15 Facts About Harry Lonsdale

Harold K Lonsdale was an American scientist, businessman, and politician.

In 2011 Lonsdale sponsored a research challenge to determine the origin of life on Earth.

Harry Lonsdale was born in Westfield, New Jersey, the son of a Sicilian immigrant mother and a Welsh father who had been orphaned at age 2.

Harry Lonsdale joined the United States Air Force, where he once witnessed an above-ground nuclear test, an event which he found thrilling, but one which left him with strong anti-war feelings.

Harry Lonsdale joined the board of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, headed a task force to have the planned Superconducting Super Collider built in Oregon, and was a co-chairman of Governor Neil Goldschmidt's science council.

In 1990, Harry Lonsdale announced that he would challenge incumbent Republican Senator Mark Hatfield for his seat in the US Senate.

Harry Lonsdale refused to take special-interest contributions in his campaign, instead financing the campaign himself.

In 1991, Harry Lonsdale made plans for another Senate run at Oregon's other Senate seat, this one held by Bob Packwood.

Harry Lonsdale went after AuCoin, whom he accused of having been corrupted by PAC money over the years.

Harry Lonsdale received surprising support from Packwood, who believed AuCoin to be a stronger competitor, and ran television ads against AuCoin.

Harry Lonsdale would receive fewer than 6,000 write-in votes in the general election, in which Packwood won re-election.

Harry Lonsdale did not seek office again, though he sponsored several petitions related to campaign finance reform through the early 2000s.

Harry Lonsdale married his high-school sweetheart Connie shortly after graduating from Rutgers.

Harry Lonsdale was briefly married to Portland attorney Susan Hammer in 1986.

Harry Lonsdale retired from Bend Research in 1994 and moved to Southern California, where he died after suffering a heart attack in 2014.