Oren E. Long
Encyclopedia
Oren Ethelbirt Long was the tenth Territorial Governor of Hawai'i
and served from 1951 to 1953. A member of the Hawai'i Democratic Party
, Long was appointed to the office after the term of Ingram M. Stainback. After statehood was achieved he served in the United States Senate
, one of the first two, along with Hiram Fong
, to represent Hawai'i in that body. Long remains the only U.S. Senator from Hawaii with no Asian
ancestry.
and attended Johnson Bible College
in Knoxville, Tennessee
, University of Michigan
, and Columbia University
in New York City
. He first came to Hawai'i in 1917 as a social worker in Hilo. He then held various educational positions in the public school system eventually becoming a superintendent from 1933 to 1946. He was appointed Governor of the Territory of Hawai'i by President of the United States
Harry Truman in 1951 and served until 1953. Long served in the Hawaii Territorial Senate 1956-1959.
On July 28, 1959 he was elected to one of the two Senate seats from the newly formed State of Hawaii, and took office on August 21, 1959. The other Senator elected was Republican Hiram Fong
. Long chose not to run for re-election in 1962, and was succeeded by fellow Democrat & then-Rep. Daniel Inouye
, in January 1963.
Long appeared as a contestant on What's My Line?
shortly after taking office. After three rounds of questioning, the panel successfully guessed him to be the senator from Hawaii.
He died in 1965 of a heart attack
in Honolulu, Hawaii
and was buried in Oahu Cemetery
.
Governor of Hawaii
The Governor of Hawaii is the chief executive of the state of Hawaii and its various agencies and departments, as provided in the Hawaii State Constitution Article V, Sections 1 through 6. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by popular suffrage of residents of the state...
and served from 1951 to 1953. A member of the Hawai'i Democratic Party
Democratic Party of Hawaii
The Democratic Party of Hawaii is an arm of the Democratic Party of the United States based in Honolulu, Hawaii. The party is a centralized organization established to promote the party platform as drafted in convention biennially...
, Long was appointed to the office after the term of Ingram M. Stainback. After statehood was achieved he served in 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...
, one of the first two, along with Hiram Fong
Hiram Fong
Hiram Leong Fong , born Yau Leong Fong , was an American businessman and politician from Hawaii. He is most notable for his service as Republican United States Senator from 1959 to 1977, and for being the first Asian American and Chinese American to be elected as such...
, to represent Hawai'i in that body. Long remains the only U.S. Senator from Hawaii with no Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
ancestry.
Life
Long was born in Altoona, KansasAltoona, Kansas
Altoona is a city in Wilson County, Kansas, United States, along the Verdigris River. The population was 485 at the 2000 census.- Geography :Altoona is located at ....
and attended Johnson Bible College
Johnson Bible College
Johnson University is a private, co-educational college located six miles southeast of Knoxville, Tennessee....
in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, and Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He first came to Hawai'i in 1917 as a social worker in Hilo. He then held various educational positions in the public school system eventually becoming a superintendent from 1933 to 1946. He was appointed Governor of the Territory of Hawai'i by President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Harry Truman in 1951 and served until 1953. Long served in the Hawaii Territorial Senate 1956-1959.
On July 28, 1959 he was elected to one of the two Senate seats from the newly formed State of Hawaii, and took office on August 21, 1959. The other Senator elected was Republican Hiram Fong
Hiram Fong
Hiram Leong Fong , born Yau Leong Fong , was an American businessman and politician from Hawaii. He is most notable for his service as Republican United States Senator from 1959 to 1977, and for being the first Asian American and Chinese American to be elected as such...
. Long chose not to run for re-election in 1962, and was succeeded by fellow Democrat & then-Rep. Daniel Inouye
Daniel Inouye
Daniel Ken "Dan" Inouye is the senior United States Senator from Hawaii, a member of the Democratic Party, and the President pro tempore of the United States Senate making him the highest-ranking Asian American politician in American history. Inouye is the chairman of the United States Senate...
, in January 1963.
Long appeared as a contestant on What's My Line?
What's My Line?
What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
shortly after taking office. After three rounds of questioning, the panel successfully guessed him to be the senator from Hawaii.
He died in 1965 of 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...
in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
and was buried in Oahu Cemetery
Oahu Cemetery
The Oahu Cemetery is the resting place of many notable early residents of the Honolulu area. They range from missionaries and politicians to sports pioneers and philosophers. Over time it was expanded to become an area known as the Nuuanu Cemetery....
.
External links
- Oren Ethelbirt Long at Find a Grave