Frank R. Gooding (September 16, 1859 - June 24, 1928) was a United States Senator and Governor of Idaho. The city of Gooding and Gooding County, both in Idaho, are named after him. Born in Tiverton, England, Gooding emigrated to the United States with his family in 1867. The family settled on a farm near Paw Paw, Michigan. Gooding attended the common schools there, and moved to Mount Shasta, California in 1877, and engaged in farming and mining.
Gooding moved to Idaho Territory in 1881 and settled in Ketchum where he worked as a mail carrier, and subsequently engaged in the firewood and charcoal business. In 1888 he settled near present-day Gooding. He engaged in farming and stock raising, and was a member of the Idaho Senate from 1900 to 1904.
From 1905 to 1908, Gooding served as Governor of Idaho, and in 1918 was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the U.S. Senate. He was elected to the Senate in 1920 as a Republican for the term commencing March 4, 1921, and was subsequently appointed to the Senate on January 8, 1921, to become effective January 15, 1921, to fill the vacancy in the term ending March 3, 1921, caused by the resignation of John F. Nugent. He was reelected in 1926, and served from January 15, 1921, until his death.
Gooding is buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Gooding.
