Harold Earthman

{{infobox officeholder

| name = Harold Earthman

| image = Harold_Earthman.jpg

| image_size =

| caption =

| state = Tennessee

| district = {{ushr|TN|5|5th}}

| term_start = January 3, 1945

| term_end = January 3, 1947

| predecessor = Jim Nance McCord

| successor = Joe L. Evins

| office1 = Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives

| term_start1 = 1931

| term_end1 = 1932

| predecessor1 =

| successor1 =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1900|4|13}}

| birth_place = Murfreesboro, Tennessee, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1987|2|26|1900|4|13}}

| death_place = Murfreesboro, Tennessee, U.S.

| party = Democratic

| father = Vernon King Earthman

| mother = Virginia May Henderson

| spouse = {{marriage|Mary Wilson Moore|1920}}

| children = 4

| relatives =

| alma_mater = Southern Methodist University
University of Texas at Austin
Cumberland School of Law (LLB)

| occupation = {{Hlist|Lawyer|politician}}

| allegiance = United States

| branch = United States Army

| branch_label = Branch

| unit = Student Army Training Corps

| serviceyears =

| rank = Private

| battles = World War I

| battles_label = Conflict

}}

Harold Henderson "Doc" Earthman (April 13, 1900 – February 26, 1987) was an American politician and a U.S. Representative from Tennessee.

Biography

Born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Earthman was the son of Vernon King Earthman, a physician, and his wife Virginia May Henderson Earthman.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QzsVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA2295 |title=A History of Tennessee and Tennesseans: The Leaders and Representative Men in Commerce, Industry and Modern Activities |year=1913|page=2295|last1=Hale |first1=Will Thomas |last2=Merritt |first2=Dixon L. }} He attended the public schools, Webb School at Bell Buckle, Tennessee, Southern Methodist University at Dallas, Texas, and the University of Texas at Austin. He married Mary Wilson Moore in 1920, and they had four children: Harold, Mary, Virginia, and Ben.{{cite web|url=https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-L9VH-TC1L?i=442&cc=1619127|title=Marriage certificate|work=Rutherford County, Tennessee|date=1920-08-04|access-date=2022-01-16}}

Career

During World War I, Earthman served in the United States Army as a private and was assigned to the Student Army Training Corps. After moving to Nashville, Tennessee, he engaged in the banking business from 1921 to 1925. Admitted to the bar in 1926, he commenced the practice of law in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, engaged in agricultural pursuits and was owner of Earthman Enterprises. He resumed the study of law and was graduated from Cumberland School of Law at Cumberland University, Lebanon, Tennessee, in 1927.

Earthman was a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1931 and 1932. In the Tennessee House, he aligned with himself with Tennessee political boss E. H. Crump.{{cite news|url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1931/06/05/94239685.pdf |title=IMPEACHMENT FIGHT OPENS IN TENNESSEE; Governor Horton Attacked and Defended as the House Takes Up Eight Charges |newspaper=New York Times |date=June 5, 1931 |quote=Earthman ... said that Congressman Crump is 'in a conspiracy with 2,600,000 people in Tennessee to rid this State of grand larceny and I'm one of them.'}} He served as associate administrator of war bonds for the State of Tennessee from 1940 to 1946, as well as judge of Rutherford County, Tennessee from 1942 to 1945.{{cite web|title=Harold Earthman|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=E000016|publisher=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|accessdate=13 May 2013}}

Elected as a Democrat to the Seventy-ninth Congress, Earthman served in that capacity from January 3, 1945, to January 3, 1947, representing Tennessee's 5th congressional district.{{cite web|title=Harold Earthman|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/harold_earthman/403712|publisher=Govtrack US Congress|accessdate=13 May 2013}} He sought renomination in 1946, but lost in the primary to Joe L. Evins. After leaving Congress, he resumed the practice of law and pursued business interests, establishing the first self-service laundry in Murfreesboro.{{cite web|url=http://gorecenter.mtsu.edu/research/transcripts/QMS120_Earthman.pdf |title=ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW WITH BEN EARTHMAN |date=9 October 1995 |location=MURFREESBORO, TENNESSEE |author= REGINA FORSYTHE |publisher= Q. M. SMITH ORAL HISTORY PROJECT, Albert Gore Research Center, Middle Tennessee State University |number=INTERVIEW #QMS.120}}

Death

Earthman died on February 26, 1987, in Murfreesboro. He is interred there at Evergreen Cemetery.{{cite web|title=Harold Earthman|url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/earman-eastland.html|publisher=The Political Graveyard|accessdate=13 May 2013}}