Harlow Akers (October 28, 1898 - December 1, 1945) was an American politician from Arizona. He served a single term in the Arizona State Senate during the 8th Arizona State Legislature, holding one of the two seats from Maricopa County.[1] In 1932 he ran for the Democrat nomination for the U. S. Senate, but lost to incumbent Carl Hayden.

Harlow Akers
Akers, ca. 1917
Member of the Arizona Senate
from the Maricopa County district
In office
January 1927 – December 1928
Preceded byJ. J. Cox
H. A. Davis
Succeeded byAllan K. Perry
J. G. Peterson
Personal details
Born(1898-10-28)October 28, 1898
Phoenix, Arizona
DiedDecember 1, 1945(1945-12-01) (aged 47)
Phoenix
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
ResidencePhoenix
ProfessionPolitician

Biography

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Akers was born on October 28, 1898, in Phoenix, Arizona, son of Arizona pioneers Charles A. and Jennie Bryan Akers.[2][3] Akers attended Phoenix Union High School,[4] and after graduating, he joined the U. S. Navy, and served throughout World War I.[5] After receiving his discharge from the Navy, he went on to receive his B.A. and LL.D. at the University of Michigan, graduating in 1924. While at university, he was a member of Delta Chi.[4] When he graduated from law school in 1924, he intended to become a lawyer. However, his father, owner of the Arizona Gazette, died that year, and Akers returned to Phoenix to help run the paper.[5] He married Pearl Addams on January 25, 1925, in Trinity Cathedral in Phoenix.[4] The couple had one son, Charles Harlow.[2]

In 1926, Akers ran for one of the two Arizona State Senate seats from Maricopa County.[5] Of the eight candidates in the Democrat primary, Akers obtained the most votes in the primary.[6] In the November general election, Akers and fellow Democrat Dan P. Jones, won.[7] In 1932, Akers ran in the primary for the Democrat nomination for the U. S. Senate.[8] There were four candidates in the race and Akers finished second behind incumbent Carl Hayden, 38,705 to 30,632. The other two candidates finished a distant third and fourth place.[9] Akers died on December 1, 1945, in Phoenix, after a six-week illness.[2]

References

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  1. ^ "Session laws, State of Arizona, 1925, Seventh Legislature, Regular Session". State of Arizona. p. vii. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Harlow Akers, Noted City Attorney, Taken By Death". Arizona Republic. December 2, 1945. p. 13. Retrieved September 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Charles A. Akers, Pioneers of Arizona Chosen By Death". The Arizona Republican. April 15, 1924. p. 2. Retrieved September 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c "Miss Pearl Addams Becomes Bride of Harlow Akers At Quiet Wedding; To Spend Honeymoon In California". The Arizona Republican. January 27, 1925. p. 2. Retrieved September 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b c "Harlow Akers Is Candidate For Democratic Nomination For Senator From Maricopa". The Arizona Republican. July 21, 1926. p. 2. Retrieved September 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Candidates Leading In County Races Assured Of Nomination". The Arizona Republican. September 9, 1926. p. 1. Retrieved September 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Maricopa County". The Arizona Republican. November 8, 1926. p. 8. Retrieved September 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Harlow Akers Enters Race For Senate as Wet Sponsor". Arizona Daily Star. June 10, 1932. p. 2. Retrieved September 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Governors Get Record Ballot". Arizona Daily Star. September 25, 1932. p. 4. Retrieved September 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.