Representative Richard Fielding Harless

Richard Fielding Harless (August 6, 1905 – November 24, 1970) was a U.S. Representative from Arizona who served three consecutive terms in the United States Congress from 1943 to 1949. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Arizona at a time of profound national transformation during and immediately after the Second World War, participating in the federal legislative process and advocating for the interests of his constituents.

Harless’s service in Congress began with his election to the Seventy-eighth Congress, which convened on January 3, 1943. He was subsequently re-elected to the Seventy-ninth and Eightieth Congresses, enabling him to serve continuously through January 3, 1949. During these three terms, his tenure coincided with major wartime and postwar issues, including the mobilization of the American economy for World War II, the transition to peacetime production, and the early legislative responses to emerging Cold War realities. As a member of the House of Representatives, he took part in debates and votes that shaped national policy in these areas, contributing to the broader democratic process in Washington, D.C.

Throughout his congressional career, Harless was identified with the Democratic Party’s priorities of the era, which included support for federal initiatives related to economic recovery, veterans’ benefits, and infrastructure development. Representing Arizona, he was positioned to address matters of particular concern to a growing Western state, such as resource development, transportation, and the needs of returning servicemembers settling in the region. His work in Congress reflected both the national agenda of his party and the specific concerns of his Arizona constituency.

Harless’s period of service concluded at the end of the Eightieth Congress on January 3, 1949, marking the close of six years in the House of Representatives. After leaving Congress, he did not return to the House in subsequent elections, and his later professional and public activities occurred outside the federal legislative arena. He remained associated in the public record with his role as a former U.S. Representative and Democratic officeholder from Arizona.

Richard Fielding Harless died on November 24, 1970. His congressional career, spanning three terms during a pivotal period in twentieth-century American history, left a record of service that is preserved in the official biographical and historical materials of the United States Congress.