Allan O. Hunter
Encyclopedia
Allan Oakley Hunter was an American
lawyer
and politician
. Hunter, a Republican
, served as the United States Representative
for California's 9th congressional district
from 1951 to 1953 and for California's 12th congressional district
from 1953 to 1955. After his stint in politics, Hunter served as the president and chairman of the Federal National Mortgage Association
(commonly known as Fannie Mae) from 1970 to 1981.
. After attending public school in Fresno, California
, he went on to Fresno State College
. After graduating from the college in 1937, Hunter attended University of California, Hastings College of the Law
and graduated from there with a Bachelor of Laws
degree in 1940. After being admitted to the bar the same year, he became a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation
until 1944. He then served in the United States Naval Reserve Office of Strategic Services
in England
and Germany
with a counter-intelligence unit under the Sixth Army Group from 1944 to 1946. After returning from World War II
, Hunter started his law practice
in Fresno, and continued until 1950 when he decided to run for the House of Representatives seat of the 9th congressional district.
incumbent Cecil F. White
in a close race, capturing 76,015 votes to White's 70,201 votes, giving Hunter the 52%-48% margin. In 1952, Hunter was the delegate from California in the Republican National Convention
. In that year's House election, Hunter ran unopposed for the seat in the state's 12th congressional district and won the election after capturing 99.3% of the vote.
In the 1954 House election
, Hunter faced a tough re-election against political newcomer Democrat Bernice F. Sisk. Sisk defeated Hunter in the election with a 53.8%-46.2% majority. After losing his re-election bid, he became the general counsel with Housing and Home Finance Agency
in Washington, D.C.
the following year. He served that position until July 1957 when he resigned in order to continue his law practice in Fresno. Three years later, he was again a delegate to the 1960 Republican National Convention
in Chicago, Illinois. For the next ten years, he collaborated on the development and operation of the Rossmoor
Leisure World Communities
in California. From 1966 to 1969, Hunter served as chairman of California's state commission of housing and community development.
In January 1970, Hunter was chosen by then-President Richard Nixon
to become the chairman of the Federal National Mortgage Association
, the nation's largest provider of housing finance. In 1978, tension started to rise between Hunter and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Patricia Roberts Harris
. Harris specifically felt that the organization was too concerned about making money and "too unconcerned with stimulating mortgage lending for low-income housing in the cities." Hunter's resignation was being called for by the Carter
White House
and by the directors of the company's board. In November 1977, a vote for Hunter's resignation failed by an 8-6 margin.
Hunter was eventually replaced by David O. Maxwell as Fannie Mae's chairman and president in 1981. After Maxwell left a $7.56 million yearly salary with Fannie Mae and retired with a $19.6 million dollar pension, Hunter said, "Executive compensation at Fannie Mae has run amok." Hunter himself retired with a $80,000 pension in 1981, and said that he believed that the CEO
s of government-backed corporations shouldn't make the million-dollar salaries found in the private sector. Hunter also said in an interview, "I don't think it's justified by any rational standard."
Hunter died on May 2, 1995 in a hospital in Bethesda, Maryland
after a heart attack
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and politician
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
. Hunter, 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...
, served as the United States Representative
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...
for California's 9th congressional district
California's 9th congressional district
California's 9th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that covers a significant portion of the East Bay portion of the San Francisco Bay Area...
from 1951 to 1953 and for California's 12th congressional district
California's 12th congressional district
California's 12th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California that spans from the southwestern portions of San Francisco in the north down to San Mateo in the south, and from Moss Beach in the west to the edge of San Mateo in the east, where it borders...
from 1953 to 1955. After his stint in politics, Hunter served as the president and chairman of the Federal National Mortgage Association
Federal National Mortgage Association
The Federal National Mortgage Association , commonly known as Fannie Mae, was founded in 1938 during the Great Depression as part of the New Deal. It is a government-sponsored enterprise , though it has been a publicly traded company since 1968...
(commonly known as Fannie Mae) from 1970 to 1981.
Background
Hunter was born on June 15, 1916 in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. After attending public school in Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, he went on to Fresno State College
California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of...
. After graduating from the college in 1937, Hunter attended University of California, Hastings College of the Law
University of California, Hastings College of the Law
University of California, Hastings College of the Law is a public law school in San Francisco, California, located in the Civic Center neighborhood....
and graduated from there with a 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 in 1940. After being admitted to the bar the same year, he became a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
until 1944. He then served in the United States Naval Reserve Office of Strategic Services
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
with a counter-intelligence unit under the Sixth Army Group from 1944 to 1946. After returning from 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...
, Hunter started his law practice
Practice of law
In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiations and court proceedings such as lawsuits, and is applied to the professional services of a lawyer or attorney at law, barrister,...
in Fresno, and continued until 1950 when he decided to run for the House of Representatives seat of the 9th congressional district.
Politics and Fannie Mae
In the 9th district, the Republican Hunter defeated DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
incumbent Cecil F. White
Cecil F. White
Cecil Fielding White was an American farmer and politician. The Democrat White served as the United States Representative for California's 9th congressional district for one term, from 1949 to 1951. White was a cotton broker and owned his own ranch before getting into politics at the age of 47,...
in a close race, capturing 76,015 votes to White's 70,201 votes, giving Hunter the 52%-48% margin. In 1952, Hunter was the delegate from California in the Republican National Convention
1952 Republican National Convention
The 1952 Republican National Convention was held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois from July 7 to July 11, 1952 and nominated the popular general and war hero Dwight D...
. In that year's House election, Hunter ran unopposed for the seat in the state's 12th congressional district and won the election after capturing 99.3% of the vote.
In the 1954 House election
United States House elections, 1954
The U.S. House election, 1954 was an election for the United States House of Representatives in 1954 which occurred in the middle of President Dwight Eisenhower's first term...
, Hunter faced a tough re-election against political newcomer Democrat Bernice F. Sisk. Sisk defeated Hunter in the election with a 53.8%-46.2% majority. After losing his re-election bid, he became the general counsel with Housing and Home Finance Agency
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, is a Cabinet department in the Executive branch of the United States federal government...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
the following year. He served that position until July 1957 when he resigned in order to continue his law practice in Fresno. Three years later, he was again a delegate to the 1960 Republican National Convention
1960 Republican National Convention
The 1960 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held in Chicago, Illinois, from July 25 to July 28, 1960, at the International Amphitheatre....
in Chicago, Illinois. For the next ten years, he collaborated on the development and operation of the Rossmoor
Rossmoor, California
Rossmoor is an affluent planned census-designated place located in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 10,244, down from 10,298 at the 2000 census...
Leisure World Communities
Leisure World, Seal Beach, California
Leisure World is a gated retirement community located in Seal Beach, Orange County, California.Construction on the approximately one square mile community was begun in 1960 with the first residents moving in on June 6, 1962. This was the first major planned retirement community of its type in the...
in California. From 1966 to 1969, Hunter served as chairman of California's state commission of housing and community development.
In January 1970, Hunter was chosen by then-President 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...
to become the chairman of the Federal National Mortgage Association
Federal National Mortgage Association
The Federal National Mortgage Association , commonly known as Fannie Mae, was founded in 1938 during the Great Depression as part of the New Deal. It is a government-sponsored enterprise , though it has been a publicly traded company since 1968...
, the nation's largest provider of housing finance. In 1978, tension started to rise between Hunter and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is the head of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, a member of the President's Cabinet, and thirteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Housing...
Patricia Roberts Harris
Patricia Roberts Harris
Patricia Roberts Harris served as United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and United States Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in the administration of President Jimmy Carter...
. Harris specifically felt that the organization was too concerned about making money and "too unconcerned with stimulating mortgage lending for low-income housing in the cities." Hunter's resignation was being called for by the Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
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...
and by the directors of the company's board. In November 1977, a vote for Hunter's resignation failed by an 8-6 margin.
Hunter was eventually replaced by David O. Maxwell as Fannie Mae's chairman and president in 1981. After Maxwell left a $7.56 million yearly salary with Fannie Mae and retired with a $19.6 million dollar pension, Hunter said, "Executive compensation at Fannie Mae has run amok." Hunter himself retired with a $80,000 pension in 1981, and said that he believed that the CEO
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
s of government-backed corporations shouldn't make the million-dollar salaries found in the private sector. Hunter also said in an interview, "I don't think it's justified by any rational standard."
Hunter died on May 2, 1995 in a hospital 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...
after a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
.