James Albertus McClure (December 27, 1924 – February 26, 2011) was an American lawyer and politician from the state of

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

, most notably serving as a Republican in the

U.S. Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

for three terms.

Early life and education

McClure attended public schools in Payette and joined the U.S. Navy at age 18 during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, serving from 1942 to 1946. McClure graduated from the Navy Program at the University of Idaho–Southern Branch (now

Idaho State University , mottoeng = "The truth will set you free" , established = , former_names = Academy of Idaho(1901–1915)Idaho Technical Institute(1915–1927)University of Idaho—Southern Branch(1927–1947)Idaho State ...

) in Pocatello in 1943. After his discharge from the Navy, he entered the

College of Law A law school (also known as a law centre or college of law) is an institution specializing in legal education, usually involved as part of a process for becoming a lawyer within a given jurisdiction. Law degrees Argentina In Argentina, ...

at the

University of Idaho The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho. It is the state's land-grant and primary research university,, and the lead university in the Idaho Space Grant Consortium. The University ...

and graduated in 1950.

Career

From 1950 to 1956, he served as prosecuting attorney for Payette County; he also served as city attorney for Payette from 1953 to 1966. During this span, he was also a member of the

Idaho State Senate The Idaho Senate is the upper chamber of the Idaho State Legislature. It consists of 35 Senators elected to two-year terms, each representing a district of the state. The Senate meets at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise, Idaho. Composition of t ...

, serving from 1961 to 1966. In the 1966 election, McClure ran for the

U.S. House 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 chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from Idaho's first

Congressional district Congressional districts, also known as electoral districts and legislative districts, electorates, or wards in other nations, are divisions of a larger administrative region that represent the population of a region in the larger congressional bod ...

. He won the race, defeating

incumbent The incumbent is the current holder of an official, office or position, usually in relation to an election. In an election for president, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the office of president before the election, whether seek ...

Compton I. White, Jr., and was re-elected in 1968 and 1970.

U.S. Senate

McClure ran for the open

seat (Class II) in 1972, vacated by the retirement of

Len Jordan Leonard Beck Jordan (May 15, 1899June 30, 1983) was an American politician who served as the 23rd governor of Idaho and a United States Senator for over ten years. Early life and education Born in Mount Pleasant, Utah, Jordan's father was a cou ...

. In the general election he defeated the Democratic nominee, William E. "Bud" Davis, the president of Idaho State University. McClure was reelected by wide margins in 1978 and 1984. The seat was occupied by

William Borah William Edgar Borah (June 29, 1865 – January 19, 1940) was an outspoken History of the United States Republican Party, Republican United States Senator, one of the best-known figures in History of Idaho, Idaho's history. A Progressivism ...

for over three decades (1907–1940), and has been continuously held by Republicans since 1949. In 1981, McClure joined Republican colleagues

Jesse Helms Jesse Alexander Helms Jr. (October 18, 1921 – July 4, 2008) was an American politician. A leader in the conservative movement, he served as a senator from North Carolina from 1973 to 2003. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

and fellow Idaho senator Steve Symms in an unsuccessful fight to return to a purchase requirement for participation in the food stamp program. Helms cited a Congressional Budget Office study which showed that 75 percent of the increase in food stamp usage had occurred since the purchase requirement was dropped in 1977. Senators voted 33 to 66 against the Helms-McClure position. "It's obvious the majority of the Senate is not really concerned about constraining the growth of the food-stamp program," McClure said. In 1984 McClure ran for Senate Majority Leader, but was defeated by Senator

Bob Dole Robert Joseph Dole (July 22, 1923 – December 5, 2021) was an American politician and attorney who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Republican Leader of the Senate during the final 11 years of his te ...

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...

, who three years earlier had led the intraparty opposition to the Helms-McClure position on reinstating the purchase requirement for food stamps. During his 18 years in the Senate, McClure served as the chairman of the

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources The United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over matters related to energy and mineral resources, including nuclear development; irrigation and recl ...

from 1981 to 1987. In this capacity McClure emerged as an early proponent of

electric car An electric car, battery electric car, or all-electric car is an automobile that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using only energy stored in batteries. Compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, electric cars are quie ...

s and energy independence. He also chaired the Senate Republican Conference from 1981 to 1985.

Retirement

At age 65, McClure declined to run for a fourth term in 1990. Republican congressman

Larry Craig Lawrence Edwin Craig (born July 20, 1945) is an American retired politician from the state of Idaho. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, he served 18 years in the United States Senate (1991–2009), preceded by 10 years in the U.S. ...

of Midvale easily won McClure's Senate seat in November 1990 and served three terms, succeeded by Jim Risch. After leaving the Senate, McClure became a mining consultant and lobbyist in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, founding the firm of McClure, Gerard, & Neuenschwander. Up until his death, McClure maintained a residence in

McCall McCall is a Gaelic surname, of Irish and Scottish origin. Notable people with this surname include: * Andy McCall (footballer, born 1911) (1911–1979), Scottish footballer and manager *Andy McCall (footballer, born 1925) (1925–2014), Scottish f ...

. In October 1995 the new home of the College of Mines and Earth Resources at the

was dedicated as James A. McClure Hall. On December 12, 2001, the Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Boise was renamed for McClure.

Personal life

In December 2008, the 83-year-old McClure suffered a

stroke A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...

and was sent to the intensive care unit at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. Although initially he was expected to recover,McClure suffers stroke; doctors are hopeful, son says
/ref> McClure died at the age of 86 on February 26, 2011.

Election results

References

External links

– renamed for James A. McClure, 2001
University of Idaho
– James A. and Louise McClure Center for Public Policy Research
University of Idaho
– Senator James McClure

– Papers of Senator James A. McClure * * {{DEFAULTSORT:McClure, James A. 1924 births 2011 deaths People from Payette, Idaho Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Idaho Republican Party United States senators from Idaho Republican Party Idaho state senators 20th-century American politicians American prosecutors American lobbyists Idaho lawyers University of Idaho alumni Idaho State University alumni University of Idaho College of Law alumni United States Navy personnel of World War II 20th-century American lawyers