John Harper (politician)
| John R. Harper | |
|---|---|
| Kentucky State Representative from District 49 (suburban Bullitt County) | |
|
In office January 1, 1985 – December 31, 1994 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 3, 1930 Park Ridge, Cook County Illinois, USA |
| Died | June 15, 2001 (aged 71) Louisville, Kentucky |
| Resting place | Resthaven Memorial Park in Shepherdsville, Kentucky |
| Political party | Gubernatorial nominee, 1987 |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Catherine Wigginton Harper |
| Children |
I. W. Harper (deceased) |
| Residence | Shepherdsville Bullitt County, Kentucky |
| Alma mater | Louisville Male High School |
| Profession | Engineer; Inventor |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Air Force |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
I. W. Harper (deceased)
Alex Harper
John R. Harper (May 3, 1930 - June 15, 2001) was a five-term member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from Bullitt County and the 1987 Republican nominee for governor of Kentucky. Harper agreed to run for governor after the expected choice of party leaders, Lexington attorney Larry Forgy, surprisingly dropped out of the race because of fundraising problems. Harper lost to Democrat Wallace G. Wilkinson in a record landslide. Wilkinson carried 115 of Kentucky's 120 counties and won 504,367 votes (64.9 percent) to Harper's 273,035 (35.1 percent). Of the five counties Harper carried, one was his home county of Bullitt, and another was Wilkinson's county of residence, Fayette.
A son of David Harper and the former Frances Freeland, John Harper was a native of the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, Illinois. The family subsequently moved to Louisville, where John Harper graduated from Louisville Male High School and was later named to the school's Hall of Fame. Harper was thereafter self-educated as an engineer and inventor, having held twenty-five patents. He served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War. Harper and his wife, the former Mary Catherine Wigginton, had three sons, the late I. W. Harper, Alex Harper, and David Harper.
...
Wikipedia