John Hubert Hall
Encyclopedia
John Hubert Hall was an American Republican
politician from the US state of Oregon
. He was Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives
in 1947, fourth in line to the governorship, when the governor
, secretary of state
, and senate
president were all killed in a plane crash. He served as the 24th Governor of Oregon
for just over one year.
native, Hall was the son of John Hicklin Hall
, ultimately following his father's footsteps in law and government as a prominent attorney, politician, and jurist. He attended Culver Military academy in Indiana
and Lincoln and Jefferson high schools in Portland, and graduated from Oregon State University
in 1923 with a business administration degree.
During World War I, he served in the United States Navy
as a medical corpsman, and upon his return home, held a variety of jobs before entering Portland's Northwestern School of Law (now a part of Lewis & Clark College
), and was admitted to the bar in 1926. He married Elizabeth Walch on December 28, 1926, with whom he had two children before her death in 1937. He and Alyce Johnson married on December 31, 1941 and had one child.
In his practice, Hall specialized in corporate and business, representing many corporate clients, including liquor interests, which would play a role in his later political career. He had joined his father's firm in 1926, and upon the elder Hall's retirement, joined the Bowermann law firm in 1932, and later moved to Lincoln City, Oregon
, and opened a private practice.
(elected 1932, 1938, 1942, 1944, 1946) becoming Speaker in 1947. On October 28, 1947, Governor Earl Snell
was killed in a plane crash along with the next in line of succession, President of the Senate Marshall E. Cornett
. As second in line of succession, Hall became acting Governor of Oregon
until a 1948 special election
could be held to elect a governor to complete the term. (In 1972, Oregon Ballot Measure 8 added the Oregon Secretary of State
as first in line of succession; however, since Secretary of State Robert S. Farrell, Jr.
was also killed in this crash, the result would have been the same.)
During Hall's short tenure as Governor, he sought to adjust wages and salaries of state employees for inflation, was a strong supporter of education, and favored a plan to allocate state surpluses on construction projects for higher educational and other state institutions.
From the beginning, Hall's administration was marked by controversy regarding his attempts to liberalize the state's regulation of the liquor industry. He sought to reorganize the Oregon Liquor Control Commission
, which he had felt had been arbitrary and non-judicial in its decisions when he had represented clients before it, and unresponsive to the legislature during his tenure as a State Representative. The issue came to a head with his dismissal of a commission member who had publicly disagreed with the governor over removing limits on the purchase of liquor.
During the height of the controversy, State Senator Douglas McKay
, a friend of late Governor Snell, and president of the Automobile Dealer's Association, announced that he would challenge Hall in the 1948 Republican primary, and quickly launched a well-financed and organized campaign. A contentious race ensued, in which charges of conflicts of interest and immorality were brought to bear against Hall because of his liquor industry ties. Hall lost the nomination to McKay by a statewide vote of 103,224 to 107,993.
, to practice law. He served one term as an Oregon district judge,(elected 1965), overcame throat cancer, and after a short period of semi-retirement, died in Newport
on November 14, 1970.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician from the US state of 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...
. He was Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
in 1947, fourth in line to the governorship, when the governor
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
, secretary of state
Oregon Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the Governor. The duties of office are: auditor of public accounts, chief elections officer, and administrator of public...
, and senate
Oregon 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,...
president were all killed in a plane crash. He served as the 24th Governor of Oregon
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
for just over one year.
Early life and education
A PortlandPortland, 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...
native, Hall was the son of John Hicklin Hall
John Hicklin Hall
John Hicklin Hall was a politician and attorney in the U.S. state of Oregon. A native of the Portland area, he served in the Oregon House of Representatives in the early 1890s before appointment as the United States District Attorney for Oregon...
, ultimately following his father's footsteps in law and government as a prominent attorney, politician, and jurist. He attended Culver Military academy in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and Lincoln and Jefferson high schools in Portland, and graduated from Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
in 1923 with a business administration degree.
During World War I, he served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
as a medical corpsman, and upon his return home, held a variety of jobs before entering Portland's Northwestern School of Law (now a part of Lewis & Clark College
Lewis & Clark College
Lewis & Clark College is a private institution of higher learning located in Portland, Oregon. Made up of an undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences, a School of Law, and a Graduate School of Education and Counseling. Lewis & Clark is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges with athletic...
), and was admitted to the bar in 1926. He married Elizabeth Walch on December 28, 1926, with whom he had two children before her death in 1937. He and Alyce Johnson married on December 31, 1941 and had one child.
In his practice, Hall specialized in corporate and business, representing many corporate clients, including liquor interests, which would play a role in his later political career. He had joined his father's firm in 1926, and upon the elder Hall's retirement, joined the Bowermann law firm in 1932, and later moved to Lincoln City, Oregon
Lincoln City, Oregon
Lincoln City is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. It is named after the county. The population was 7,930 at the 2010 census.- History :...
, and opened a private practice.
Political career
Hall was a member of the Oregon House of RepresentativesOregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
(elected 1932, 1938, 1942, 1944, 1946) becoming Speaker in 1947. On October 28, 1947, Governor Earl Snell
Earl Snell
Earl Willcox Snell was an Oregon businessman American Republican politician, serving in the Oregon House of Representatives, as the Oregon Secretary of State, and as the 23rd Governor of Oregon....
was killed in a plane crash along with the next in line of succession, President of the Senate Marshall E. Cornett
Marshall E. Cornett
Marshall Eugene Cornett was an Oregon businessman and American Republican politician serving in the Oregon State Senate and as Senate President during the 1947 legislative session. Along with Governor of Oregon Earl Snell and Oregon Secretary of State Robert S...
. As second in line of succession, Hall became acting Governor of Oregon
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
until a 1948 special election
Oregon gubernatorial special election, 1948
The 1948 Oregon gubernatorial special election took place on November 2, 1948 and was a special election, due to the death of governor Earl Snell, in a plane crash on October 28, 1947.-Campaign:...
could be held to elect a governor to complete the term. (In 1972, Oregon Ballot Measure 8 added the Oregon Secretary of State
Oregon Secretary of State
The Secretary of State of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the Governor. The duties of office are: auditor of public accounts, chief elections officer, and administrator of public...
as first in line of succession; however, since Secretary of State Robert S. Farrell, Jr.
Robert S. Farrell, Jr.
Robert S. Farrell, Jr. was an American Republican politician in the state of Oregon.-Political career:He lived in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon and served as a Delegate to the Republican National Convention from Oregon in both 1940 and 1944. Farrell was elected as the Speaker of the Oregon...
was also killed in this crash, the result would have been the same.)
During Hall's short tenure as Governor, he sought to adjust wages and salaries of state employees for inflation, was a strong supporter of education, and favored a plan to allocate state surpluses on construction projects for higher educational and other state institutions.
From the beginning, Hall's administration was marked by controversy regarding his attempts to liberalize the state's regulation of the liquor industry. He sought to reorganize the Oregon Liquor Control Commission
Oregon Liquor Control Commission
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission is a government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon. The OLCC was created by an act of the Oregon Legislative Assembly in 1933, days after the repeal of prohibition, as a means of providing control over the distribution, sales and consumption of alcoholic...
, which he had felt had been arbitrary and non-judicial in its decisions when he had represented clients before it, and unresponsive to the legislature during his tenure as a State Representative. The issue came to a head with his dismissal of a commission member who had publicly disagreed with the governor over removing limits on the purchase of liquor.
During the height of the controversy, State Senator Douglas McKay
Douglas McKay
James Douglas McKay was an American businessman and politician from Oregon. A native of the state, he served in World War I before he became a successful businessman, mainly as a car dealership owner in the capital city of Salem. A Republican, he served as a city councilor and mayor of Salem...
, a friend of late Governor Snell, and president of the Automobile Dealer's Association, announced that he would challenge Hall in the 1948 Republican primary, and quickly launched a well-financed and organized campaign. A contentious race ensued, in which charges of conflicts of interest and immorality were brought to bear against Hall because of his liquor industry ties. Hall lost the nomination to McKay by a statewide vote of 103,224 to 107,993.
Later life
After leaving office as Governor, Hall moved to Lincoln County, OregonLincoln County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge*Siuslaw National Forest -Demographics:...
, to practice law. He served one term as an Oregon district judge,(elected 1965), overcame throat cancer, and after a short period of semi-retirement, died in Newport
Newport, Oregon
Newport is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. It was incorporated in 1882, though the name dates back to the establishment of a post office in 1868...
on November 14, 1970.