Idaho Patriot Adrian Arp Has Died

You may not have known Adrian Arp, but if you listened to talk radio in the Magic Valley, you knew his voice. A native of Wyoming, he was working for a large oil company out of Modesto, California in 1971 when he made a visit to the Magic Valley. He decided it was the place he wanted to raise his kids.

The man settled in Filer and became a pillar of his community. He once invited me to speak to his fellow Kiwanians.

He Influenced Life in the Valley

Adrian was a scientist, had a Ph.D., and an I.Q. of mammoth proportions. He was an avid reader and a scholar of political history. He was a prodigious writer. I often received multiple emails from the man in one day. State legislators and county commissioners received just as many, if not more.

He was very much involved in the John Birch Society, was fiercely devout in his religious faith, and was a patriot of the highest order.

Politicians knew if they encountered him that they better be prepared. He wasn’t afraid to dress them down if he believed they earned reproach.

He Was Known by Thousands

Governor Little once shared a story with me. He was then serving as Lt. Governor and was marching in a parade. Suddenly, he found Adrian marching alongside and pressing an issue. The Governor asked if it could wait, and Adrian said it could. One block later, Adrian was back, explaining that hehad forgottent to mention one other thing.

Everyone in state and local politics knew Adrian. I would say that he was the most influential person in politics without serving in a government office.

Adrian Arp died suddenly over the weekend.