Harris Wofford

American politician (1926-2019)

Harris Llewellyn Wofford, Jr. (April 9, 1926 – January 21, 2019) was an American politician. He was a member of the Democratic Party who represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1991 to 1995.

Harris Wofford
United States Senator
from Pennsylvania
In office
May 9, 1991 – January 3, 1995
Appointed byRobert P. Casey
Preceded byH. John Heinz III
Succeeded byRick Santorum
Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor and Industry
In office
March 23, 1987[1] – May 8, 1991
GovernorRobert P. Casey
Preceded byJames Knepper
Succeeded byTom Foley
Chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party
In office
June 28, 1986[2] – December 6, 1986
Preceded byEdward Mezvinsky
Succeeded byLarry Yatch[3]
President of Bryn Mawr College
In office
1970–1978
Preceded byKatharine Elizabeth McBride
Succeeded byMary Patterson McPherson
Personal details
Born
Harris Llewellyn Wofford, Jr.[4]

(1926-04-09)April 9, 1926
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 21, 2019(2019-01-21) (aged 92)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)Clare Lindgren
(m.1948-96, her death)
Matthew Charlton
(m.2016)
Children3
Alma materUniversity of Chicago
Howard University Law School
Yale Law School
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army Air Forces
Battles/warsWorld War II

Career change

Wofford was also the fifth president of Bryn Mawr College from 1970 to 1978, served as Chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party in 1986, as Pennsylvania Secretary of Labor and Industry in the cabinet of Governor Robert P. Casey from 1987 to 1991 and was a surrogate for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.

He introduced Obama in Philadelphia at the National Constitution Center before Obama's speech on race in America, A More Perfect Union.

Personal life change

In 1948, Wofford married Clare Lindgren and they later had three children. She died in 1996.[5] In 2016, Wofford announced that he would marry Matthew Charlton,[6] his companion of many years.[7]

Wofford died on January 21, 2019 at a hospital in Washington, D.C. from complications of a fall at the age of 92.[8]

References change

  1. "Wofford Is Sworn In As P.A. Labor Secretary". The Philadelphia Inquirer. March 24, 1987. Retrieved December 20, 2011.
  2. Stoffer, Harry (June 30, 1986). "PA Democrats Elect Wofford Chairman". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved December 21, 2011.
  3. Neri, Al (December 4, 1986). "Casey expected to back Yatch to direct Democrats in state". The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved December 21, 2011.
  4. "THE 1991 ELECTION: The Winner Man in the News: Harris Llewellyn Wofford Jr.; Backstage No Longer". The New York Times. November 7, 1991.
  5. "Clare Wofford, 69, Not Just A Politician's Wife". philly-archives.
  6. "Matthew Charlton Biography". Daily Entertainment News. April 2016.
  7. "Finding Love Again, This Time With a Man". The New York Times. April 24, 2016.
  8. Harris Wofford, civil rights activist who helped Kennedy win the White House, dies at 92

Other websites change