Robert Edward Badham (June 9, 1929 – October 21, 2005) was an American politician from
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. He served as a
Republican member of the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
from the
Orange County-based
40th district from 1977 to 1989.
Biography
Born in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, California, Badham graduated from
Beverly Hills High School
Beverly Hills High School (shortly as BHHS or Beverly) is a public high school in Beverly Hills, California. The other public high school in Beverly Hills is Moreno High School, a small alternative school located on Beverly Hills High School's c ...
in 1947, and earned his
B.A. from
Stanford University
Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
in 1951. During the
Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
, he served active duty in the
United States Naval Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2004, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called reservists, are categorized as being in either the S ...
. After returning home, he became an executive in his family's Hoffman Hardware Company in Los Angeles.
Badham entered politics in 1962 when he was elected to the
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature (the upper house being the California State Senate). The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Califor ...
where he would serve for fourteen years. As an assemblyman, he co-authored legislation to create
personalized license plates and fought to protect
tide pool
A tide pool or rock pool is a shallow pool of seawater that forms on the rocky intertidal shore. These pools typically range from a few inches to a few feet deep and a few feet across. Many of these pools exist as separate bodies of water only ...
s along the
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
coast. In addition, he was a delegate to the California State Republican conventions during his tenure in the state legislature and was a delegate to the
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the Republican Party in the United States. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal o ...
s from 1964 to 1984.
In 1976, Badham entered a crowded Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives in California's 40th congressional district and won with 32% of the vote, besting eight other candidates including former congressman
John G. Schmitz and incumbent
Andrew J. Hinshaw. He easily won the general election in November, and was reelected five more times in the heavily Republican district which included
Irvine and his home of
Newport Beach
Newport Beach is a coastal city of about 85,000 in southern Orange County, California, United States. Located about southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Newport Beach is known for its sandy beaches. The city's harbor once supported maritime indu ...
. In Congress, he served as a ranking member on the
House Armed Services Committee
The U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee or HASC, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is responsible for funding and oversight of the Department of ...
and was representative to the
NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
After retiring from Congress, Badham remained active, serving on the
California Board of Accountancy, as vice chairman of the Newport Beach Civil Service Board, and helping to raise money for
Hoag Hospital. He died on October 21, 2005, after suffering a heart attack at
Balboa Island post office.
He was buried at
Riverside National Cemetery in
Riverside, California
Riverside is a city in and the county seat of Riverside County, California, United States. It is named for its location beside the Santa Ana River. As of the 2020 census, the city has a population of 314,998. It is the most populous city in th ...
.
Riverside National Cemetery
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See also
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References
External links
Archival collections
Guide to the Robert E. Badham Papers.
Special Collections and Archives, The UC Irvine Libraries, Irvine, California.
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Join California Robert E. Badham
Other
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Badham, Robert
1929 births
2005 deaths
Republican Party members of the California State Assembly
Occidental College alumni
Stanford University alumni
United States Navy personnel of the Korean War
Businesspeople from Los Angeles
Politicians from Los Angeles
People from Newport Beach, California
United States Navy reservists
Burials at Riverside National Cemetery
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California
20th-century American businesspeople
20th-century members of the California State Legislature
20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives