Importing PDF into InDesign

The answer is under the frame fitting options. If I select upper left from the square, the PDF imports perfectly. Thanks, all. 

As Peter said, you need to check Show Import Options when you place the PDF. From your description, you will likely want to import with Crop to Bounding Box, which will select only the area of the PDF with any art objects on it and ignore the rest of the white space.

This setting sticks, so it will apply for any future imports until you change it again, so it's probably usedful to leave Show Import Options checked, so you can select the most appropriate crop depending on what you're placing.

In the Object menu are Frame Fitting Options. If these were set while no object is selected, they become the default for new objects. You could try removing the PDF from the image frame, choosing Object>Fitting>Clear Frame Fitting Options and then importing the PDF again. Then, if it's still not what you want, experiment with the Fill Frame and Fit Frame choices in that same menu. And you can use the same width and height or percentage settings in the Control window that's usually at the top of the screen that allow you to set the geometry of a frame, but if you select the image within the frame either by double-clicking on the image or (if you have it active in View>Extras>Content Grabber) clicking the little donut in the middle of a selected image frame, you will change the content, rather than the frame.

Make sure you show import options, particularly the crop setting. Sounds like you need to change that, probably to crop box.