Mark Hatfield
Encyclopedia
Mark Odom Hatfield was an American politician and educator from the state of Oregon
. A Republican
, he served for 30 years as a United States Senator from Oregon, and also as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. A native Oregonian, he served in the United States Navy
in the Pacific Theater
during World War II
after graduating from Willamette University
. After the war he earned a graduate degree from Stanford University
before returning to Oregon and Willamette as a professor.
While still teaching, Hatfield served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly
. He won election to the Oregon Secretary of State
's office at the age of 34 and two years later was elected as the 29th Governor of Oregon
. He was the youngest person to ever serve in either of those offices, and served two terms as governor before election to the United States Senate
. In the Senate he served for 30 years, and now holds the record for longest tenure of any Senator from Oregon. At the time of his retirement, he was 7th most senior Senator as well as second most senior Republican. In 1968, he was considered a candidate to be Richard Nixon
's running mate for the Republican Party presidential ticket.
Hatfield served as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations
on two different occasions. With this role, he was able to direct funding to Oregon and research-related projects. Several Oregon institutions, buildings and facilities are named in his honor, including the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse
in Portland
, the Mark O. Hatfield Library
at Willamette University
(his alma mater
), the Hatfield Government Center
light rail station, the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government in the College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University, and the Hatfield Marine Science Center
in Newport
. Outside of Oregon, a research center at the National Institutes of Health
is also named in his honor for his support of medical research while in the Senate. Hatfield died in Portland on August 7, 2011, after a long illness.
, on July 12, 1922, the only son of Dovie Odom Hatfield, a schoolteacher
, and Charles Dolen Hatfield, a blacksmith
for the Southern Pacific Railroad
. Mark's father was from Oregon and his mother from Tennessee
. When Mark was five years old, his grandmother took over the household while Dovie attended Oregon State College (now Oregon State University
) and graduated with a teaching degree after four years. She taught school in Dallas for two years before the family moved to Salem
, where she taught junior high school.
Encouraged by his mother, Hatfield's first experience with politics came at the age of 10, when he campaigned in his neighborhood for President Herbert Hoover
's 1932 re-election campaign. In the late 1930s Hatfield worked as a tour guide at the new Oregon State Capitol Building
in Salem, using his key to enter the governor's office, where he sat in the governor's chair.
While in high school, on June 10, 1940, when he was 17 years old, Hatfield was involved in a traffic accident that turned deadly. While driving his mother's car, Hatfield struck and killed Alice Marie Lane south of Salem as she crossed the street. He was not held criminally liable for the crash, but was found civilly liable to the family. The case made its way to the Oregon Supreme Court
in 1943, with the court affirming the trial court's decision.
Hatfield graduated from Salem High School (now North Salem High School) in 1940 and then enrolled at Willamette University
, also in Salem. While attending Willamette, Hatfield became a brother of Alpha Phi Omega
and Kappa Gamma Rho, which he later helped become a chapter of Beta Theta Pi
. In college he also worked part-time for then Oregon Secretary of State Earl Snell
, where he learned how to build a political base by sending out messages to potential voters after reading about life changes posted in newspapers, such as deaths and graduations. He also sketched out a political career path beginning with the state legislature and culminating in a spot in the United States Senate, with a blank for any position beyond the Senate. Hatfield graduated from Willamette in 1943 with a Bachelor of Arts
degree after three years at the school. While at the school he lost his only election, for student body president.
Hatfield joined the U.S. Navy
after graduation, taking part in the World War II
battles at Iwo Jima
and Okinawa
as a landing craft
officer where he witnessed the carnage of the war. A lieutenant, he also witnessed the effects of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
, as one of the first Americans to see the ruins of the city (later, as Senator, Hatfield opposed arms proliferation and the Vietnam War
). After Japan, he served in French Indochina
, where he witnessed firsthand the wealth divide between the peasant Vietnamese and the colonial French bourgeoisie. After his discharge, he spent one year at Willamette’s law school
, but decided politics or teaching better suited him.
Hatfield then enrolled at Stanford University
, where he obtained a master's degree
in political science 1948. He returned to Salem and Willamette after Stanford and began working as an assistant professor in political science. During his tenure as professor, he built a political base by sending out messages and speaking at any public forum where he could get an invitation.
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Mark Hatfield's career in public office spanned five decades as he held office in both the legislative and executive branches of Oregon's state government, including two terms as governor. On the national stage he became the longest serving U.S. Senator from Oregon and a candidate for the Republican Vice Presidential nomination in 1968. In the U.S. Senate he would twice serve as chairman of the Appropriations Committee
, and twice be investigated for possible ethics violations.
and serving as dean of students at Willamette, Hatfield began his political career by winning election to the Oregon House of Representatives
as a Republican. He defeated six others for the seat at a time when state assembly elections were still determined by county-wide votes. He served for two terms representing Marion County
and Salem in the lower chamber of the Oregon Legislative Assembly
. At the time he was the youngest legislator in Oregon and still lived at his parents' home. Hatfield would teach early-morning classes and then walk across the street to the Capitol to legislate.
In 1952 he won re-election to his seat in the Oregon House. He also received national attention for his early support for coaxing Dwight D. Eisenhower
to run for President of the United States as a Republican. This earned him a spot as a delegate at the Republican National Convention
that year.
While in college he saw firsthand the discrimination against African Americans in Salem when he was tasked with driving Black artists back to Portland, as they were prohibited from staying in hotels in Salem. In 1953, he introduced and passed legislation in the House that prohibited discrimination based on race in public accommodations before federal legislation and court decisions did so on a national level. In 1954, Hatfield ran and won a seat in the Oregon State Senate
representing Marion County. While in the legislature, he continued to apply the grassroots strategy he learned from Earl Snell, but expanded it to cover the entire state to increase his political base.
After serving in the state senate, he became the youngest secretary of state
in Oregon history after winning election in 1956 at age 34. Hatfield defeated fellow state senator Monroe Sweetland
for the office, receiving 51.3% of the vote in the November general election. He took office on January 7, 1957, and remained until he resigned on January 12, 1959.
For his first run for Governor of Oregon
in 1958, the Republican Party opposed his candidacy going into the primary election. The large political base he had cultivated allowed him to win the party's primary despite the party's opposition. In the primary he defeated Oregon State Treasurer
Sig Unander for the Republican nomination. In July 1958, after the primary election, Hatfield married Antoinette Kuzmanich, a counselor at Portland State College (now Portland State University
). The marriage during the campaign drew some attention as the Catholic Kuzmanich converted to Hatfield's Baptist religion. The couple would have four children: Elizabeth, Mark Jr., Theresa and Visko. He continued his campaign for the governor's office after the wedding, but avoided most public appearances with fellow Republican candidates for office and did not mention them during his campaign, despite requests by other Republicans for joint appearances.
In the November general election Hatfield faced Democratic incumbent Robert D. Holmes
. In the final days of the campaign U.S. Senator Wayne Morse
, a Democrat, implied Hatfield lied in his trial regarding the deadly car accident when he was 17. This tactic backfired as the press denounced the comments, as did Holmes and other Democrats. Hatfield defeated Holmes, winning 55.3% of the vote in the election. That same election saw the Democratic Party gain a majority in both chambers of the state legislature for the first time since 1878. Holmes' defeat was attributed in part to the image and charisma portrayed by Hatfield and in part due to the campaign issues such as the declining economy, increased taxation, capital punishment, labor, and education. After the election, Holmes attempted to appoint David O'Hara as Secretary of State to replace Hatfield, who would have to resign to become governor. Hatfield appointed Howell Appling, Jr.
to the office, and O'Hara challenged the appointment in state court. The Oregon Supreme Court
ruled in favor of Hatfield on the constitutional issue
, with the appointment of Appling confirmed. He was the youngest governor in the history of Oregon at that point in time at the age of 36.
In 1962 Hatfield had been considered a possible candidate to run against Morse for his Senate seat, but Hatfield instead ran for re-election. He faced Oregon Attorney General
Robert Y. Thornton
in the general election, winning with 345,497 votes to Thorton's 265,359. He became the state's first two-term governor in the 20th century when he was re-elected in 1962, and later became only the second governor up to that point in the state's history to serve two full-terms.
Hatfield gave the keynote speech at the 1964 Republican National Convention
in San Francisco that nominated Barry Goldwater
and served as temporary chairman of the party during the convention. He advocated a moderate approach for the party and opposed the extreme conservatism associated with Goldwater and his supporters. He also was the only governor to vote against a resolution by the National Governors' Conference supporting the Johnson Administration's
policy on the Vietnam War
, as Hatfield opposed the war, but pledged "unqualified and complete support" for the troops. He preferred the use of economic sanctions
to end the war.
Hatfield was a popular Governor who supported Oregon's traditional industries of timber and agriculture, but felt that in the postwar era expansion of industry and funding for transportation and education needed to be priorities. While governor he worked to begin the diversification of the state's economy, such as recruiting industrial development and holding trade missions. As part of the initiative, he helped to found the Oregon Graduate Center (now part of Oregon Health & Science University
) in what is now the Silicon Forest
in Washington County
in 1963. A graduate level school in the Portland area (Portland State
was still a college with no graduate programs at this time) was seen by business leaders as essential to attracting new industries and by Tektronix
as needed to retain highly skilled workers. In lieu of the standard portrait for former governors, Hatfield is represented by a marble bust at the Oregon State Capitol.
Limited to two terms as governor, Hatfield announced his candidacy in the 1966 U.S. Senate election
for the seat vacated by the retiring Maurine Neuberger. During the Vietnam War
, and during an election year, he was the only person to vote against a resolution by a governors' conference that expressed support for the U.S. involvement in the war in 1966. At that time the war was supported by 75 percent of the public, and was also supported by Hatfield's opponent in the November election. He won the primary election with 178,782 votes compared to a combined 56,760 votes for three opponents. Hatfield then defeated Democratic Congressman Robert Duncan
in the election. In order to finish his term as governor, which ended on January 9, 1967, he delayed taking his oath of office in the Senate until January 10 instead of the usual January 3.
Hatfield's re-election victory for governor in 1962 in a Democratic year made him something of a national figure. In 1968, Hatfield was on Richard Nixon
's short list for vice president
, and received the strong backing of his friend, the Rev. Billy Graham
. Hatfield was considered too liberal by many southern conservatives, and Nixon chose the more centrist Maryland
Governor Spiro Agnew
. Hatfield would later find himself at odds with Nixon over Vietnam and other issues, including a threat by Hatfield to reduce funding for the White House
's legal department in 1973 during the Watergate Scandal
, after Nixon had failed to use funds appropriated for renovating dams on the Columbia River
.
As a senator Hatfield took positions that made him hard to classify politically. In the Summer of 1969, he had told Murray Rothbard that he had "committed himself to the cause of libertarianism." Rothbard remarked concerning Hatfield, "obviously his voting record is not particularly libertarian—it's very good on foreign policy and the draft, but it's not too great on other things", adding that "in the abstract, at least, he is very favorable to libertarianism." Hatfield was pro-life on the issues of abortion
and the death penalty, though as governor he chose not to commute the sentence of a convicted murderer and allowed that execution to go forward. Although a prominent evangelical Christian, he opposed government-sponsored school prayer and supported civil rights for minorities and gays.
In 1970, with Senator George McGovern
(D-South Dakota), he co-sponsored the McGovern-Hatfield Amendment
, which called for a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam
. In the 1980s, Hatfield co-sponsored nuclear freeze legislation with Senator Edward M. Kennedy, as well as co-authoring a book on the topic. He also advocated for the closure of the N-Reactor
at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation
in the 1980s, though he was a supporter of nuclear fusion
programs. The N-Reactor was used for producing weapons grade plutonium while producing electricity.
Hatfield frequently broke with his party on issues of national defense and foreign policy, such as military spending and the ban on travel to Cuba
, while often siding with them on environmental and conservation issues. Senator Hatfield supported increased logging on federal lands. He was the lone Republican to vote against the 1981 fiscal year's appropriations bill for the Department of Defense
. He was rated as the sixth most respected senator in a 1987 survey by fellow senators. In 1990, Hatfield voted against authorizing military action against Iraq
in the Gulf War
, one of only two members of his party to do so in the Senate.
Sometimes referred to as "Saint Mark", Hatfield enjoyed warm relations with members of both Republican and Democratic parties. In 1984, columnist Jack Anderson revealed that Mrs. Hatfield, a realtor, had been paid $50,000 in fees by Greek arms dealer Basil Tsakos. Tsakos had been lobbying Senator Hatfield, then Appropriations Chairman, for funding for a $6 billion trans-African pipeline. The Hatfields apologized and donated the money to a Portland hospital. In 1991, it was revealed that Hatfield had failed to report a number of expensive gifts from the president of the University of South Carolina
James B. Holderman. Again, he apologized. The Senate's Ethics Committee
rebuked Hatfield for the latter, but cleared him of any wrongdoing for the 1984 incident.
His final re-election campaign came in 1990
against businessman Harry Lonsdale
. Lonsdale aggressively went after Hatfield with television attack ads
that attacked Hatfield as out of touch on issues such as abortion and timber management and accused the incumbent of being too closely allied with special interest groups in Washington. Lonsdale's tactics moved him even with, and then ahead of Hatfield in some polls. Hatfield, who had typically stayed above the fray of campaigning, was forced to respond in kind with attack ads of his own. He raised $1 million in a single month after trailing Lonsdale in the polls before the November election. He defeated the Democrat with 590,095 (53.7 percent) votes to 507,743 (46.2 percent) votes.
In 1993 he became the longest serving Senator from Oregon, surpassing the record of 9,726 days in office previously held by Charles McNary. In 1995, Hatfield was the only Republican in the Senate to vote against the proposed balanced budget amendment, and was the deciding vote that prevented the passage of the bill. In 1996 the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, a group he served on previously, granted him their Distinguished Service Award.
Senator Hatfield retired in 1996 after more than 46 years of political service, having won all eleven political campaigns he entered. During his tenure he gained billions of dollars in the form of federal appropriations for projects in Oregon. This included funding for transportation projects, environmental protection of wilderness areas and scenic rivers, research facilities, and health care facilities.
After retiring from political office, he returned to Oregon and teaching, joining the faculty of George Fox University
in Newberg, Oregon
. As of 2006, he was the Herbert Hoover Emeritus
Distinguished Professor of Politics at the school. Additionally, he taught at the Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University
, which is named in his honor, and lectured at Willamette University
and Lewis & Clark College
while living in Portland.
In July 1999, Hatfield and his wife were passengers on a tour bus when a car collided with the bus. He and his wife received minor injuries, but began advocating for buses to be required to have seat belts.
The Mark O. Hatfield Library
at Willamette is dedicated to him, along with Oregon State University
's Hatfield Marine Science Center
. Other namesakes include the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center at the National Institutes of Health
in Bethesda, Maryland
; Hatfield Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University
; the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness
, Mark O. Hatfield Institute for International Understanding at Southwestern Oregon Community College
; Hatfield Government Center station
at the western terminus of the MAX Blue Line
light rail
; Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse
in Portland
; the Mark Hatfield trailhead at the western end of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail in the Columbia River Gorge
; and the Mark Hatfield Award for clinical research in Alzheimer's disease.
From February 2000 to May 2008 Hatfield served on the board of directors for Oregon Health & Science University. His papers and book collection are stored in the Willamette University Archives and Special Collections, inside the Mark O. Hatfield Library. Senator Hatfield merited his own chapter in Tom Brokaw
's The Greatest Generation.
In 2010, a group of filmmakers began production on a documentary film about Hatfield's public service.
Hatfield was admitted to the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research hospital at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland in November 2010 for observation after his health began to decline. Mark Hatfield died at a care facility in Portland on August 7, 2011, after several years of illness. A specific cause of death was not immediately given.
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...
. A Republican
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...
, he served for 30 years as a United States Senator from Oregon, and also as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. A native Oregonian, 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...
in the Pacific Theater
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
after graduating from Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
. After the war he earned a graduate degree from Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
before returning to Oregon and Willamette as a professor.
While still teaching, Hatfield served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
. He won election to 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...
's office at the age of 34 and two years later was elected as the 29th 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....
. He was the youngest person to ever serve in either of those offices, and served two terms as governor before election to the United States Senate
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...
. In the Senate he served for 30 years, and now holds the record for longest tenure of any Senator from Oregon. At the time of his retirement, he was 7th most senior Senator as well as second most senior Republican. In 1968, he was considered a candidate to be Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's running mate for the Republican Party presidential ticket.
Hatfield served as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations
United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate....
on two different occasions. With this role, he was able to direct funding to Oregon and research-related projects. Several Oregon institutions, buildings and facilities are named in his honor, including the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse
Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse
The Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse is a federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon. It is named in honor of former U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield. It is used by the United States District Court for the District of Oregon....
in Portland
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...
, the Mark O. Hatfield Library
Mark O. Hatfield Library
The Mark O. Hatfield Library is the main library at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1986, it is a member of the Hatfield Library Consortium along with several library lending networks and is a designated Federal depository library. Willamette's original library was...
at Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
(his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
), the Hatfield Government Center
Hatfield Government Center (MAX station)
The Hatfield Government Center station is a light rail station on the MAX Blue Line in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The station is the 20th stop westbound on the Westside MAX, and the western terminus of the MAX Blue Line route...
light rail station, the Mark O. Hatfield School of Government in the College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University, and the Hatfield Marine Science Center
Hatfield Marine Science Center
Hatfield Marine Science Center is a marine science research and education center next to Yaquina Bay of the Pacific Ocean in the U.S state of Oregon. It is operated by Oregon State University in cooperation with five state and federal agencies co-located on site. Named after Mark Hatfield, a...
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...
. Outside of Oregon, a research center at the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
is also named in his honor for his support of medical research while in the Senate. Hatfield died in Portland on August 7, 2011, after a long illness.
Early life
Hatfield was born in Dallas, OregonDallas, Oregon
The city of Dallas is the county seat of Polk County, Oregon, United States. The population was 14,583 at the 2010 census.Dallas is located on Rickreall Creek, approximately 15 miles west of Salem, at an altitude of 325 feet above sea level...
, on July 12, 1922, the only son of Dovie Odom Hatfield, a schoolteacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, and Charles Dolen Hatfield, a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
for the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
. Mark's father was from Oregon and his mother from Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. When Mark was five years old, his grandmother took over the household while Dovie attended Oregon State College (now 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...
) and graduated with a teaching degree after four years. She taught school in Dallas for two years before the family moved to Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, where she taught junior high school.
Encouraged by his mother, Hatfield's first experience with politics came at the age of 10, when he campaigned in his neighborhood for President Herbert Hoover
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
's 1932 re-election campaign. In the late 1930s Hatfield worked as a tour guide at the new Oregon State Capitol Building
Oregon State Capitol
The Oregon State Capitol is the building housing the state legislature and the offices of the governor, secretary of state, and treasurer of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the state capital, Salem. The current building, constructed from 1936 to 1938, and expanded in 1977, is the third...
in Salem, using his key to enter the governor's office, where he sat in the governor's chair.
While in high school, on June 10, 1940, when he was 17 years old, Hatfield was involved in a traffic accident that turned deadly. While driving his mother's car, Hatfield struck and killed Alice Marie Lane south of Salem as she crossed the street. He was not held criminally liable for the crash, but was found civilly liable to the family. The case made its way to the Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
in 1943, with the court affirming the trial court's decision.
Hatfield graduated from Salem High School (now North Salem High School) in 1940 and then enrolled at Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
, also in Salem. While attending Willamette, Hatfield became a brother of Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega
Alpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...
and Kappa Gamma Rho, which he later helped become a chapter of Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi
Beta Theta Pi , often just called Beta, is a social collegiate fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, USA, where it is part of the Miami Triad which includes Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi. It has over 138 active chapters and colonies in the United States and Canada...
. In college he also worked part-time for then Oregon Secretary of State 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....
, where he learned how to build a political base by sending out messages to potential voters after reading about life changes posted in newspapers, such as deaths and graduations. He also sketched out a political career path beginning with the state legislature and culminating in a spot in the United States Senate, with a blank for any position beyond the Senate. Hatfield graduated from Willamette in 1943 with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree after three years at the school. While at the school he lost his only election, for student body president.
Hatfield joined the U.S. 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...
after graduation, taking part in the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
battles at Iwo Jima
Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima , or Operation Detachment, was a major battle in which the United States fought for and captured the island of Iwo Jima from the Empire of Japan. The U.S...
and Okinawa
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945...
as a landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
officer where he witnessed the carnage of the war. A lieutenant, he also witnessed the effects of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
, as one of the first Americans to see the ruins of the city (later, as Senator, Hatfield opposed arms proliferation and the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
). After Japan, he served in French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
, where he witnessed firsthand the wealth divide between the peasant Vietnamese and the colonial French bourgeoisie. After his discharge, he spent one year at Willamette’s law school
Willamette University College of Law
Willamette University College of Law is a private law school located in Salem, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1842, Willamette University is the oldest university in the Western United States...
, but decided politics or teaching better suited him.
Hatfield then enrolled at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, where he obtained a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in political science 1948. He returned to Salem and Willamette after Stanford and began working as an assistant professor in political science. During his tenure as professor, he built a political base by sending out messages and speaking at any public forum where he could get an invitation.
Political career
United States Senate Committee on Appropriations
The United States Senate Committee on Appropriations is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over all discretionary spending legislation in the Senate....
, and twice be investigated for possible ethics violations.
Oregon
In 1950 while teaching political sciencePolitical science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and serving as dean of students at Willamette, Hatfield began his political career by winning election to 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....
as a Republican. He defeated six others for the seat at a time when state assembly elections were still determined by county-wide votes. He served for two terms representing Marion County
Marion County, Oregon
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was originally named the Champooick District, after Champoeg, a meeting place on the Willamette River. On September 3, 1849, the territorial legislature renamed it in honor of Francis Marion, a Continental Army general of the...
and Salem in the lower chamber of the Oregon Legislative Assembly
Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...
. At the time he was the youngest legislator in Oregon and still lived at his parents' home. Hatfield would teach early-morning classes and then walk across the street to the Capitol to legislate.
In 1952 he won re-election to his seat in the Oregon House. He also received national attention for his early support for coaxing Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
to run for President of the United States as a Republican. This earned him a spot as a delegate at 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...
that year.
While in college he saw firsthand the discrimination against African Americans in Salem when he was tasked with driving Black artists back to Portland, as they were prohibited from staying in hotels in Salem. In 1953, he introduced and passed legislation in the House that prohibited discrimination based on race in public accommodations before federal legislation and court decisions did so on a national level. In 1954, Hatfield ran and won a seat in the Oregon State 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,...
representing Marion County. While in the legislature, he continued to apply the grassroots strategy he learned from Earl Snell, but expanded it to cover the entire state to increase his political base.
After serving in the state senate, he became the youngest 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...
in Oregon history after winning election in 1956 at age 34. Hatfield defeated fellow state senator Monroe Sweetland
Monroe Sweetland
Monroe Mark Sweetland was an American politician in the state of Oregon. A native of the state, he served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly starting in 1953 for a total of ten years. A Democrat, he also twice ran and lost bids to serve as the Oregon Secretary of State and was a...
for the office, receiving 51.3% of the vote in the November general election. He took office on January 7, 1957, and remained until he resigned on January 12, 1959.
For his first run for 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....
in 1958, the Republican Party opposed his candidacy going into the primary election. The large political base he had cultivated allowed him to win the party's primary despite the party's opposition. In the primary he defeated Oregon State Treasurer
Oregon State Treasurer
The Oregon State Treasurer is a constitutional officer within the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon, elected by statewide vote to serve a four year term. As chief financial officer for the state, the office holder heads the Oregon State Treasury, and with the Governor...
Sig Unander for the Republican nomination. In July 1958, after the primary election, Hatfield married Antoinette Kuzmanich, a counselor at Portland State College (now Portland State University
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
). The marriage during the campaign drew some attention as the Catholic Kuzmanich converted to Hatfield's Baptist religion. The couple would have four children: Elizabeth, Mark Jr., Theresa and Visko. He continued his campaign for the governor's office after the wedding, but avoided most public appearances with fellow Republican candidates for office and did not mention them during his campaign, despite requests by other Republicans for joint appearances.
In the November general election Hatfield faced Democratic incumbent Robert D. Holmes
Robert D. Holmes
Robert Denison Holmes was an American politician and journalist from the U.S. state of Oregon. A native of the state of New York, he worked in newspapers and radio before entering politics. Though a Republican early in his career, he served as a Democrat in the Oregon State Senate and as the 28th...
. In the final days of the campaign U.S. Senator Wayne Morse
Wayne Morse
Wayne Lyman Morse was a politician and attorney from Oregon, United States, known for his proclivity for opposing his parties' leadership, and specifically for his opposition to the Vietnam War on constitutional grounds....
, a Democrat, implied Hatfield lied in his trial regarding the deadly car accident when he was 17. This tactic backfired as the press denounced the comments, as did Holmes and other Democrats. Hatfield defeated Holmes, winning 55.3% of the vote in the election. That same election saw the Democratic Party gain a majority in both chambers of the state legislature for the first time since 1878. Holmes' defeat was attributed in part to the image and charisma portrayed by Hatfield and in part due to the campaign issues such as the declining economy, increased taxation, capital punishment, labor, and education. After the election, Holmes attempted to appoint David O'Hara as Secretary of State to replace Hatfield, who would have to resign to become governor. Hatfield appointed Howell Appling, Jr.
Howell Appling, Jr.
Howell Appling, Jr. was a businessman and politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. He was a Republican.-Biography:...
to the office, and O'Hara challenged the appointment in state court. The Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
ruled in favor of Hatfield on the constitutional issue
Oregon Constitution
The Oregon Constitution is the governing document of the U.S. state of Oregon, originally enacted in 1857. As amended the current state constitution contains eighteen sections, beginning with a bill of rights. This contains most of the rights and privileges granted in the United States Bill of...
, with the appointment of Appling confirmed. He was the youngest governor in the history of Oregon at that point in time at the age of 36.
In 1962 Hatfield had been considered a possible candidate to run against Morse for his Senate seat, but Hatfield instead ran for re-election. He faced Oregon Attorney General
Oregon Attorney General
The Oregon Attorney General is a statutory office within the executive branch of the state of Oregon, and serves as the chief legal officer of the state, heading its Department of Justice with its six operating divisions. The Attorney General is chosen by statewide partisan election to serve a term...
Robert Y. Thornton
Robert Y. Thornton
Robert Y. Thornton was an attorney, politician, and jurist in the U.S. state of Oregon. A Democrat, he was the second-longest serving Oregon Attorney General in the state's history, holding that office from 1953 to 1969...
in the general election, winning with 345,497 votes to Thorton's 265,359. He became the state's first two-term governor in the 20th century when he was re-elected in 1962, and later became only the second governor up to that point in the state's history to serve two full-terms.
Hatfield gave the keynote speech at the 1964 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 San Francisco that nominated Barry Goldwater
Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater was a five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for President in the 1964 election. An articulate and charismatic figure during the first half of the 1960s, he was known as "Mr...
and served as temporary chairman of the party during the convention. He advocated a moderate approach for the party and opposed the extreme conservatism associated with Goldwater and his supporters. He also was the only governor to vote against a resolution by the National Governors' Conference supporting the Johnson Administration's
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
policy on the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, as Hatfield opposed the war, but pledged "unqualified and complete support" for the troops. He preferred the use of economic sanctions
Economic sanctions
Economic sanctions are domestic penalties applied by one country on another for a variety of reasons. Economic sanctions include, but are not limited to, tariffs, trade barriers, import duties, and import or export quotas...
to end the war.
Hatfield was a popular Governor who supported Oregon's traditional industries of timber and agriculture, but felt that in the postwar era expansion of industry and funding for transportation and education needed to be priorities. While governor he worked to begin the diversification of the state's economy, such as recruiting industrial development and holding trade missions. As part of the initiative, he helped to found the Oregon Graduate Center (now part of Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Health & Science University is a public university in Oregon with a main campus, including two hospitals, in Portland and a smaller campus in Hillsboro...
) in what is now the Silicon Forest
Silicon Forest
Silicon Forest is a nickname for the cluster of high-tech companies located in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Southwest Washington, and most frequently refers to the industrial corridor between Beaverton and Hillsboro in northwest Oregon.The name is similar to...
in Washington County
Washington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
in 1963. A graduate level school in the Portland area (Portland State
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
was still a college with no graduate programs at this time) was seen by business leaders as essential to attracting new industries and by Tektronix
Tektronix
Tektronix, Inc. is an American company best known for its test and measurement equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and video and mobile test protocol equipment. In November 2007, Tektronix became a subsidiary of Danaher Corporation....
as needed to retain highly skilled workers. In lieu of the standard portrait for former governors, Hatfield is represented by a marble bust at the Oregon State Capitol.
National
United States Senate election in Oregon, 1966
The 1966 Oregon United States Senate election was held on November 6, 1966 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of Oregon. Incumbent Senator Maurine Brown Neuberger did not seek re-election...
for the seat vacated by the retiring Maurine Neuberger. During the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and during an election year, he was the only person to vote against a resolution by a governors' conference that expressed support for the U.S. involvement in the war in 1966. At that time the war was supported by 75 percent of the public, and was also supported by Hatfield's opponent in the November election. He won the primary election with 178,782 votes compared to a combined 56,760 votes for three opponents. Hatfield then defeated Democratic Congressman Robert Duncan
Robert B. Duncan
Robert Blackford Duncan was an American politician from the state of Oregon. A Democrat, he served multiple terms in the Oregon Legislative Assembly and as a U.S. congressman from Oregon. In the Oregon House of Representatives he served as speaker for four years, and in the U.S. House he...
in the election. In order to finish his term as governor, which ended on January 9, 1967, he delayed taking his oath of office in the Senate until January 10 instead of the usual January 3.
Hatfield's re-election victory for governor in 1962 in a Democratic year made him something of a national figure. In 1968, Hatfield was on Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's short list for vice president
Vice president
A vice president is an officer in government or business who is below a president in rank. The name comes from the Latin vice meaning 'in place of'. In some countries, the vice president is called the deputy president...
, and received the strong backing of his friend, the Rev. Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
. Hatfield was considered too liberal by many southern conservatives, and Nixon chose the more centrist Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
Governor Spiro Agnew
Spiro Agnew
Spiro Theodore Agnew was the 39th Vice President of the United States , serving under President Richard Nixon, and the 55th Governor of Maryland...
. Hatfield would later find himself at odds with Nixon over Vietnam and other issues, including a threat by Hatfield to reduce funding for the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
's legal department in 1973 during the Watergate Scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
, after Nixon had failed to use funds appropriated for renovating dams on the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
.
As a senator Hatfield took positions that made him hard to classify politically. In the Summer of 1969, he had told Murray Rothbard that he had "committed himself to the cause of libertarianism." Rothbard remarked concerning Hatfield, "obviously his voting record is not particularly libertarian—it's very good on foreign policy and the draft, but it's not too great on other things", adding that "in the abstract, at least, he is very favorable to libertarianism." Hatfield was pro-life on the issues of abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
and the death penalty, though as governor he chose not to commute the sentence of a convicted murderer and allowed that execution to go forward. Although a prominent evangelical Christian, he opposed government-sponsored school prayer and supported civil rights for minorities and gays.
In 1970, with Senator George McGovern
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election....
(D-South Dakota), he co-sponsored the McGovern-Hatfield Amendment
McGovern-Hatfield amendment
The McGovern–Hatfield amendment was a proposed amendment in 1970 during the Vietnam War that, if passed, would have required the end of United States military operations in the Republic of Vietnam by December 31, 1970 and a complete withdrawal of American forces halfway through the next year...
, which called for a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. In the 1980s, Hatfield co-sponsored nuclear freeze legislation with Senator Edward M. Kennedy, as well as co-authoring a book on the topic. He also advocated for the closure of the N-Reactor
N-Reactor
The N-Reactor was a graphite-moderated nuclear reactor constructed during the Cold War and operated by the U.S. government at the Hanford Site in Washington....
at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation
Hanford Site
The Hanford Site is a mostly decommissioned nuclear production complex on the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, operated by the United States federal government. The site has been known by many names, including Hanford Works, Hanford Engineer Works or HEW, Hanford Nuclear Reservation...
in the 1980s, though he was a supporter of nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion
Nuclear fusion is the process by which two or more atomic nuclei join together, or "fuse", to form a single heavier nucleus. This is usually accompanied by the release or absorption of large quantities of energy...
programs. The N-Reactor was used for producing weapons grade plutonium while producing electricity.
Hatfield frequently broke with his party on issues of national defense and foreign policy, such as military spending and the ban on travel to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, while often siding with them on environmental and conservation issues. Senator Hatfield supported increased logging on federal lands. He was the lone Republican to vote against the 1981 fiscal year's appropriations bill for the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
. He was rated as the sixth most respected senator in a 1987 survey by fellow senators. In 1990, Hatfield voted against authorizing military action against Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, one of only two members of his party to do so in the Senate.
Sometimes referred to as "Saint Mark", Hatfield enjoyed warm relations with members of both Republican and Democratic parties. In 1984, columnist Jack Anderson revealed that Mrs. Hatfield, a realtor, had been paid $50,000 in fees by Greek arms dealer Basil Tsakos. Tsakos had been lobbying Senator Hatfield, then Appropriations Chairman, for funding for a $6 billion trans-African pipeline. The Hatfields apologized and donated the money to a Portland hospital. In 1991, it was revealed that Hatfield had failed to report a number of expensive gifts from the president of the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
James B. Holderman. Again, he apologized. The Senate's Ethics Committee
United States Senate Select Committee on Ethics
The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics is a select committee of the United States Senate charged with dealing with matters related to senatorial ethics. It is also commonly referred to as the Senate Ethics Committee...
rebuked Hatfield for the latter, but cleared him of any wrongdoing for the 1984 incident.
His final re-election campaign came in 1990
United States Senate election in Oregon, 1990
The 1990 Oregon United States Senate election was held on November 6, 1990 to select the U.S. Senator from the state of Oregon. Republican candidate Mark Hatfield was re-elected to a fifth term, defeating Democratic businessman Harry Lonsdale.-Primaries:...
against businessman Harry Lonsdale
Harry Lonsdale
Harold K. Lonsdale is an American businessman and politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. A Democrat, he ran for United States Senate three times, losing twice in the primaries and once as the Democratic candidate, losing in the 1990 general election to incumbent Mark Hatfield.-Early life:Lonsdale...
. Lonsdale aggressively went after Hatfield with television attack ads
Negative campaigning
Negative campaigning, also known more colloquially as "mudslinging", is trying to win an advantage by referring to negative aspects of an opponent or of a policy rather than emphasizing one's own positive attributes or preferred policies...
that attacked Hatfield as out of touch on issues such as abortion and timber management and accused the incumbent of being too closely allied with special interest groups in Washington. Lonsdale's tactics moved him even with, and then ahead of Hatfield in some polls. Hatfield, who had typically stayed above the fray of campaigning, was forced to respond in kind with attack ads of his own. He raised $1 million in a single month after trailing Lonsdale in the polls before the November election. He defeated the Democrat with 590,095 (53.7 percent) votes to 507,743 (46.2 percent) votes.
In 1993 he became the longest serving Senator from Oregon, surpassing the record of 9,726 days in office previously held by Charles McNary. In 1995, Hatfield was the only Republican in the Senate to vote against the proposed balanced budget amendment, and was the deciding vote that prevented the passage of the bill. In 1996 the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, a group he served on previously, granted him their Distinguished Service Award.
Senator Hatfield retired in 1996 after more than 46 years of political service, having won all eleven political campaigns he entered. During his tenure he gained billions of dollars in the form of federal appropriations for projects in Oregon. This included funding for transportation projects, environmental protection of wilderness areas and scenic rivers, research facilities, and health care facilities.
Later years and legacy
George Fox University
George Fox University is a Christian university of the liberal arts and sciences, and professional studies located in Newberg, Oregon, United States. Founded as a school for Quakers in 1885, the private school has more than 3,400 students combined between its main campus in Newberg and its centers...
in Newberg, Oregon
Newberg, Oregon
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 18,064 people, 6,099 households, and 4,348 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,599.4 people per square mile . There were 6,435 housing units at an average density of 1,282.2 per square mile...
. As of 2006, he was the Herbert Hoover Emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
Distinguished Professor of Politics at the school. Additionally, he taught at the Hatfield School of Government at Portland State University
Portland State University
Portland State University is a public state urban university located in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1946, it has the largest overall enrollment of any university in the state of Oregon, including undergraduate and graduate students. It is also the only public university in...
, which is named in his honor, and lectured at Willamette University
Willamette University
Willamette University is an American private institution of higher learning located in Salem, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest university in the Western United States. Willamette is a member of the Annapolis Group of colleges, and is made up of an undergraduate College of Liberal Arts and...
and 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...
while living in Portland.
In July 1999, Hatfield and his wife were passengers on a tour bus when a car collided with the bus. He and his wife received minor injuries, but began advocating for buses to be required to have seat belts.
The Mark O. Hatfield Library
Mark O. Hatfield Library
The Mark O. Hatfield Library is the main library at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1986, it is a member of the Hatfield Library Consortium along with several library lending networks and is a designated Federal depository library. Willamette's original library was...
at Willamette is dedicated to him, along with 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...
's Hatfield Marine Science Center
Hatfield Marine Science Center
Hatfield Marine Science Center is a marine science research and education center next to Yaquina Bay of the Pacific Ocean in the U.S state of Oregon. It is operated by Oregon State University in cooperation with five state and federal agencies co-located on site. Named after Mark Hatfield, a...
. Other namesakes include the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center at the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
; Hatfield Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Health & Science University
Oregon Health & Science University is a public university in Oregon with a main campus, including two hospitals, in Portland and a smaller campus in Hillsboro...
; the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness
Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness
The Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness is a wilderness area located on the northern side of Mount Hood in the northwestern Cascades of the U.S. state of Oregon, near the Columbia River Gorge and within Mount Hood National Forest...
, Mark O. Hatfield Institute for International Understanding at Southwestern Oregon Community College
Southwestern Oregon Community College
Southwestern Oregon Community College is a college in Coos Bay, Oregon, United States. It is Oregon's oldest community college, founded in 1961...
; Hatfield Government Center station
Hatfield Government Center (MAX station)
The Hatfield Government Center station is a light rail station on the MAX Blue Line in downtown Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The station is the 20th stop westbound on the Westside MAX, and the western terminus of the MAX Blue Line route...
at the western terminus of the MAX Blue Line
MAX Blue Line
The MAX Blue Line is a 33 mile light rail line in the MAX Light Rail system in the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon. Operated by TriMet, the line runs between Hillsboro and Gresham, via downtown Portland...
light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
; Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse
Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse
The Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse is a federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon. It is named in honor of former U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield. It is used by the United States District Court for the District of Oregon....
in Portland
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...
; the Mark Hatfield trailhead at the western end of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail in the Columbia River Gorge
Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range forming the boundary between the State of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south...
; and the Mark Hatfield Award for clinical research in Alzheimer's disease.
From February 2000 to May 2008 Hatfield served on the board of directors for Oregon Health & Science University. His papers and book collection are stored in the Willamette University Archives and Special Collections, inside the Mark O. Hatfield Library. Senator Hatfield merited his own chapter in Tom Brokaw
Tom Brokaw
Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...
's The Greatest Generation.
In 2010, a group of filmmakers began production on a documentary film about Hatfield's public service.
Hatfield was admitted to the Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research hospital at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland in November 2010 for observation after his health began to decline. Mark Hatfield died at a care facility in Portland on August 7, 2011, after several years of illness. A specific cause of death was not immediately given.
Author
- Not Quite So Simple (1968),
- Conflict and Conscience (1971), ISBN 0-87680-811-9
- Between a Rock and a Hard Place (1976), ISBN 0-87680-427-X
- Against the Grain: Reflections of a Rebel Republican (2000), ISBN 1-883991-36-6
Contributor
- Amnesty?: The Unsettled Question of Vietnam (1973), ISBN 0-8467-0000-X
- Social Power and Political Freedom (1980), ISBN 0-87558-093-9 (introduction)
- Freeze! How You Can Help Prevent Nuclear War (1982), ISBN 0-553-14077-9 (with Edward KennedyTed KennedyEdward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
) - Real Christianity (1982), ISBN 1-556-61832-8 (introduction)
- What About the Russians: A Christian Approach to US-Soviet Conflict (1984), ISBN 0-87178-751-2
- Vice Presidents of the United States: 1789–1993 (1997), ISBN 0-614-31201-9 (editor)
External links
- Hatfield tribute page from Willamette University
- Hatfield biography from the Oregon State ArchivesOregon State ArchivesThe Archives Division of the Office of the Secretary of State of Oregon, or Oregon State Archives, is an agency of the Office of the Oregon Secretary of State charged with preserving and providing access to government records. It also publishes the Oregon Blue Book and Oregon Administrative Rules...
- Hatfield voting record from the Washington Post