Del Latta
Encyclopedia
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. Latta was a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
Life and career
Latta was born in Weston, OhioWeston, Ohio
Weston is a village in Wood County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,659 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Weston is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
, the son of Bessie Viola (née Thompson) and Lester Leroy Latta. He attended public schools in North Baltimore, Ohio
North Baltimore, Ohio
North Baltimore is a village in Wood County, Ohio, United States. The population was 3,361 at the 2000 census.North Baltimore is south of Toledo.-Geography:North Baltimore is located at ....
and entered college at Ohio Northern University
Ohio Northern University
Ohio Northern University is a private, United Methodist Church-affiliated university located in the United States in Ada, Ohio, founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871. ONU is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. ONU is a sister...
. Latta served in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Army from 1938 to 1941. In 1944, he set up his own private law firm in Bowling Green, Ohio
Bowling Green, Ohio
Bowling Green is the county seat of Wood County in the U.S. state of Ohio. At the time of the 2010 census, the population of Bowling Green was 30,028. It is part of the Toledo, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bowling Green is the home of Bowling Green State University...
.
Latta was a Republican member of Ohio State Senate in 1953 to 1958. From 1959 to 1989 he served as a U.S. Representative from the Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
5th district
Ohio's 5th congressional district
Ohio's 5th congressional district is in northwestern and north central Ohio and borders Michigan and Indiana. The district is currently represented by Republican Bob Latta. Currently, all of Crawford, Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Huron, Paulding, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Van Wert, Williams, and Wood...
. In 1968
1968 Republican National Convention
The 1968 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held in at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Dade County, Florida, from August 5 to August 8, 1968....
, 1972
1972 Republican National Convention
The 1972 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held from August 21 to August 23, 1972 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida. It nominated the incumbents Richard M. Nixon of California for President and Spiro T. Agnew of Maryland for Vice...
, 1976
1976 Republican National Convention
The 1976 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States met at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, from August 16 to August 19, 1976. The convention nominated incumbent Gerald Ford for President, but only after narrowly defeating a strong challenge from former California...
and 1996
1996 Republican National Convention
The 1996 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States convened at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California, from August 12 to August 15, 1996...
he served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
A powerful member of the House of Representatives during his tenure, Latta was rumored to be one of the last two or three names on President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's post-Spiro T. Agnew vice-presidential shortlist. Latta's close association with Nixon, even during the impeachment hearings, brought him national criticism, although he remained popular in his district. Latta was known for being very in tune with the happenings of his district and for frequently visiting many small towns to show his concern for constituents. This earned him great support and allowed him to serve for so long.
Latta served as ranking Republican on the House Budget Committee from 1975 to his retirement in 1989. In 1981, he co-sponsored the Gramm-Latta Omnibus Reconciliation Bill
Gramm-Latta Budget
The Gramm-Latta Budget 1981 and the Gramm-Latta Omnibus Reconciliation Bill of 1981, sponsored by Representatives Phil Gramm and Delbert Latta , implemented President Ronald Reagan's economic program. This included an increase in military spending and major cuts in discretionary and entitlement...
which implemented President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's economic program including an increase in military spending and some minor cuts in discretionary and entitlement spending. The law also mandated the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 (the Kemp-Roth Tax Cut).
After deciding not to seek another term in 1988, Latta endorsed his son, Bob Latta
Bob Latta
Robert Edward 'Bob' Latta is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district, the second-largest in the state, includes most of Toledo's suburbs, including Fremont and Bowling Green....
, for the Republican nomination, however he was narrowly defeated by State Senate President Paul Gillmor
Paul Gillmor
Paul Eugene Gillmor was an American politician of the Republican Party who served as the U.S. Representative from the 5th congressional district of Ohio from 1989 until his death....
, who went on to win the election in November. Gillmor died in 2007, and Bob Latta was elected to succeed him.
Latta is an active member of the Churches of Christ. He has spent most of his adult life with his wife, Rose Mary (Kiene), in Bowling Green.