Rep. David S. King

David S. King , now 89, was a House member back when civil-rights legislation was being debated and the U.S. space program was just beginning (he supported both). He grew up in politics. His father, William H. King , was a two-term U.S. House member from Utah and a four-term U.S. senator.

David King himself ran (and lost) for the Senate after two House terms in 1962, against former Sen. Wallace Bennett , R-Utah (the father of current Sen. Bob Bennett). But King won a comeback race for the House in 1964 — the only living ex-member from Utah to manage that. However, he was defeated again two years later.

Since then, he has had one of the more distinguished careers among ex-members of Congress from Utah.

That includes serving for three years as the U.S. ambassador to the African island nations of Madagascar and Mauritius (he speaks fluent French, an official language there). He was also appointed by President Jimmy Carter as a director of the World Bank, which provides loans to help developing nations.

King remained in the Washington, D.C., area after he was defeated and became an LDS bishop in Kensington, Md. While in that assignment, the church chose a site within its boundaries for its Washington Temple. King later became president of that temple for three years. He also wrote a book about temples, titled "Come to the House of the Lord."

King also served three years as president of the LDS mission in Haiti. Interspersed among those assignments, he worked as a lawyer specializing in international trade. All of this kept him busy, and he says that did not allow much time to look back with any longing to Congress.

"Do I miss any of it? A little bit. It (Congress) is exciting, and it's exciting to debate and defend causes in which you have strong beliefs. Sometimes I look back a bit, but not much. I'm very satisfied with my life," he says today.

"The problem with serving in Congress is that you make enemies. You cannot avoid it. If you don't make enemies, you are not doing your job. You have to be a forceful advocate. It's a little contrary to my nature. I guess I'm a man of peace," he says.