Herman Welker
| Herman Welker | |
|---|---|
 |
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United States Senator from Idaho |
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In office January 3, 1951 – January 3, 1957 |
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| Preceded by | Glen H. Taylor |
| Succeeded by | Frank Church |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Herman Orville Welker December 11, 1906 Cambridge, Idaho |
| Died | October 30, 1957 (aged 50) Bethesda, Maryland |
| Resting place |
Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia |
| Nationality | United States |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Gladys Taylor Pence Welker (1908–1991) (m. 1930–1957, his death) |
| Children | Nancy Welker (b. 1940) |
| Residence | Payette |
| Alma mater |
University of Idaho College of Law, LL.B. 1929 |
| Profession | Attorney |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States |
| Service/branch |
 U.S. Army Air Forces
|
| Years of service | 1943–44 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Herman Orville Welker (December 11, 1906 – October 30, 1957) was a politician from the state of Idaho. He was a member of the Idaho Republican Party and served one term in the United States Senate, from 1951 to 1957.
Born in Cambridge, Idaho, Welker was the youngest of seven children of John Thornton and Anna Zella Shepherd Welker, who had moved from North Carolina and started a potato farm. He was the grandson of Rev. George W. Welker of North Carolina. He attended grade school in Cambridge and high school in Weiser. After graduation from Weiser High School in 1924, Welker went north to Moscow to attend the University of Idaho, where he started off in a general studies program and was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He switched to the College of Law in 1926 and graduated with a LL.B. degree in 1929.
Welker passed the bar at age 21 and was elected as the prosecuting attorney for Washington County before he graduated. He was re-elected and served in that position from 1928 to 1936. Welker moved to Los Angeles in 1936 and had a private practice until 1943, when he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces and served until 1944. He returned to Idaho and practiced law at Payette until 1950 and was a member of the state senate from 1949 to 1951.
In Idaho in 1950, Welker ran for the U.S. Senate. He won the Republican primary over Congressman John C. Sanborn and defeated former Senator D. Worth Clark in the general election. He gained seats on several important committees, including the Armed Services and Judiciary Committees. He soon distinguished himself as one of the most conservative and anticommunist senators, becoming a leading member and spokesperson for the right wing of the Republican Party.
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