John H. Hager
Encyclopedia
John Henry Hager is an American politician who served as the chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia
from July 2007 until May 2008. He also served as Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
from 1998 to 2002, and as an assistant secretary within the United States Department of Education
from 2004 to 2007.
he ran a vending machine business, was an active member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon
, and was a member of ROTC. One term, his course load was 25 credit hours – about two thirds more than normal. He was graduated with a BSME
(mechanical engineering
) in 1958. Both his parents, Virgil and Ruth Hager, were 1928 Purdue alumni. Hager earned his MBA at Harvard
in 1960, and subsequently served in the Army
, rising to the rank of Captain.
Hager married Margaret Dickinson "Maggie" Chase on February 27, 1971; whom he have two sons, John (b.1973) and Henry (b.1978). Hager's younger son, Henry, married former President
George W. Bush
's fraternal twin daughter, Jenna on May 10, 2008 at her parents' Prairie Chapel Ranch
in Crawford, Texas
. He contracted polio when his son was vaccinated for the disease with live virus vaccine in 1973.
As a result, he uses a nonmotorized wheelchair
for daily ambulation – and competes in wheelchair races.
in Richmond, Virginia
. The company retired him after his bout with polio, but he returned – beginning at the bottom again. At American Tobacco, he served as a government affairs representative. Hager was forcibly retired from the American Tobacco Company
after the company's sale in 1994.
In 1975, he volunteered for Lieutenant Governor John N. Dalton
, and in 1984 he was a delegate
to the Republican National Convention
. In 1994, he co-chaired the Senatorial campaign for Oliver North
. He ran for state party chairman in 1992, and was treasurer of the state Republican Party in 1994.
Hager has served as the director of Virginia's homeland security under Governor
s Jim Gilmore
and Mark Warner
. Hager was elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
in 1997, defeating Democrat
Lewis F. Payne, Jr.
Hager is believed to be the first disabled individual to serve in an elected statewide office in Virginia.
In 2001, Hager ran for Governor of Virginia
, but lost the Republican nomination
to Virginia's then Attorney General
, Mark Earley
.
Hager is the former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Education
's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services. He was nominated to this position by President
George W. Bush
on May 24, 2004, confirmed by the Senate on November 21, 2004 and resigned effective August 1, 2007.
In July 2007, Hager was elected to serve as chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia
.
He was defeated for reelection by Delegate Jeff Frederick
in May 2008.
Republican Party of Virginia
The Republican Party of Virginia is the Virginia chapter of the Republican Party. It is based in the Richard D. Obenshain Center in Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia.- Organization and candidate selection :The State Party Plan...
from July 2007 until May 2008. He also served as Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years along with the Governor and Attorney General. The office is currently held by Republican William T. Bolling. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected...
from 1998 to 2002, and as an assistant secretary within the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
from 2004 to 2007.
Family and early life
Growing up in Durham, Hager started a neighborhood newspaper in 1945. While an undergraduate at Purdue UniversityPurdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
he ran a vending machine business, was an active member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity founded at the University of Alabama on March 9, 1856. Of all existing national social fraternities today, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is the only one founded in the Antebellum South...
, and was a member of ROTC. One term, his course load was 25 credit hours – about two thirds more than normal. He was graduated with a BSME
BS
BS, B.S., Bs or bs may refer to:-Academics:*Bachelor of Science degree, also abbreviated BSc*Bachelor of Surgery*Behavioural sciences-Standards:*Venezuelan bolívar's currency sign*Bolivian boliviano's currency sign...
(mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...
) in 1958. Both his parents, Virgil and Ruth Hager, were 1928 Purdue alumni. Hager earned his MBA at Harvard
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
in 1960, and subsequently served in the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, rising to the rank of Captain.
Hager married Margaret Dickinson "Maggie" Chase on February 27, 1971; whom he have two sons, John (b.1973) and Henry (b.1978). Hager's younger son, Henry, married former President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's fraternal twin daughter, Jenna on May 10, 2008 at her parents' Prairie Chapel Ranch
Prairie Chapel Ranch
Prairie Chapel Ranch is a 1,583 acre ranch in unincorporated McLennan County, Texas, located seven miles northwest of Crawford. The property was acquired by President George W...
in Crawford, Texas
Crawford, Texas
Crawford is a town located in western McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is best known as the home of former President of the United States George W. Bush. He currently resides at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, which is located just outside Crawford, Texas....
. He contracted polio when his son was vaccinated for the disease with live virus vaccine in 1973.
As a result, he uses a nonmotorized wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
for daily ambulation – and competes in wheelchair races.
Career
After his active duty military service, Hager began work for the American Tobacco CompanyAmerican Tobacco Company
The American Tobacco Company was a tobacco company founded in 1890 by J. B. Duke through a merger between a number of U.S. tobacco manufacturers including Allen and Ginter and Goodwin & Company...
in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. The company retired him after his bout with polio, but he returned – beginning at the bottom again. At American Tobacco, he served as a government affairs representative. Hager was forcibly retired from the American Tobacco Company
American Tobacco Company
The American Tobacco Company was a tobacco company founded in 1890 by J. B. Duke through a merger between a number of U.S. tobacco manufacturers including Allen and Ginter and Goodwin & Company...
after the company's sale in 1994.
In 1975, he volunteered for Lieutenant Governor John N. Dalton
John N. Dalton
John Nichols Dalton was the 63rd Governor of the U.S. state of Virginia from 1978 to 1982. Born in Emporia, Virginia, Dalton also served in both houses of the General Assembly and as Lieutenant Governor. He graduated from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, and the...
, and in 1984 he was a delegate
Delegate
A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations of the same level A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization (e.g., a government, a charity, an NGO, or a trade union) at a meeting or conference...
to the Republican National Convention
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention is the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States. Convened by the Republican National Committee, the stated purpose of the convocation is to nominate an official candidate in an upcoming U.S...
. In 1994, he co-chaired the Senatorial campaign for Oliver North
Oliver North
Oliver Laurence North is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, political commentator, host of War Stories with Oliver North on Fox News Channel, a military historian, and a New York Times best-selling author....
. He ran for state party chairman in 1992, and was treasurer of the state Republican Party in 1994.
Hager has served as the director of Virginia's homeland security under Governor
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
s Jim Gilmore
Jim Gilmore
James Stuart "Jim" Gilmore III is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Virginia, former 68th Governor of Virginia, and a member of the Republican Party. A native Virginian, Gilmore studied at the University of Virginia, and then served in the U.S. Army as a counterintelligence agent...
and Mark Warner
Mark Warner
Mark Robert Warner is an American politician and businessman, currently serving in the United States Senate as the junior senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Warner was the 69th governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and is the honorary chairman of...
. Hager was elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years along with the Governor and Attorney General. The office is currently held by Republican William T. Bolling. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected...
in 1997, defeating Democrat
Democratic Party of Virginia
The Democratic Party of Virginia is based in Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is affiliated with the national Democratic Party of the United States. The organization is governed by a State Party Plan, which guarantees an open and fair candidate selection process...
Lewis F. Payne, Jr.
Lewis F. Payne, Jr.
Lewis Franklin Payne, Jr. is a former member of the United States House of Representatives from the Commonwealth of Virginia. He served the of the state, which covers much of Southside Virginia....
Hager is believed to be the first disabled individual to serve in an elected statewide office in Virginia.
In 2001, Hager ran for Governor of Virginia
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
, but lost the Republican nomination
to Virginia's then Attorney General
Attorney General of Virginia
The Attorney General of Virginia is an executive office in the Government of Virginia. Attorneys General are elected for a four-year term in the year following a presidential election . There are no term limits restricting the number of terms someone can serve as Attorney General...
, Mark Earley
Mark Earley
Mark Lawrence Earley is an American politician. As a member of the Republican Party, he was elected to the Virginia State Senate and then as Attorney General of Virginia from 1998 to 2001. In 2001, he resigned as Attorney General to focus his time on the 2001 campaign for Governor of Virginia...
.
Hager is the former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services. He was nominated to this position by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on May 24, 2004, confirmed by the Senate on November 21, 2004 and resigned effective August 1, 2007.
In July 2007, Hager was elected to serve as chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia
Republican Party of Virginia
The Republican Party of Virginia is the Virginia chapter of the Republican Party. It is based in the Richard D. Obenshain Center in Richmond in the Commonwealth of Virginia.- Organization and candidate selection :The State Party Plan...
.
He was defeated for reelection by Delegate Jeff Frederick
Jeff Frederick
Jeffrey M. Frederick is a former member of the General Assembly of Virginia. A Republican, he served three terms in the Virginia House of Delegates and also served as chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia and as a member of the Republican National Committee from May 2008 to April...
in May 2008.
Memberships
- American Legion
- Chairman, Disability Commnission
- co-chmn. com. on Ednl. Infrastructure
- chmn. Faith Based Cmty. Svcs. Task Force
- vice-chmn. Gov.'s Commn. on Transp. Policy
- bd. dir., vice-chair Aerospace State Assn.
- trustee, v.p. Jamestown Yorktown Found.
- Honorary Chairman, Greater Richmond Convention Center
- Director, President, Sorensen Institute of Political Leadership
- dir. Ctr. for Politics, Port Jamestown 2001
- past dir. Partnership for Urban Va.
- past dir. Va. State C of C
- trustee, exec. com.
- Finance Committee, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
- 1st v.p., dir. Va. Pub. Safety Found., Inc.
- past pres., trustee, exec. com. Children's Hosp.
- Met. Richmond Conv. and Vis. Bur. (past chmn., dir., founding dir.)
- Va. Health Care Found. (past chmn., dir., exec. com.)
- 7th Dist. Rep. Party (past vice chmn. 3rd district, exec. com. mem. past precinct, ward and campaign chmn.)
- Rep. Party of Va. and del./alt. to 4 natl. convs. (past treas., past exec. com. mem., state ctrl. com. mem.)
- ruling elder, 1st Presbyterian Church, Richmond
- mem. drug task force Va. State Crime Commn.
Honors and awards
- Honorary degree from Mary Washington College
- Honorary degree from Averett College
- Honorary degree from University of Northern VirginiaUniversity of Northern VirginiaThe University of Northern Virginia or UNVA is an unaccredited for-profit private undergraduate and graduate university located in Northern Virginia. Founded in 1998, the university offers bachelors, Masters and doctoral degrees. The school's Virginia locations include Annandale, Manassas, and...
- Distinguished Engineering Alumnus, Purdue School of Engineering, 2007.
- Outstanding Young Men of America, 1976
- Man of the Year, Tobacco International Magazine, 1990
- Alumni Citizenship award, Purdue University, 1987
- Service award, Richmond Republican Committee, 1992
- Distinguished Alumni award, Durham AcademyDurham AcademyDurham Academy is an independent, coeducational, day school in Durham, North Carolina. Character education is emphasized school-wide, and community service opportunities abound from preschool through upper school. An experiential education program begins in fifth grade and includes a trip to...
, 1992 - Good Government award, Richmond First Club, 1996
- Tourism Leadership award, Metropolitan Richmond Convention and Visitors Bureau, 1997
- Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans award, Westminster-Canterbury, 1997
- Citizenship award Virginia Council of Indians, 1998
- Heritage award, Radford UniversityRadford UniversityRadford University is one of Virginia's eight doctoral-degree granting public universities. Originally founded in 1910, Radford offers comprehensive curricula for undergraduates in more than 100 fields, and graduate programs including the M.F.A., M.B.A...
, 2000, - Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year award, ARC, 2004
- Humanitarian award, National Conference of Community and Justice, 2002