John H. Mitchell
Encyclopedia
John Hipple Mitchell, also known as John Mitchell Hipple, John H. Mitchell, or J. H. Mitchell (June 22, 1835 December 8, 1905) was a controversial American lawyer and politician, who served as a Republican United States Senator
from Oregon
on three occasions between 1872 and 1905. He also served as State Senate President, did the initial legal work involved in the dispute that led to the landmark Supreme Court case of Pennoyer v. Neff
, and later was involved with the Oregon land fraud scandal
, for which he was indicted and convicted while a sitting U.S. Senator, one of only eleven sitting U.S. Senators ever indicted, and one of only five ever convicted.
, with the name John Mitchell Hipple. He moved with his parents to Butler County, Pennsylvania
, at the age of two. He attended public schools during much of his childhood, but also attended some private schools including the Witherspoon Institute. As a young man he was a schoolteacher. He seduced a 15-year-old female student, and, due to the resulting scandal, was forced to marry her.
with a local schoolteacher with whom he was having an affair. After arriving in California, he abandoned her and moved to Portland, Oregon
. It was then that he decided to change his name to John Hipple Mitchell, using his middle name as his last name, and attempted to start a completely new life in Oregon. Almost immediately, he started to become a successful lawyer and build political connections. Mitchell was not an intellectual man, but he was very ambitious and knew how to develop business and political friendships with important people. In 1867, he was hired as a professor at Willamette University School of Medicine to teach medical jurisprudence. Mitchell remained as professor for almost four years.
During his law practice in Oregon, Mitchell did some legal work for a client named Marcus Neff
. Mitchell's dispute with Neff regarding some unpaid legal bills gave rise to the circumstances that led to the U.S. Supreme Court case of Pennoyer v. Neff
.
. In 1864 he became President of the state senate and served in that position until 1866. Because United States Senators were elected by the state legislatures during his lifetime, and that was the only office that Mitchell was to seek, this early position in the state senate was the only popularly elected office that he would ever run for or win.
Mitchell was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate from Oregon in 1866, losing to Henry W. Corbett
. He tried again in 1872 and this time won, taking office in 1873. He petitioned to officially change his name after he was elected.
By this time, he had married again, but had not divorced the woman he had married in Pennsylvania. His opponents tried to block him from becoming a senator by asking a senate committee to expel him for what he had done in the past, charging him with bigamy
, desertion and living under an assumed name. Though these charges were certainly true, the Senate Committee decided they were not relevant. Mitchell served in the Senate from 1873 to 1879, and was defeated for reelection. He ran for reelection to the Senate in 1882 but lost. In 1885, however, he was elected again to the Senate, and reelected in 1890.
Mitchell sought reelection by the Oregon Legislature in 1897, but his candidacy proved to be highly divisive: the resulting scandal prevented the 19th Oregon Legislative Assembly
from organizing and, consequently, left Oregon with a vacant U.S. Senate seat for nearly two years. Joseph Simon
was ultimately chosen for the seat.
While not in the Senate, Mitchell practiced law. Mitchell's last term in the Senate began in 1901 and was to last until 1907, but Mitchell died before it expired.
Mitchell was devoted to business interests and was against the populists and their political reforms. In the Senate, he was interested in transportation issues. He was chairman of the committee on railroads from 1877 to 1879 and from 1889 to 1893, and chairman of several committees related to coastlines and the ocean during his terms in the Senate. He was also chairman of the committee on claims from 1891 to 1893 and chairman of the committee of elections and privileges from 1895 to 1897.
In 1905, Mitchell was indicted in the Oregon land fraud scandal
, involving his use of political influence in the federal government to help clients with their land claims. While he was convicted, he was never sentenced. An appeal of the conviction was under way and the Senate was beginning proceedings to expel him when Mitchell died of an illness in Portland, Oregon
. He was buried at River View Cemetery
in Portland.
, was named after him.
His daughter, Marie Elisabeth Mitchell, married François XVI Alfred Gaston, 5th Duc de La Rochefoucauld
, Duc de Liancourt, Prince de Marcillac, Duc d'Anville, in 1892.
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
on three occasions between 1872 and 1905. He also served as State Senate President, did the initial legal work involved in the dispute that led to the landmark Supreme Court case of Pennoyer v. Neff
Pennoyer v. Neff
Pennoyer v. Neff, 95 U.S. 714 , was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in which the Court held that a court can exert personal jurisdiction over a party if that party is served with process while physically present within the state.-Factual and procedural background:Marcus Neff...
, and later was involved with the Oregon land fraud scandal
Oregon land fraud scandal
The Oregon land fraud scandal of the early 20th century involved U.S. government land grants in the U.S. state of Oregon being illegally obtained with the assistance of public officials. Most of Oregon's U.S. congressional delegation received indictments in the case: U.S. Senator John H....
, for which he was indicted and convicted while a sitting U.S. Senator, one of only eleven sitting U.S. Senators ever indicted, and one of only five ever convicted.
Early life
He was born in Washington County, PennsylvaniaWashington County, Pennsylvania
-Government and politics:As of November 2008, there are 152,534 registered voters in Washington County .* Democratic: 89,027 * Republican: 49,025 * Other Parties: 14,482...
, with the name John Mitchell Hipple. He moved with his parents to Butler County, Pennsylvania
Butler County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 174,083 people, 65,862 households, and 46,827 families residing in the county. The population density was 221 people per square mile . There were 69,868 housing units at an average density of 89 per square mile...
, at the age of two. He attended public schools during much of his childhood, but also attended some private schools including the Witherspoon Institute. As a young man he was a schoolteacher. He seduced a 15-year-old female student, and, due to the resulting scandal, was forced to marry her.
Legal career
In 1857, Mitchell stopped teaching and decided to become a lawyer. He built a successful law practice in Pennsylvania. However, in 1860, he decided to leave his community and family, and moved to CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
with a local schoolteacher with whom he was having an affair. After arriving in California, he abandoned her and moved to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. It was then that he decided to change his name to John Hipple Mitchell, using his middle name as his last name, and attempted to start a completely new life in Oregon. Almost immediately, he started to become a successful lawyer and build political connections. Mitchell was not an intellectual man, but he was very ambitious and knew how to develop business and political friendships with important people. In 1867, he was hired as a professor at Willamette University School of Medicine to teach medical jurisprudence. Mitchell remained as professor for almost four years.
During his law practice in Oregon, Mitchell did some legal work for a client named Marcus Neff
Marcus Neff
Marcus Neff was the respondent in the United States Supreme Court case Pennoyer v. Neff. Neff was one of the early settlers of the U.S. state of Oregon, having traveled there from Iowa in early 1848. Neff subsequently claimed a parcel of land in Oregon under the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850...
. Mitchell's dispute with Neff regarding some unpaid legal bills gave rise to the circumstances that led to the U.S. Supreme Court case of Pennoyer v. Neff
Pennoyer v. Neff
Pennoyer v. Neff, 95 U.S. 714 , was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in which the Court held that a court can exert personal jurisdiction over a party if that party is served with process while physically present within the state.-Factual and procedural background:Marcus Neff...
.
Political career
Two years after arriving in Oregon, in 1862, he was elected to the Oregon State SenateOregon State Senate
The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the state-wide legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the State Senate, representing 30 districts across the state,...
. In 1864 he became President of the state senate and served in that position until 1866. Because United States Senators were elected by the state legislatures during his lifetime, and that was the only office that Mitchell was to seek, this early position in the state senate was the only popularly elected office that he would ever run for or win.
Mitchell was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States Senate from Oregon in 1866, losing to Henry W. Corbett
Henry W. Corbett
Henry Winslow Corbett was an American businessman and politician in the state of Oregon. A native of Massachusetts, he spend much of his early life in the state of New York before moving to the Oregon Territory where he continued his business interests in retail, and later transportation and banking...
. He tried again in 1872 and this time won, taking office in 1873. He petitioned to officially change his name after he was elected.
By this time, he had married again, but had not divorced the woman he had married in Pennsylvania. His opponents tried to block him from becoming a senator by asking a senate committee to expel him for what he had done in the past, charging him with bigamy
Bigamy
In cultures that practice marital monogamy, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. Bigamy is a crime in most western countries, and when it occurs in this context often neither the first nor second spouse is aware of the other...
, desertion and living under an assumed name. Though these charges were certainly true, the Senate Committee decided they were not relevant. Mitchell served in the Senate from 1873 to 1879, and was defeated for reelection. He ran for reelection to the Senate in 1882 but lost. In 1885, however, he was elected again to the Senate, and reelected in 1890.
Mitchell sought reelection by the Oregon Legislature in 1897, but his candidacy proved to be highly divisive: the resulting scandal prevented the 19th Oregon Legislative Assembly
19th Oregon Legislative Assembly
The 19th Oregon Legislative Assembly was scheduled to convene January 11, 1897. The Senate organized, but the House failed to do so. In the House, two factions formed, neither of which had enough members to constitute a quorum....
from organizing and, consequently, left Oregon with a vacant U.S. Senate seat for nearly two years. Joseph Simon
Joseph Simon
Joseph Simon was a German-born politician and attorney in the U.S. state of Oregon. He was born in Bechtheim, Germany, and his family immigrated to the United States when he was one year old, settling in Portland, Oregon. A Republican, Simon served on the city council before election to the Oregon...
was ultimately chosen for the seat.
While not in the Senate, Mitchell practiced law. Mitchell's last term in the Senate began in 1901 and was to last until 1907, but Mitchell died before it expired.
Mitchell was devoted to business interests and was against the populists and their political reforms. In the Senate, he was interested in transportation issues. He was chairman of the committee on railroads from 1877 to 1879 and from 1889 to 1893, and chairman of several committees related to coastlines and the ocean during his terms in the Senate. He was also chairman of the committee on claims from 1891 to 1893 and chairman of the committee of elections and privileges from 1895 to 1897.
In 1905, Mitchell was indicted in the Oregon land fraud scandal
Oregon land fraud scandal
The Oregon land fraud scandal of the early 20th century involved U.S. government land grants in the U.S. state of Oregon being illegally obtained with the assistance of public officials. Most of Oregon's U.S. congressional delegation received indictments in the case: U.S. Senator John H....
, involving his use of political influence in the federal government to help clients with their land claims. While he was convicted, he was never sentenced. An appeal of the conviction was under way and the Senate was beginning proceedings to expel him when Mitchell died of an illness in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He was buried at River View Cemetery
River View Cemetery (Portland, Oregon)
River View Cemetery in the southwest section of Portland, Oregon, United States, is a non-profit cemetery founded in 1882. It is the final resting place of many prominent and notable citizens of Oregon, including many governors and United States Senators...
in Portland.
Legacy and family
The town of Mitchell, OregonMitchell, Oregon
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 170 people, 75 households, and 42 families residing in the city. The population density was 144.6 people per square mile . There were 91 housing units at an average density of 77.4 per square mile...
, was named after him.
His daughter, Marie Elisabeth Mitchell, married François XVI Alfred Gaston, 5th Duc de La Rochefoucauld
Duc de La Rochefoucauld
The title of Duke de La Rochefoucauld was a French peerage, one of most famous families of French nobility, whose origins go back to lord Rochefoucauld in Charente of the 10th Century - 11th Century...
, Duc de Liancourt, Prince de Marcillac, Duc d'Anville, in 1892.
External links
- John H. Mitchell - Oregon History Project