2 Quotes & Sayings By Richard Edward Harding
Richard Edward Harding was born in York, Pennsylvania, in 1845. He attended the University of Michigan and graduated in 1866. While attending the university, Harding studied law under Judge John M. Leavitt and practiced in Chicago for two years before opening a law practice in Virginia City, Nevada, in 1868. After opening his law practice and farming interests in Virginia City, Harding moved to San Francisco and entered politics
In 1871 he was elected to the California State Assembly. Harding's career soon expanded into municipal and state offices; he was mayor of Oakland (1877-78), state treasurer (1880-83), and secretary of state (1883-88). In 1891 he was elected to the U.S.
Senate; he served three terms until his death in 1907. Harding is credited with building the United States Mint at San Francisco and for establishing the Department of Agriculture and its Agricultural Bureau (now known as the Bureau of Plant Industry) through legislation he authored. He also is recognized for bringing about the establishment of the United States Department of Agriculture through legislation he authored while serving as chairman of the Committee on Agriculture. Harding's most enduring legacy is his work with others to establish California's first agricultural experiment station at Berkeley, which still operates today as the Department of Food and Agriculture at UC Berkeley. Harding died at age 66 while serving in office in Washington, D.C., on December 10, 1907, just over a year after being elected to a third term in the Senate.