Wendell Wyatt was 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...

 United States Representative from Oregon's 1st congressional district

Oregon's 1st congressional district

Oregon's 1st congressional district consists of the northwest corner of Oregon. It includes Clatsop, Columbia, Washington, and Yamhill counties, and southwest Portland, part of Multnomah County, which belonged to the 3rd district before the 2002 redistricting....

 who served in the United States House of Representatives

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

 from 1964 until 1975.

Life before Congress

Born in Eugene, Oregon

Eugene, Oregon

Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...

, Wyatt's family later moved to 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...

 where he graduated from Jefferson High School

Jefferson High School (Oregon)

-History:Jefferson opened in September 1908, and received its name at some later date. The school wasn't ready in 1908, but was opened early due to overcrowding. It was finished on February 6, 1910...

 in 1935. He received his Bachelor of Laws

Bachelor of Laws

The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...

 degree from the University of Oregon

University of Oregon

-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...

 in 1941. In 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...

, he served in the United States Marine Corps

United States Marine Corps

The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...

 from 1942 until 1946.

Following the war, Wyatt moved to Astoria

Astoria, Oregon

Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...

, where he joined the law firm of former Oregon governor A. W. Norblad

A. W. Norblad

Albin Walter Norblad, Sr., was a prominent citizen of Astoria, Oregon, United States, and the 19th Governor of Oregon from 1929 to 1931.He was the father of Representative A...

. He was Chairman of the Oregon State Republican Central committee from 1955 until 1957. In 1962, Wyatt married Faye Hill; he had previously married and divorced Anne Buchanan.

U.S. Congress

In 1964, he won a special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of A. Walter Norblad

A. Walter Norblad

Albin Walter Norblad, Jr., was an American attorney and Republican politician in Oregon. He represented the U.S. state of Oregon's First District from January 18, 1946 until his death in the United States House of Representatives. His father was A. W. Norblad, Sr., a one-time Governor of...

, the son of Wyatt's law partner. Wyatt was reelected to the four succeeding Congresses. In Congress, Wyatt served on the Interior Committee and the Appropriations Committee

United States House Committee on Appropriations

The Committee on Appropriations is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is in charge of setting the specific expenditures of money by the government of the United States...

, where he helped pass bills that created Oregon's Scoggins Dam

Henry Hagg Lake

Henry Hagg Lake is an artificial lake in northwest Oregon, United States, which is an impoundment of Scoggins Creek which drains a small portion of the eastern side of Northern Oregon Coast Range. The lake and creek are part of the Tualatin River’s watershed in the Tualatin Valley...

 on Scoggins Creek

Scoggins Creek

Scoggins Creek, formerly known as Scoggin Creek, is a southeast-flowing stream in Washington County, Oregon, United States, named for pioneer Gustavus Scoggin. Surrounded by lava and basalt flows and layers of sandstone, it flows through the wide Scoggins Creek Valley to Henry Hagg Lake, impounded...

, established a 40-foot shipping channel in 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...

 from Astoria to Portland, created the Cascade Head Scenic Area

Cascade Head

Cascade Head is a headland and UNESCO biosphere reserve and United States Forest Service Experimental Forest. It is situated southwest of Portland, Oregon on the Oregon Coast between Lincoln City and Neskowin...

, and purchased ranch land to be converted to public recreation areas along the Snake River

Snake River

The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...

.

After Congress

After 10 years of service, he declined to run again in 1974, becoming a partner at the law firm of Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt

Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt is an American law firm with over 165 attorneys in eight cities. The firm currently has offices in:* Oregon** Portland** Bend** Salem** Eugene* Washington** Seattle** Stevenson** Vancouver...

. Wyatt died in Portland in 2009 at the age of 91. The Edith Green - Wendell Wyatt Federal Building

Edith Green - Wendell Wyatt Federal Building

The Edith Green – Wendell Wyatt Federal Building is a high rise structure in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1975, the 18 story-tower is owned by the Federal Government. The international style office building has more than of space...

 in Downtown Portland is named in his honor and fellow Congressperson Edith Green

Edith Green

Edith Louise Starrett Green was an American politician and educator in the state of Oregon. A native of South Dakota, she was raised in Oregon and completed her education at the University of Oregon and Stanford University...

, whom he served alongside of during part of his tenure in Congress.

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