Harold Orrin Lovre (January 30, 1904 – January 17, 1972) was an American

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

who was elected as a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

Early life and education

Lovre was born in

Toronto, South Dakota Toronto is a town in Deuel County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 196 at the 2020 census. Toronto was laid out in 1884, and named after the capital of Ontario, Canada, the native home of a first settler. Geography Toronto is lo ...

. He was married to Viola Florell. He graduated the

University of South Dakota School of Law The University of South Dakota School of Law also known as University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law or USD Law in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States, is a professional school of the University of South Dakota and the only law school in ...

with his J.D. in 1927.

Law and political career

He was admitted to the bar in 1927 via

diploma privilege In the United States, the diploma privilege is a method for lawyers to be admitted to the bar (i.e. authorized to practice law) without taking a bar examination. Wisconsin is the only jurisdiction that currently allows diploma privilege as an alt ...

and began the practice of law in

Hayti, South Dakota Hayti (pronounced "HAY-tie") is a town in and county seat of Hamlin County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 393 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Watertown, South Dakota Micropolitan Statistical Area. It is the county seat o ...

. He twice acted as the state's attorney of Hamlin County (1929-1932 and 1937-1940) and in

Watertown, South Dakota Watertown is a city in and the county seat of Codington County, South Dakota, United States. Watertown is home to the Redlin Art Center which houses many of the original art works produced by Terry Redlin, one of America's most popular wildlife ar ...

Codington County 1944-1949. He additionally served as President of the State Board of Agriculture in 1939 and 1940. He was also member of the South Dakota state senate 1941-1944. Lovre was elected to the

South Dakota Senate The Senate is the upper house of the South Dakota Legislature. It consists of 35 members, one representing each legislative district; it meets at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre. Composition :''92nd Legislature (2019)'' Officers Li ...

in 1941 and again in 1944, also serving as Chairman of the South Dakota Republican Committee in 1947 and 1948.

Congressional career

In 1949, he was elected on the Republican ticket to the 81st Congress of the

from

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

and served from January 3, 1949 to January 3, 1957. He ran for re-election to a fifth term in 1956 but lost to

George McGovern George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American historian and South Dakota politician who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator, and the Democratic Party presidential nominee in the 1972 pres ...

Later life and death

Lovre then resumed the private practice of law in Maryland until his death, living in

Silver Spring, Maryland Silver Spring is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, near Washington, D.C. Although officially unincorporated, in practice it is an edge city, with a population of 81,015 at the 2020 censu ...

, where he died. His remains were buried at

Parklawn Memorial Park The Wilkins Estate is a historic estate in Rockville, Maryland, built in 1916 by Robert Crew Wilkins, later an executive of the Wilkins Coffee Co. (later a part of Maxwell House coffee), founded in 1923 in Washington, D.C., by a relation, John ...

Rockville, Maryland Rockville is a city that serves as the county seat of Montgomery County, Maryland, and is part of the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area. The 2020 census tabulated Rockville's population at 67,117, making it the fifth-largest community in ...

References

1904 births 1972 deaths 20th-century American politicians People from Deuel County, South Dakota Maryland lawyers South Dakota lawyers South Dakota state senators District attorneys in South Dakota Burials at Parklawn Memorial Park Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Dakota St. Olaf College alumni University of South Dakota School of Law alumni People from Hamlin County, South Dakota 20th-century American lawyers Maryland Republicans {{SouthDakota-politician-stub