Schwartz's political career started in the
South Dakota House of Representatives, serving from 1897 to 1899, where he was elected on the Fusion ticket. He served as chief of the field division of the United States General Land Office at
Spokane, Washington, and
Helena, Montana, from 1897 to 1907. Schwartz was special assistant to the Attorney General in 1907; and chief of field service, General Land Office in
Washington, D.C., from 1907 to 1910. In 1915, Schwartz moved to
Casper, Wyoming, with wife Eliza Bowie Mathews. He served as president of the Casper Board of Education and the
Natrona County High School Board from 1928 to 1934. Schwartz was an unsuccessful candidate for election to the United States Senate in
1930. He served as a member of the
Wyoming state Senate from 1933 to 1935.
U.S. Senate Schwartz was elected as a
Democrat to the U.S. Senate in
1936 and served from January 3, 1937 to January 3, 1943. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in
1942. During his term as a U.S. Senator, Harry Schwartz played a key role in opening the door to
black military pilots in World War II. In 1939, Public Law 18 appropriated funds to expand pilot training, and Schwartz was able to add an amendment to required some aviation equipment be loaned to schools for the training of black military pilots. When the
War Department and the Army Air Corps (AAC) did not follow through on this amendment, Schwartz made visits to General
Henry H. Arnold and others to demand that black pilots be trained. During his term, Schwartz was chairman of the Committee on Pensions (
Seventy-seventh Congress). He was appointed by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt to the
National Mediation Board, serving from 1943 to 1947. == Life after politics ==