Background
He was born near Waxahachie, Texas, the son of Nannie May (née Weatherall) and Mark Latimer Boren, and moved to Lawton, Oklahoma in 1917, where he attended public schools.
United States representative politician
He was born near Waxahachie, Texas, the son of Nannie May (née Weatherall) and Mark Latimer Boren, and moved to Lawton, Oklahoma in 1917, where he attended public schools.
He finished high school in Choctaw, Oklahoma graduating from Choctaw High School, where the activities center now bears his name. Boren was graduated from East Central College at Ada, Oklahoma, in 1930.
He was known for his independence in the party, opposing labor union strikes on defense plants and attempts to expand the federal government. Boren attracted national attention for his criticism of The Grapes of Wrath. From 1930 to 1935, he was a school teacher in Wolf, Oklahoma, and later served as a deputy procurement officer for the United States Department of the Treasury.
Furthermore, he was involved in agricultural and mercantile business interests.
Boren was first elected to Congress in November 1936 as a Democrat, at the age of 26, and was the youngest person to serve in the House since Henry Clay. He was continuously re-elected until 1946 when he lost the Democratic primary election to Glen Doctorate. Johnson.
He worked against the growth of the federal government and excessive federal spending. He angered labor unions by backing legislation to ban strikes at defense plants, which did hurt him politically.
Boren"s legislative efforts included cancer research, old-age pensions, the Civil Aeronautics Board, newspring and paper shortages, consumer product labeling, railroad freight rates, and municipal bonds.
In 1938, Boren told his fellow Congressmen, "The greatest problem in America today is to erase the question in the minds of men, "What is the government going to do for me?" and replace it with the question, "What can I do for my country.""
After leaving Congress, Boren resumed many of his former mercantile business and agricultural pursuits. In 1957, he became a lobbyist for the railroads. He retired in 1969 and continued his ranching in Oklahoma.
Boren retired from public life due to failing health after approximately 50 years (in Congress and later as an advocate for other candidates).
He moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where he remained until his death on July 2, 1992.
Following his tenure in Congress, he resumed his business pursuits, except, in 1948, when he attempted to re-enter politics by running for his former United States. House seat (Boren was again defeated). Boren was known as an independent, opposing his party on several occasions.