,000-acre (4.0 km2) family estate, "Nishna Vale," near Hastings. Despite deterioration of his eyesight, he wrote books and articles, studied Iowa history, and worked in conservation.[8]
As a writer of westerns, his books include Before the Colors Fade, (1971), Along Our Country Road, (1985), I Remember Yesteryear (1974), Heinhold's First and Last Chance Saloon: Jack London's Rendezvous (1974) and Grass Grown Trails (1981).[2] His writings were cited in his 1985 induction into the Cowboy Hall of Fame.[2] Outside of that genre, he wrote many other books, including Century on an Iowa Farm (1959), I Remember Hastings (1965), Political Americana (1967), Clarence Arthur Ellsworth,: Artist of the Old West, 1885-1964, (1967) Country Roads to Washington (1976), and Rhymes of a Plain Countryman (1980).
He died at Glenwood, Iowa and is buried at Malvern, Iowa.
References
- ^ Edward W. Pickard, "Otha Wearin Beaten," Boyden Reporter, 1938-06-16, at 2.
- ^ a b c d e Obituary, Otha D. Wearin; Politician and Writer, 87, New York Times, 1990-04-05.
- ^ "English Ford Owners Pay High for Luxury," Mason City Globe-Gazette, 1928-03-21, at 17.
- ^ "Three Congress Candidates Have No Rivals; Several Contests for Iowa Legislature Attract Attention," Waterloo Evening Courier, 1928-06-18, at 15.
- ^ a b Robert Hogan, "Wearin, Seeking Democratic Nod, Youngest Man in Race," Waterloo Daily Courier, 1950-05-21, at 3.
- ^ "Victory in Primary for Hickenlooper, Loveland," Oelwein Daily Register, 1950-06-06, at 1.
- ^ "Earl Bass is Winner," The Hamburg Reporter, 1969-11-20, at 1.
- ^ Guest Opinion, Des Moines Register, 1972-05-07, at 18-O.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
