Munn and Decker
Decker, Earl Dodge, Munn
Earle Harold Munn Sr., November 29, 1903 (Bay Village, Ohio) – July 6, 1992 (Hillsdale, Mich.)
VP candidate for Prohibition Party (1960)
Running mate with nominee: Rutherford Losey Decker (1904-1972)
Popular vote: 46,203 (0.07%)
Electoral vote: 0/537
The campaign:
At their Sept. 1959 convention the Prohibition nominated Baptist preacher RutherFord Losey Decker for President and E. Harold Munn as his running mate.
In reading contemporary news accounts of the 1960 election season Decker did not appear to be an energetic campaigner. Even so, by some accounts the Decker/Munn ticket was reportedly feeling pressure from conservatives to withdraw from the race and endorse Nixon in order to prevent the Catholic JFK from moving to the White House. To the credit of both Decker and Munn they stayed their course.
Earl Dodge, who was already rising within the Party ranks in 1960, later recalled: "The 1960 campaign was marked by tremendous pressures on Dr. Decker to withdraw in favor of Richard Nixon, [in order] to prevent John Kennedy from being elected. Dr. Decker and I pointed out that Mr. Nixon would be even more apt to breach the wall of separation [between] church and state than would Kennedy (how time has proved us right)."
Munn was a protégé of Prohibition Party veteran Enoch Arden Holtwick the 1952 VP nominee and 1956 Presidential nominee. Munn's son, E. Harold Munn Jr. (1928-2016) wrote the following about 2003/2004:
"In 1932, the pressure was applied to 'scratch the ticket' and vote for Herbert Hoover to 'save Prohibition.' Contrary to the advice of Dr. Holtwick, dad succumbed to the 'logic' and voted Republican only to see his vote 'lost' and Prohibition go down the drain under the Roosevelt 'New Deal.' He vowed then and there never to again compromise principle for expediency and he never did! He contended hard for this issue in 1960 when the pressure was applied to 'vote Republican and keep a Roman Catholic out of the White House....' Unfortunately, others abandoned both him and other Prohibition Party candidates to vote for Richard Nixon, receiving the defeat they were by choice a part of. But he did not retreat."
The 1960 platform had shifted a bit to the Right since the 1956 version, adding strong declarations of anti-communism and pro-states' rights.
The ballots in Silver Bow County, Mont. printed Munn's name as "Numm" which created a brief stir in the media.
Given the large number of third parties on the 1960 ballots, the Prohibition Party had a relatively good showing. They placed 5th after the Unpledged Electors and were barely behind the Socialist Labor Party. Although having 0.07% of the national vote is not something to write home about, it would be the last time the Party would ever register above 0.03% in a Presidential election. From 1992 to the present they have consistently finished in the 0.00% range. 0.07% looks pretty good now, eh?
On the ballot in 11 states their strongest results were in Kansas (0.45%), Alabama (0.37%), California (0.33%), and Indiana (0.32%).
According to one source, Decker went on to endorse George Wallace in the 1968 Presidential election. Munn would be the Party's Presidential nominee for 1964, 1968, and 1972.
Election history:
1941 - University of Michigan Board of Regents (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1942 - Lt. Governor of Michigan (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1944 - Michigan State Senate (Prohibition) - defeated
1948 - Michigan Secretary of State (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1949 - Michigan Superintendent of Public Instruction (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1950 - Michigan State Senate (Prohibition) - defeated
1951 - Mayor of Hillsdale, Mich. (Prohibition) - defeated
1952 - Mayor of Hillsdale, Mich. (Prohibition) - defeated
1952 - Governor of Michigan (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1953 - Mayor of Hillsdale, Mich. (Prohibition) - defeated
1954 - Governor of Michigan (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1958 - Michigan State House of Representatives (Prohibition) - defeated
1959 - Michigan Superintendent of Public Instruction (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1961 - Michigan Superintendent of Public Instruction (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1964 - US President (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1968 - US President (Prohibition Party) - defeated
1972 - US President (Prohibition Party) - defeated
Other occupations: Prohibition Party elector for Michigan 1948, 1952, 1976, 1980, 1984, educator, college dean, radio station executive, credit union president
Buried: Oak Grove Cemetery (Hillsdale, Mich.)
Notes:
Buried in the same cemetery as Capt. "You May Fire When Ready, Gridley" Charles Vernon Gridley.
Methodist.
"I would rather lose in a cause that will ultimately win, than win in a cause that will ultimately lose."--E. Harold Munn, Sr.
Some sources give his death date as June 6, 1992.
