Chester Harding (governor)

Chester Harding (December 31, 1866 – November 11, 1936) was Governor of the Panama Canal Zone from 1917 to 1921.^[2]

Chester Harding
2nd Governor of Panama Canal Zone
In office 1917–1921
Preceded by	George Washington Goethals
Succeeded by	Jay Johnson Morrow
Engineer Commissioner of the District of Columbia
In office February 2, 1913 – October 31, 1914 [1]
Preceded by	William Voorhees Judson
Succeeded by	Charles Willauer Kutz
Personal details
Born	(1866-12-31)December 31, 1866 Enterprise, Mississippi
Died	November 11, 1936(1936-11-11) (aged 69) Whitinsville, Massachusetts
Resting place	Arlington National Cemetery
Relations	William P. G. Harding (brother) Chester Harding (grandfather)
Profession	Military, engineer, politician
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1889–1920
Rank	Brigadier General
Battles/wars	Spanish–American War World War I

Biography

Harding was born on December 31, 1866, in Enterprise, Mississippi.^[2] His father was a civil engineer and his older brother William P. G. Harding later became the second chair of the Federal Reserve.^[3]

His early education having been supplemented by training from his father at home, Chester Harding was able to complete the requirements for a Bachelors in Engineering from the University of Alabama in 1884 while only seventeen years old.^[3] He later graduated fourth in his class from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1889. Harding was commissioned in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.^[4][5]

Harding taught civil and military engineering at West Point from August 1896 to February 1899. During the Spanish–American War, he was temporarily reassigned to the defense of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island.^[5] Harding was promoted to major in June 1906. He taught civil engineering at the Army Engineer School from October 1906 to July 1907.^[6]

Harding was appointed Division Engineer of Gatun Locks Division in 1907. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in February 1913.^[6][7] Harding served a term from 1913 to 1914 as one of the commissioners in charge of the District of Columbia.^[8]

Harding was appointed the Panama Canal maintenance engineer in January 1915. He then served as governor of Panama Canal Zone from January 1917 to March 1921. Harding was promoted to colonel in May 1917. He retired from active duty in the Army on March 31, 1920 and was advanced to brigadier general on the retired list the following day. Harding completed the last year of his gubernatorial term as a civilian.^[7][9]

During his later years, Harding lived in Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. He took up portrait painting, which had been the profession of his grandfather Chester Harding, and received training at Boston and Paris from 1923 to 1927. Harding painted portraits of the first four Canal Zone governors: George Washington Goethals, Jay Johnson Morrow, Meriwether Lewis Walker and a self-portrait of himself.^[3]

Harding died on November 11, 1936, in Whitinsville, Massachusetts.^[2] He was interred at Arlington National Cemetery three days later.^[10]

References

1. "DCPL: MLK: Washingtoniana Division: FAQs: DC Commissioners". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 6 October 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
2. "General Harding, Ex-engineer, Dies. Former Governor of Panama Canal Zone Was Successor to Goethals in Post. Teacher at West Point. Engineering Commissioner for District of Columbia. Noted Portrait Painter". The New York Times. November 12, 1936. Retrieved 2015-01-27.
3. "Chester Harding". Sixty-Eighth Annual Report of the Association of Graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Newburgh, New York: The Moore Printing Company, Inc. June 11, 1937. pp. 153–162. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
4. Biographical register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. from its establishment in 1802, to 1890: With the early history of the United States Military Academy. Vol. III. The Riverside Press. 1891. p. 424. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
5. Biographical register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York since its establishment in 1802: Supplement, 1890–1900. Vol. IV. The Riverside Press. 1901. pp. 474–475. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
6. Biographical register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York since its establishment in 1802: Supplement, 1900–1910. Vol. V. Seemann & Peters, Printers. 1910. p. 429. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
7. Biographical register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York since its establishment in 1802: Supplement, 1910–1920. Vol. VI–A. Seemann & Peters, Printers. September 1920. p. 511. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
8. Annual Report of the Public Utility Commission of the District of Columbia, 1913, p.7
9. Biographical register of the officers and graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York since its establishment in 1802: Supplement, 1920–1930. Vol. VII. R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, The Lakeside Press. March 1931. pp. 280–281. Retrieved 2022-12-12.
10. "Harding, Chester". ANCExplorer. U.S. Army. Retrieved 2022-12-12.

External links

• Panama Canal Authority biography

Preceded by George Washington Goethals	Governor of Panama Canal Zone 1917–1921	Succeeded by Jay Johnson Morrow