Representative Michael Lathrop Strang

Michael Lathrop “Mike” Strang (June 17, 1929 – January 12, 2014) was an American politician and rancher who served as a Republican U.S. Representative from Colorado from 1985 to 1987. During his single term in the United States Congress, he contributed to the legislative process as a member of the House of Representatives and represented the interests of his Colorado constituents during a significant period in late twentieth-century American political history.

Strang was born on June 17, 1929, in New Hope, Pennsylvania. He was the grandson of noted landscape painter William Langson Lathrop, a connection that placed him in a family with strong artistic and cultural ties. In 1932, when he was still a young child, his family moved to Colorado, where he was raised on a ranch near Golden. There he was homeschooled, growing up in a rural environment that would shape his lifelong involvement with ranching and natural resources.

During the early years of the Cold War, Strang served in the United States Army, holding the rank of second lieutenant from 1950 to 1953. Following his military service, he pursued higher education at Princeton University. He graduated in 1956 with an A.B. in history, completing a senior thesis titled “Law, Politics and Religion: The Mercury View,” which reflected his interest in the intersection of political institutions, legal frameworks, and religious thought. After Princeton, he continued his studies with graduate work at the University of Geneva in Switzerland, broadening his international and intellectual perspective.

Strang began his professional career as both a rancher and an investment banker, occupations he pursued from 1957 to 1985. Dividing his time between the financial sector and the management of horse and cattle operations, he developed expertise in land use, natural resources, and economic issues that would later inform his public service. His entry into elective office came at the state level: he served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 1970 to 1974. During his tenure in the state legislature, he was particularly noted for introducing pioneering legislation to legalize and regulate the sale and consumption of marijuana, an early and controversial effort to reform drug policy decades before such measures became more widespread.

In 1984, Strang was elected as a Republican to the Ninety-ninth Congress, defeating incumbent Democrat W. Mitchell to represent Colorado in the U.S. House of Representatives. His term extended from 1985 to 1987. As a member of Congress, Strang participated fully in the democratic process, contributing to debates and legislative initiatives that reflected both national concerns and the specific needs of his Colorado district, including issues related to natural resources, taxation, and rural economies. His service coincided with the administration of President Ronald Reagan, a period marked by significant national discussions over economic policy, federal spending, and regulatory reform.

Strang sought reelection in 1986 but was unsuccessful, losing to Democrat Ben Nighthorse Campbell, who would later become a U.S. Senator from Colorado. After leaving Congress in 1987, Strang returned to private life and resumed horse and cattle ranching. Drawing on his legislative and financial experience, he also worked as a consultant on natural resources and tax policy, advising clients on matters that had been central to his public career.

In his later years, Strang lived in Carbondale, Colorado, remaining closely connected to the ranching community and the landscapes that had shaped his life from childhood. He continued to be recognized for his contributions as a state legislator and as a one-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Michael Lathrop Strang died in Carbondale on January 12, 2014, closing a life that combined military service, academic achievement, financial and agricultural enterprise, and public office at both the state and national levels.