Walter M. Pierce
Encyclopedia
Walter Marcus Pierce was an American
politician, a Democrat
, who served as the 17th Governor of Oregon
and a member of the United States House of Representatives
from . A native of Illinois
, he served in the Oregon State Senate
before the governorship, and again after leaving the U.S. House. Pierce is also the namesake of the United States Supreme Court case of Pierce v. Society of Sisters
on compulsory public education.
In 1883, motivated by both his recent diagnosis of tuberculosis and the idea of Manifest Destiny
as propounded by Horace Greeley
, Pierce moved west. After arriving in Portland, Oregon
in June 1883, he was not able to find work. After a period during which he worked the wheat fields of Walla Walla, Washington
, he earned enough money to finally settle in Milton, Oregon
in Umatilla County
. There he returned to a career in education and established a successful farm.
As an educator, Pierce was drawn into local politics. He became well known for his pro-temperance
views, and regularly spoke out against saloons selling alcohol to his students. In 1887, he married one of his students, Clara R. Rudio, who died during childbirth only three years later. The child was named after her mother. He married Clara's sister Laura in 1893. They had five children: Loyd, Lucile, Helen, Edith and Lorraine. Laura died of cancer in 1925. Pierce's third wife was Cornelia Marvin, the Oregon State Librarian
, whom he married in 1928.
From 1886 until 1890, Pierce served as superintendent of Umatilla County
public schools. From 1890 until 1894, he served as Umatilla county clerk, and earned enough money from land transactions to further his education. He then returned to Illinois with his family to attend Northwestern University
, earning his Bachelors of Law degree in 1896.
. From 1896 to 1906, he managed a power company, speculated in land, and became one of the state's most renowned Hereford
cattle breeders. He was again elected county clerk and served 1899 to 1903.
Pierce won a seat in the Oregon State Senate
in 1902. In his first term, he unsuccessfully attempted to win passage of prohibition
legislation, while successfully winning passage of a state subsidy of $6 per child for education. He was defeated at the polls for reelection, and retired from politics for a decade beginning in 1906.
While out of politics, Pierce continued local and statewide activities. He was a founder of the Oregon Farmer's Union and the Public Power League, headed the State Taxpayers League, and took a seat on the board of Regents of Oregon Agricultural College
from 1905 to 1927. He began advocating for using the Columbia River
for hydroelectric
power during this time. Pierce was also the promoter of the Hot Lake Sanatorium Company in Union County
. He and fellow owner Parish L. Willis
were accused of fraud by another investor, but cleared by the courts of any wrongdoing in 1918. The former sanatorium
is now the Hot Lake Hotel
and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Pierce won the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate
in 1912, but lost to Harry Lane
in the general election. In 1916, he was reelected to the state senate. In 1918, Pierce ran, unsuccessfully, as a progressive Democrat against incumbent Governor James Withycombe
. In the next election, in 1920, he lost his senate seat by only twenty-seven votes.
, Pierce ran a successful campaign for governor against incumbent Ben W. Olcott
. At the time, the Ku Klux Klan
was growing in influence and power across the state, and had drafted the overtly anti-Catholic and anti-semitic Compulsory School Act
, which addressed the issue of public tax support for private schools such as Catholic schools. Governor Olcott defiantly refused to work with the Klan in any way. Pierce tacitly accepted the Klan's endorsement and lent his support to the school bill.
As governor, Pierce was at odds with a Republican-dominated legislature. His administration was able to continue the road-building policies of the previous two administrations, but could not win passage of a state income tax or assessed value license fees for automobiles. He attempted to gain support from progressive Republicans on issues of prison reform, reforestation, and hydroelectric development, but divided the state Democratic Party
by endorsing Robert M. La Follette
for President in 1924. The Ku Klux Klan, which had endorsed him only a few years earlier, began an unsuccessful recall effort.
In the 1926 elections, Republican I. L. Patterson
defeated Pierce. Upon leaving the Governor's office, Pierce returned to his ranch in Grande Ronde, Oregon.
The Compulsory Education Act was later struck down by the Supreme Court of the United States
in its 1925 Pierce v. Society of Sisters
decision, on the grounds that it violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
.
, serving in Congress until his electoral defeat in 1943.
One of the oldest politicians in Oregon history, Pierce retired from politics at age 81. He and his wife Cornelia retired to Eola, Oregon
. Pierce and his wife both became involved in the anti-Japanese movement during World War II
, in response to a concern on the part of local residents about the success of Japanese truckers in certain areas of Oregon.
Pierce died on March 27, 1954, near Salem, Oregon
, at the age of 92 and was interred at the Mount Crest Abbey Mausoleum
in Salem. His third wife Cornelia died on February 12, 1957.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician, a Democrat
Democratic 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...
, who served as the 17th 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....
and a member of 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 . A native of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, he served 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,...
before the governorship, and again after leaving the U.S. House. Pierce is also the namesake of the United States Supreme Court case of Pierce v. Society of Sisters
Pierce v. Society of Sisters
Pierce v. Society of Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, , was an early 20th century United States Supreme Court decision that significantly expanded coverage of the Due Process Clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The case has been cited as a precedent in...
on compulsory public education.
Early life
Pierce was born to Charles M. and Charlotte L. (née Clapp) Pierce, Jacksonian Democrat farmers in Morris, Illinois on May 30, 1861. At the age of 17, he began teaching school despite having only a secondary education.In 1883, motivated by both his recent diagnosis of tuberculosis and the idea of Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny was the 19th century American belief that the United States was destined to expand across the continent. It was used by Democrat-Republicans in the 1840s to justify the war with Mexico; the concept was denounced by Whigs, and fell into disuse after the mid-19th century.Advocates of...
as propounded by Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
, Pierce moved west. After arriving in Portland, Oregon
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...
in June 1883, he was not able to find work. After a period during which he worked the wheat fields of Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
, he earned enough money to finally settle in Milton, Oregon
Milton-Freewater, Oregon
Milton-Freewater is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. The city received its current name in 1951 when the neighboring rival cities of Milton and Freewater voted to merge. The population was 6,470 at the 2000 census...
in Umatilla County
Umatilla County, Oregon
Umatilla County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for the Umatilla River. In 2010, its population was 75,889...
. There he returned to a career in education and established a successful farm.
As an educator, Pierce was drawn into local politics. He became well known for his pro-temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
views, and regularly spoke out against saloons selling alcohol to his students. In 1887, he married one of his students, Clara R. Rudio, who died during childbirth only three years later. The child was named after her mother. He married Clara's sister Laura in 1893. They had five children: Loyd, Lucile, Helen, Edith and Lorraine. Laura died of cancer in 1925. Pierce's third wife was Cornelia Marvin, the Oregon State Librarian
Oregon State Library
The Oregon State Library in Salem, is the library for the U.S. state of Oregon. The mission of the Oregon State Library is to provide quality information services to Oregon state government, provide reading materials to blind and print-disabled Oregonians, and provide leadership, grants, and other...
, whom he married in 1928.
From 1886 until 1890, Pierce served as superintendent of Umatilla County
Umatilla County, Oregon
Umatilla County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for the Umatilla River. In 2010, its population was 75,889...
public schools. From 1890 until 1894, he served as Umatilla county clerk, and earned enough money from land transactions to further his education. He then returned to Illinois with his family to attend Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, earning his Bachelors of Law degree in 1896.
Early political career
After graduation, the Pierce family returned to Oregon, where Walter set up a successful law firm in PendletonPendleton, Oregon
Pendleton is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Pendleton was named in 1868 by the county commissioners for George H. Pendleton, Democratic candidate for Vice-President in the 1864 presidential campaign. The population was 16,612 at the 2010 census...
. From 1896 to 1906, he managed a power company, speculated in land, and became one of the state's most renowned Hereford
Hereford (cattle)
Hereford cattle are a beef cattle breed, widely used both in intemperate areas and temperate areas, mainly for meat production.Originally from Herefordshire, England, United Kingdom, more than five million pedigree Hereford Cattle now exist in over 50 countries...
cattle breeders. He was again elected county clerk and served 1899 to 1903.
Pierce 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,...
in 1902. In his first term, he unsuccessfully attempted to win passage of prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
legislation, while successfully winning passage of a state subsidy of $6 per child for education. He was defeated at the polls for reelection, and retired from politics for a decade beginning in 1906.
While out of politics, Pierce continued local and statewide activities. He was a founder of the Oregon Farmer's Union and the Public Power League, headed the State Taxpayers League, and took a seat on the board of Regents of Oregon Agricultural College
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...
from 1905 to 1927. He began advocating for using 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...
for hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
power during this time. Pierce was also the promoter of the Hot Lake Sanatorium Company in Union County
Union County, Oregon
Union County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. The county is named for the town of Union, which is located within its boundaries; in 2010, the county population was 25,748. The county seat is La Grande.-History:Union County...
. He and fellow owner Parish L. Willis
Parish L. Willis
Parish Lovejoy Willis was an American attorney and politician in the state of Oregon. A native of Illinois, he served as cavalry in the Rogue River War before becoming a lawyer...
were accused of fraud by another investor, but cleared by the courts of any wrongdoing in 1918. The former sanatorium
Sanatorium
A sanatorium is a medical facility for long-term illness, most typically associated with treatment of tuberculosis before antibiotics...
is now the Hot Lake Hotel
Hot Lake Hotel
Hot Lake Hotel is a hotel originally built in 1864 in Hot Lake, Union County, Oregon, United States. The hotel became a popular vacation and resting spot due to its relaxing thermal waters. It was purchased by Dr. W. T. Phy in 1917 who developed state-of-the-art medical facilities including a...
and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Pierce won the Democratic nomination for 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 1912, but lost to Harry Lane
Harry Lane
Harry Lane was an American physician and politician in the state of Oregon. A native of the state, he worked as the head of the state insane asylum before entering local politics and served as mayor of Portland...
in the general election. In 1916, he was reelected to the state senate. In 1918, Pierce ran, unsuccessfully, as a progressive Democrat against incumbent Governor James Withycombe
James Withycombe
James Withycombe was a British-born American politician, a Republican, and the 15th Governor of Oregon. Prior to entering politics he was farmer and sheep rancher in the Tualatin Valley, leading to appointment as the state's veterinarian and then as head of what became the Oregon State University...
. In the next election, in 1920, he lost his senate seat by only twenty-seven votes.
Governorship
In 1922Oregon gubernatorial election, 1922
The 1922 Oregon gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 1922 to elect the governor of the U.S. state of Oregon. The election matched incumbent Republican Ben W. Olcott against Democrat Walter M. Pierce...
, Pierce ran a successful campaign for governor against incumbent Ben W. Olcott
Ben W. Olcott
Ben W. Olcott was the 16th Governor of Oregon, U.S.-Early life:Olcott was born in Keithsburg, Illinois. He was educated at a Keithsburg elementary school and a business school in Dixon, later becoming a clerk in Chicago. In 1891, at age 19, he moved to Salem, Oregon, and became a roommate and...
. At the time, the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
was growing in influence and power across the state, and had drafted the overtly anti-Catholic and anti-semitic Compulsory School Act
Oregon Compulsory Education Act
The Compulsory Education Act or Oregon School Law was a 1922 law in the U.S. state of Oregon that required school age children to attend only public schools. The United States Supreme Court later struck down the law as unconstitutional.-Background:...
, which addressed the issue of public tax support for private schools such as Catholic schools. Governor Olcott defiantly refused to work with the Klan in any way. Pierce tacitly accepted the Klan's endorsement and lent his support to the school bill.
As governor, Pierce was at odds with a Republican-dominated legislature. His administration was able to continue the road-building policies of the previous two administrations, but could not win passage of a state income tax or assessed value license fees for automobiles. He attempted to gain support from progressive Republicans on issues of prison reform, reforestation, and hydroelectric development, but divided the state Democratic Party
Democratic Party of Oregon
The Democratic Party of Oregon, based in Portland, is the official Oregon affiliate of the United States Democratic Party. It is recognized by the state of Oregon as a major political party, along with the Oregon Republican Party...
by endorsing Robert M. La Follette
Robert M. La Follette, Sr.
Robert Marion "Fighting Bob" La Follette, Sr. , was an American Republican politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and was also a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin...
for President in 1924. The Ku Klux Klan, which had endorsed him only a few years earlier, began an unsuccessful recall effort.
In the 1926 elections, Republican I. L. Patterson
I. L. Patterson
Isaac Lee "Ike" Patterson, was the 18th Governor of Oregon from 1927 to 1929. An Oregon native, he served in the Oregon Legislative Assembly from 1918 to 1922, and was a farmer in the Willamette Valley.-Early life:...
defeated Pierce. Upon leaving the Governor's office, Pierce returned to his ranch in Grande Ronde, Oregon.
The Compulsory Education Act was later struck down by the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
in its 1925 Pierce v. Society of Sisters
Pierce v. Society of Sisters
Pierce v. Society of Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary, , was an early 20th century United States Supreme Court decision that significantly expanded coverage of the Due Process Clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The case has been cited as a precedent in...
decision, on the grounds that it violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments.Its Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship that overruled the Dred Scott v...
.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
In 1928, Pierce ran unsuccessfully for the 2nd Congressional District seat. He declined to run for a second term as governor in 1930, but tried once more for Congress in 1932. He was elected amid excitement over the landslide Presidential election victory of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Pierce would become a staunch supporter of FDR's New DealNew Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
, serving in Congress until his electoral defeat in 1943.
One of the oldest politicians in Oregon history, Pierce retired from politics at age 81. He and his wife Cornelia retired to Eola, Oregon
Eola, Oregon
Eola is an unincorporated community in Polk County, Oregon, United States four miles west of Salem on Oregon Route 22 at the confluence of Rickreall Creek and the Willamette River....
. Pierce and his wife both became involved in the anti-Japanese movement 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...
, in response to a concern on the part of local residents about the success of Japanese truckers in certain areas of Oregon.
Pierce died on March 27, 1954, near Salem, Oregon
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...
, at the age of 92 and was interred at the Mount Crest Abbey Mausoleum
City View Cemetery
City View Cemetery is a privately owned cemetery in Salem, Oregon, United States that was established in 1893. Its Mount Crest Abbey Mausoleum, opened in 1914, contains the remains of seven Governors of Oregon.-History:...
in Salem. His third wife Cornelia died on February 12, 1957.
External links
- Oregon State Archives: Pierce Administration-Photo and some public speeches of Walter M. Pierce as Governor.
- Guide to the Walter Pierce papers at the University of Oregon
- Political Graveyard
- The Paradox of Oregon's Progressive Politics: The Political Career of Walter Marcus Pierce