Steve Symms facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Steve Symms
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Symms, c. 1980s
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| United States Senator from Idaho |
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| In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Frank Church |
| Succeeded by | Dirk Kempthorne |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Idaho's 1st district |
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| In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1981 |
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| Preceded by | Jim McClure |
| Succeeded by | Larry Craig |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Steven Douglas Symms
April 23, 1938 Nampa, Idaho, U.S. |
| Died | August 8, 2024 (aged 86) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
Frances Stockdale
(m. 1959; div. 1990)Loretta E. Mathes
(m. 1992; died 2023) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | University of Idaho (BA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1960–1963 |
| Rank |  First Lieutenant |
Steven Douglas Symms (born April 23, 1938 – died August 8, 2024) was an American politician from Idaho. He also worked as a lobbyist. Symms served as a congressman for four terms, from 1973 to 1981. After that, he became a U.S. Senator for two terms, from 1981 to 1993. Later in his life, he became a partner at a lobbying company in Washington, D.C.
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Early Life and Education
Steven Symms was born in Nampa, Idaho, on April 23, 1938. He went to public schools in Canyon County. In 1956, he graduated from Caldwell High School.
He then went to the University of Idaho in Moscow. There, he studied horticulture, which is the science of growing plants. He also played as a reserve center on the university's football team. He was part of the Sigma Nu fraternity.
In 1960, Symms earned a degree in agriculture. After college, he joined the United States Marine Corps and served for three years. Later, he worked as a private pilot and an apple farmer. From 1969 to 1972, he was also a co-editor for a college newspaper called The Idaho Compass.
Political Career
Serving in Congress
In 1972, Steve Symms decided to run for Congress. He was an apple farmer, so his campaign slogan was "Take a bite out of big government!" He won the election and became a member of the United States House of Representatives when he was 34 years old. He was re-elected three more times, serving a total of four terms.
In 1980, Symms ran for the United States Senate. He won a very close election against Frank Church, who had been a senator for a long time. Symms won by less than one percent of the votes! He was re-elected to the Senate in 1986, again winning a tough race against John V. Evans, who was the Governor of Idaho at the time.
During his time in the Senate, Symms was one of several Republican senators who shared concerns about the nomination of Sandra Day O'Connor to the Supreme Court. He was also one of four Republican senators who voted against a resolution that condemned apartheid, which was a system of racial segregation in South Africa.
In 1990, Symms was one of only six senators who voted against the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This important law helps protect the rights of people with disabilities.
Symms decided not to run for a third term in the Senate in 1992. He was followed in office by Dirk Kempthorne, who later became the Governor of Idaho and the United States Secretary of the Interior.
After the Senate: Lobbying Work
After leaving the U.S. Senate in 1993, Steve Symms started his own consulting company. A few years later, in 1999, he teamed up with John Haddow to create a lobbying firm called Symms & Haddow Associates.
In 2001, their firm joined with another company, forming Parry, Romani, DeConcini & Symms. In this new company, Symms worked alongside former Senator Dennis DeConcini.
Personal Life
Before his final year at the University of Idaho, Steve Symms married Frances E. "Fran" Stockdale in August 1959. They had four children together: one son and three daughters. After his re-election in 1986, they separated, and their divorce was finalized in 1990.
In 1992, Symms married Loretta Mathes Fuller. Loretta had previously worked as an aide and later as the Deputy Sergeant of Arms for the U.S. Senate.
Steve Symms was also a cousin of Denny Smith, who was a congressman from Oregon.
Steve Symms passed away on August 8, 2024, at the age of 86.
