Harold Earthman

Harold Earthman
Harold Earthman
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives; from Tennessee's 5th district
	In office; January 3, 1945 – January 3, 1947
Preceded by	Jim Nance McCord
Succeeded by	Joe L. Evins
Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
	In office; 1931–1932
Personal details
Born	April 13, 1900; Murfreesboro, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	February 26, 1987 (aged 86); Murfreesboro, Tennessee, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary Wilson Moore (m. 1920)
Children	4
Parents	Vernon King Earthman (father); Virginia May Henderson (mother);
Alma mater	Southern Methodist University; University of Texas at Austin; Cumberland School of Law (LLB)
Occupation	Lawyer; politician;
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
Rank	Private
Unit	Student Army Training Corps
Conflict	World War I

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.^[1] 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.^[2]^[3]

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.^[4] In the Tennessee House, he aligned with himself with Tennessee political boss E. H. Crump.^[5] 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.^[4]

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.^[6] 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.^[2]

Earthman died on February 26, 1987, in Murfreesboro. He is interred there at Evergreen Cemetery.^[7]

^ Hale, Will Thomas; Merritt, Dixon L. (1913). A History of Tennessee and Tennesseans: The Leaders and Representative Men in Commerce, Industry and Modern Activities. p. 2295.
^ ^a ^b REGINA FORSYTHE (9 October 1995). "ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEW WITH BEN EARTHMAN" (PDF). MURFREESBORO, TENNESSEE: Q. M. SMITH ORAL HISTORY PROJECT, Albert Gore Research Center, Middle Tennessee State University.
^ "Marriage certificate". Rutherford County, Tennessee. 1920-08-04. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
^ ^a ^b "Harold Earthman". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
^ "IMPEACHMENT FIGHT OPENS IN TENNESSEE; Governor Horton Attacked and Defended as the House Takes Up Eight Charges" (PDF). New York Times. June 5, 1931. 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.'
^ "Harold Earthman". Govtrack US Congress. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
^ "Harold Earthman". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 13 May 2013.

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Jim Nance McCord	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 5th congressional district 1945–1947	Succeeded by Joe L. Evins