Betty Hall
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Beatrice Perin Barker Hall (March 18, 1921 – April 26, 2018) was an American politician from the state of
New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
. Hall served in the
New Hampshire House of Representatives The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court, the bicameral State legislature (United States), legislature of the state of New Hampshire. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members com ...
for a total of 28 years, serving non-consecutively from 1970 until 2008. Hall grew up in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, where she attended
Barnard College Barnard College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college affiliated with Columbia University in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a grou ...
. In 1948, she and her husband moved to the town of
Brookline, New Hampshire Brookline is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,639 at the 2020 census, up from 4,991 at the 2010 census. Brookline is home to the Talbot-Taylor Wildlife Sanctuary, Potanipo Pond, and the Brookline ...
, where they started a
textile manufacturing Textile manufacturing or textile engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful good ...
firm. Beginning in the 1950s and early 1960s, Hall began participating in local politics, serving on several boards and commissions in Brookline. Hall was elected to the Brookline school board in 1963, and in 1972, she was elected to the town
board of selectmen The select board or board of selectmen is commonly the Executive (government), executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms. Three ...
. Hall's career in statewide politics began in 1970 when she was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives as a member of the Republican Party. In 1986, Hall switched her party affiliation to the Democratic Party, citing the Republican Party's shift towards
conservatism Conservatism is a Philosophy of culture, cultural, Social philosophy, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, Convention (norm), customs, and Value (ethics and social science ...
during the Reagan Era. During her political career, Hall was described as a firebrand who frequently bucked her party. While a Republican, Hall was seen as a liberal member of that party, and was considered to be a political enemy by conservative leaders. In the Democratic Party, Hall was a member of the
grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or continent movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from volunteers at the local level to imp ...
base, challenging the party's establishment in a 2007 campaign for chairman of the
New Hampshire Democratic Party The New Hampshire Democratic Party (NHDP) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Its chair is Raymond Buckley, and its vice chairs are Maura Sullivan and Donovan Fenton. The most recent Democratic governor ...
. In the 2000s, Hall became nationally known for her activism. In 2004, she was arrested for
disorderly conduct Disorderly conduct is a crime in most jurisdictions, such as the United States and China. Typically, "disorderly conduct" is a term used to refer to any behavior that is considered unacceptable in a formal, civilized or controlled environment. ...
for her participation in a protest against President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
; she was later acquitted of the charge. In 2008, Hall introduced New Hampshire House Resolution 24, which would have petitioned the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
to introduce
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to
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President Bush and Vice President
Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American former politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He has been called vice presidency o ...
for their actions leading to and during the
Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
. While the bill ultimately failed, it generated a large amount of media coverage.


Pre-political life and career


Early life and education

Beatrice Perin Barker was born on March 18, 1921, in
Koblenz Koblenz ( , , ; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz'') is a German city on the banks of the Rhine (Middle Rhine) and the Moselle, a multinational tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman military p ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, where her father
Joseph Warren Barker Joseph Warren Barker (June 17, 1891 – December 10, 1975) was an American electrical and mechanical engineer, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Columbia University,"Joseph Barker, 84, Dean at Columbia" New York Times, Dec. 12, 1975 and 75th pr ...
, a
United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
officer, served as the administrator of a
military district Military districts (also called military regions) are formations of a state's armed forces (often of the Army) which are responsible for a certain area of territory. They are often more responsible for administrative than operational matters ...
following
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. After leaving the military, Barker's father completed his education in engineering from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...
, receiving an academic position at the institution. He later became the Dean of Engineering at
Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
, and she primarily grew up in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. This led to Barker's entry into academia, as her father's position at Columbia University brought prominent scientists such as
Enrico Fermi Enrico Fermi (; 29 September 1901 – 28 November 1954) was an Italian and naturalized American physicist, renowned for being the creator of the world's first artificial nuclear reactor, the Chicago Pile-1, and a member of the Manhattan Project ...
and
Harold Urey Harold Clayton Urey ( ; April 29, 1893 – January 5, 1981) was an American physical chemist whose pioneering work on isotopes earned him the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934 for the discovery of deuterium. He played a significant role in the ...
to their home for dinner where Barker would serve as a hostess. In 1937, her mother Mary died when Barker was 16. Barker attended the
Horace Mann School Horace Mann School (also known as Horace Mann or HM) is an American private, independent college-preparatory school in the Bronx, founded in 1887. Horace Mann is a member of the Ivy Preparatory School League, educating students from the New Yo ...
and later studied engineering at
Barnard College Barnard College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college affiliated with Columbia University in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a grou ...
. She would later do graduate work at the
University of New Hampshire The University of New Hampshire (UNH) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Durham, New Hampshire, United States. It was founded and incorporated in 1866 as a land grant coll ...
,
Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...
, and the
College of the Holy Cross The College of the Holy Cross is a private Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by educators Benedict Joseph Fenwick and Thomas F. Mulledy in 1843 under the auspices of the Society of Jesus. ...
.


Family and career

After graduating from Barnard College in 1943, Barker worked as an engineer at
Western Electric Western Electric Co., Inc. was an American electrical engineering and manufacturing company that operated from 1869 to 1996. A subsidiary of the AT&T Corporation for most of its lifespan, Western Electric was the primary manufacturer, supplier, ...
. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, she helped manufacture
vacuum tubes A vacuum tube, electron tube, thermionic valve (British usage), or tube (North America) is a device that controls electric current flow in a high vacuum between electrodes to which an electric voltage, potential difference has been applied. It ...
for
radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...
equipment, and her father served as a special assistant to
Frank Knox William Franklin Knox (January 1, 1874 – April 28, 1944) was an American politician, soldier, newspaper editor, and publisher. He was the Republican vice presidential candidate in 1936 and Secretary of the Navy under Franklin D. Roosevelt d ...
, the
United States Secretary of the Navy The Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the United States Department of the Navy, Department of the Navy, a military department within the United States Department of Defense. On Mar ...
."Joseph Barker, 84, Dean at Columbia" New York Times, Dec. 12, 1975 On May 27, 1944, she married Sidney Leavitt Hall, an engineer from
Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the county seat, seat of Merrimack County, New Hampshire, Merrimack County. As of the 2020 United States census the population was 43,976, making it the List of municipalities ...
, leaving her job at Western Electric to join her husband in
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
, where he was undergoing training with the
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
in order to fight in World War II. However, the war ended before he was sent overseas, and in 1948, the couple moved to
Brookline, New Hampshire Brookline is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,639 at the 2020 census, up from 4,991 at the 2010 census. Brookline is home to the Talbot-Taylor Wildlife Sanctuary, Potanipo Pond, and the Brookline ...
, a town of 800 people in Hillsborough County. Hall's grandmother, Florence Hobart Perin, was a resident of Brookline, and Hall had frequently visited and spent several summers in the town during her youth. Sidney Hall initially worked at
Textron Textron Inc. is an American industrial Conglomerate (company), conglomerate based in Providence, Rhode Island. Textron's subsidiaries include Arctic Cat, Bell Textron, Kautex, Textron Aviation (which itself includes the Beechcraft and Cessna b ...
, and in 1951, the couple started a
textile manufacturing Textile manufacturing or textile engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful good ...
firm called Hall Manufacturing Company, which was informally known as Hall Tote Bags. The company produced stitching for dry-cleaners, as well as steam air covers for dry-cleaning machines. Later, the company became locally famous for the tote bags they produced, as well as other stitched products. Hall and her husband were members of the local
Church of Christ Church of Christ may refer to: Church groups * Christianity, the Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ * Christian Church, an ecclesiological term used by denominations to describe the true body of Christia ...
, and she was credited with uniting the Brookline
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
and Congregationalist churches into one single church. In 1957, Hall received a
fellowship A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned or professional societies, the term refers ...
from the
National Science Foundation The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) is an Independent agencies of the United States government#Examples of independent agencies, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that su ...
. Hall served as the assistant manager for Hall Manufacturing Co. until 1962, whereupon she became a science and mathematics teacher in
Groton, Massachusetts Groton is a town in northwestern Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, within the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The population was 11,315 at the 2020 census. An affluent bedroom community roughly 45 miles from Boston, Groton has a ...
. Hall transferred to Fairgrounds Junior High School in
Nashua, New Hampshire Nashua () is a city in southern New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 91,322, the second-largest in northern New England after nearby Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester. It is on ...
, in 1964, and taught mathematics there until 1972. In 1968, Hall was awarded a grant by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement in order to start an experimental "Mathematics Learning Laboratory" at her school. She had also been invited to academic conferences, such as the Advanced Modern Math Institute, which was sponsored by
Science Research Associates Science Research Associates (SRA), founded by Lyle Spencer in 1938, was a Chicago-based publisher of educational materials and schoolroom reading comprehension products. The company was acquired by McGraw-Hill Education in the early 2000s. Histo ...
. Sidney Hall died in 1987 at the age of 66. Hall and her husband had four sons and one daughter. One of their sons, Sidney Hall Jr., is a locally-known author. Following her husband's death, Hall solely ran Hall Manufacturing Co., and the company was featured in a
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
symposium on small businesses in 1994. Hall Manufacturing Co. closed in 2001.


Early political career


Local politics

During the 1950s and 1960s, Hall became very active in local politics, serving on numerous boards and committees in Brookline, including the board of assessors and the town finance committee. In 1961, Hall was defeated in an election for Brookline library trustee. In 1963, Hall was elected unopposed to the Brookline school board. She was re-elected in 1966, defeating future state representative
Eben Bartlett Eben Byron Bartlett Jr. (July 14, 1912 – February 6, 1983) was an American military officer and politician from New Hampshire. Bartlett was a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, serving for four months until his death in offi ...
and another candidate. In 1969, Hall was re-elected for her third and final term on the school board. She served as the chairman of the school board from 1964 until 1968 and again in 1971. She served a total of 9 years on the school board. In 1967, Hall ran for the Brookline
board of selectmen The select board or board of selectmen is commonly the Executive (government), executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms. Three ...
; however, she was defeated by Walter W. Frost, receiving 138 votes to Frost's 152. In 1972, Hall served as the chairman of the Brookline Republican Town Committee. Later that year, Hall again ran for the Brookline board of selectmen to succeed the retiring Grover C. Farwell, defeating two candidates to win a three-year term as selectman. Following her election to the board of selectmen, Hall did not seek another term for the school board and resigned as a teacher. In 1974, Hall served as the chairman of the board of selectmen.


Early 1970s

In 1970, Hall ran for the
New Hampshire House of Representatives The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court, the bicameral State legislature (United States), legislature of the state of New Hampshire. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members com ...
in Hillsborough County's 13th district as a member of the Republican Party. Hall had decided to run for state office because she "realized she was not accomplishing what she wanted to" in local office. She was recruited to run by Governor Walter R. Peterson Jr. Hall and fellow Republican
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were elected with 43% and 41% of the vote, respectively. In 1972, Hall ran for re-election in Hillsborough County's 12th district, and was elected unopposed alongside fellow Republican Jack Boyd. During the 1970s, Hall held multiple positions in the local Republican Party, serving as a member of the Republican state committee the Hillsborough County Republican Party Executive Committee.


1974 state senate campaign

In 1974, Hall ran for the 12th district of the
New Hampshire Senate The New Hampshire State Senate is the upper house of the New Hampshire General Court, alongside the lower New Hampshire House of Representatives. The Senate has been meeting since 1784. The Senate consists of 24 members representing Senate distri ...
, running to replace retiring Republican incumbent Frederick A. Porter. In the Republican primary, Hall faced fellow state representative D. Alan Rock, as well as
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town selectman Frederic Fletcher, a former state senator and former member of the Executive Council. During the primary, Hall campaigned via bicycle, cycling a total of 1,000 miles through the 26 towns in the district. Hall won the primary election, narrowly defeating Rock. Despite Hall placing second in her hometown of Brookline and only winning two towns, Amherst and Hollis, both towns gave her large margins. Additionally, she placed second in nearly every other town in the district, offsetting the large margin by which Rock won in Nashua. Official sources conflict on the final vote tally: the
New Hampshire General Court The General Court of New Hampshire is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The lower house is the New Hampshire House of Representatives with 400 members, and the upper house is the New Hampshire Senate with 24 me ...
officially reported that Hall received 1,544 votes, Rock received 1,485 votes, and Fletcher received 1,198 votes, giving Hall a winning margin of just 59 votes. However, a recount found that the margin was actually 114 votes in favor of Hall, with the town of Amherst alone overcounting 50 ballots in favor of Rock; however, the results of the recount are not officially recorded. Hall's campaign expenditure for the primary was $1,470. While there was no official Democratic Party candidate running in the heavily Republican district, both Hall and Rock also contested the Democratic primary as write-in candidates. Rock won the Democratic write-in nomination, with official sources again conflicting on the tally: the New Hampshire General Court reported that Rock received 72 votes to Hall's 71, a margin of just one vote, while a recount reportedly increased Rock's margin to 3 votes. During the general election campaign, Rock was heavily supported by
William Loeb III William Loeb III (December 26, 1905 – September 13, 1981) was an American newspaper publisher. He is remembered for his unyieldingly conservative political views, which helped made the ''Manchester Union Leader'' of Manchester, New Hampshire, on ...
, the publisher of the ''
Manchester Union Leader The ''New Hampshire Union Leader'' is a daily newspaper from Manchester, the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. On Saturdays, it publishes as the ''New Hampshire Sunday News.'' Founded in 1863, the paper was best known for the c ...
'', an influential conservative newspaper. Rock frequently used the newspaper's front page to promote his campaign. While Hall was endorsed by the ''
Nashua Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', for most of its existence known as the ''Nashua Telegraph'', is a daily newspaper in Nashua, New Hampshire. It was founded as the ''Nashua Daily Telegraph'' in 1869, although a weekly version dates back to 1832. Through the 2 ...
'', her campaign did not have the media capabilities that Rock's did, and Rock ultimately won the general election, defeating Hall by a margin of 53% to 47%.
Judd Gregg Judd Alan Gregg (born February 14, 1947) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 76th governor of New Hampshire from 1989 to 1993 and a United States senator from New Hampshire from 1993 to 2011 where he was Chairman of the Heal ...
, then the chairman of the Nashua Republican Party, alleged that the party's campaign literature had been tampered with; specifically, Gregg alleged that an individual had switched out Hall's campaign literature from several envelopes and replaced it with Rock's campaign literature before they were sent out to voters in Nashua. However, Hall stated that she did not believe the incident had influenced the end result of the election. Hall was succeeded in the state house by Republican Dorothy Foss Colson.


Late 1970s and early 1980s

In 1975, Hall became the chairman of the New Hampshire branch of
Common Cause Common Cause is a watchdog group based in Washington, D.C., with chapters in 35 states. It was founded in 1970 by John W. Gardner, a Republican, who was the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in the administration of President Lyndon ...
, a lobbying group that opposes corruption and promotes campaign finance reform. In this role, Hall advocated for
good government Good governance is the process of measuring how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources and guarantee the realization of human rights in a manner essentially free of abuse and corruption and with due regard for the ...
. In the 1976 presidential election, Hall criticized Republican candidate
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
and independent candidate
Eugene McCarthy Eugene Joseph McCarthy (March 29, 1916December 10, 2005) was an American politician, writer, and academic from Minnesota. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the United States Senate from 1959 to 1971. ...
for being the only two major candidates who had not agreed to the campaign standards proposed by Common Cause. She later criticized all the presidential candidates for not discussing the costs of the programs they propose. Hall left the position in September 1977. In 1978, Hall was elected back to the New Hampshire House of Representatives for Hillsborough County's 12th district. Hall and fellow Republican Eliot B. Ware won with 36% and 31% of the vote. Hall and Ware were re-elected unopposed in 1980. In November 1980, Rock, who had still been serving as the state senator for the 12th district, died of cancer just three days after winning re-election. Hall was one of four candidates vying for the Republican nomination for the February 1981
special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...
; instead of being elected in a primary election, the party nominee was instead to be selected by delegates of the Hillsborough County Republican Party. Hall's campaign for the nomination was heavily opposed by Robert B. Monier, the influential Republican
president of the New Hampshire Senate The position of President of the New Hampshire Senate was created when the New Hampshire Senate was founded in 1784. See also * List of New Hampshire General Courts References

{{Reflist Lists of New Hampshire politicians, Presidents of t ...
, who viewed Hall as a political opponent. Monier instead supported John Stabile, a Nashua businessman and the New Hampshire campaign chair for
John Connally John Bowden Connally Jr. (February 27, 1917June 15, 1993) was an American politician who served as the 39th governor of Texas from 1963 to 1969 and as the 61st United States secretary of the treasury from 1971 to 1972. He began his career as a Hi ...
's 1980 presidential campaign. The other Republican candidates were state representatives Joanne Head, Philip Labombarde, and Emma Wheeler. Despite an initial convention ending in
deadlock Deadlock commonly refers to: * Deadlock (computer science), a situation where two processes are each waiting for the other to finish * Deadlock (locksmithing) or deadbolt, a physical door locking mechanism * Political deadlock or gridlock, a si ...
, with 9 delegates voting for Hall and the other 9 for Stabile, the party reconvened and ultimately selected Stabile to be the Republican nominee. Stabile would go on to defeat Democratic state representative Selma Pastor and independent candidate Mark Knox, a Nashua alderman, in the special election. In 1982, Hall ran for the 11th district of the New Hampshire Senate to replace retiring Republican incumbent
Arthur Mann Arthur Fraser Mann (23 January 1948 – 4 February 1999) was a Scottish professional footballer, who played as a defender. He later moved into management and coaching. Biography Mann was born in Burntisland, Scotland and began his playing care ...
. Hall placed third in the Republican primary, losing to fellow state representative Jean T. White; Hall received 29% of the vote, while White received 40%. The second-place candidate, state representative Richard Amidon, received 31% of the vote. However, Hall won the Democratic nomination as a write-in candidate, receiving 199 votes compared to White's 81 and Amidon's 55. Hall was defeated by White in the general election, receiving 4,668 votes to White's 6,632.


Party switch and later political career


Late 1980s and 1990s

In 1986, Hall switched to the Democratic Party, citing the Republican Party's shift towards
conservatism Conservatism is a Philosophy of culture, cultural, Social philosophy, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, Convention (norm), customs, and Value (ethics and social science ...
. That year, Hall ran as a Democrat for the state house in Hillsborough County's 16th district. Hall defeated incumbent Republican state representative
Barbara Fried Barbara Helen Fried (; born 1951) is an American lawyer and professor emerita at Stanford Law School. She is the mother of FTX and Alameda Research co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried, convicted on seven counts of criminal fraud as CEO of the now-defunc ...
, who had been facing charges of
embezzlement Embezzlement (from Anglo-Norman, from Old French ''besillier'' ("to torment, etc."), of unknown origin) is a type of financial crime, usually involving theft of money from a business or employer. It often involves a trusted individual taking ...
after it was revealed she used her position as Greenville town clerk to embezzle $10,000 in fees. Hall received 642 votes, while Fried received 555. Hall was narrowly re-elected in 1988, defeating Republican candidate Shirley A. Morley by just 54 votes out of 2,274 cast. Hall was re-elected in 1990, defeating former Republican state representative
Webster E. Bridges Webster may refer to: People *Webster (surname), including a list of people with the surname * Webster (given name), including a list of people with the given name Places Canada *Webster, Alberta *Webster's Falls, Hamilton, Ontario United Stat ...
, 56% to 44%. In 1992, Hall ran for re-election in Hillsborough County's 20th district. Hall and Republican Thomas I. Arnold were elected, receiving 1,488 votes and 1,384 votes, respectively. Hall and Arnold had previously served together on the Brookline school board in the 1960s, where Arnold was the school board's moderator. The two were re-elected unopposed in 1994. In 1996, they were again re-elected, with Hall receiving 46% of the vote and Arnold receiving 36%. In 1996, Hall served as the chairman of the Hillsborough County Democratic Party. In 1998, Hall and Arnold were again re-elected. Arnold received 1,063 votes, while Hall received 1,001. Hall was an early supporter of
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
in the
1992 United States presidential election The 1992 United States presidential election was the United States presidential election, presidential election, held in the United States, on November 3, 1992. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of governor of Arkansas B ...
, and was a delegate for Clinton at the 1996 Democratic Party convention. Hall also praised
Richard Lugar Richard Green Lugar ( ; April 4, 1932 – April 28, 2019) was an American politician who served as a United States Senate, United States Senator from Indiana from 1977 to 2013. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republ ...
during the
1996 Republican Party presidential primaries From January 29 to June 4, 1996, voters of the Republican Party chose its nominee for president in the 1996 United States presidential election. Senator Bob Dole of Kansas, the former Senate majority leader and previous vice presidential nomi ...
, supporting his tax policy and stating that he seemed honest.


2000s

In 2000, Hall and Arnold were re-elected unopposed. In 2002, Hall ran for re-election in Hillsborough County's 46th district. However, Hall was defeated in the general election, placing fifth with 12% of the vote. In 2004, Hall was arrested and charged with
disorderly conduct Disorderly conduct is a crime in most jurisdictions, such as the United States and China. Typically, "disorderly conduct" is a term used to refer to any behavior that is considered unacceptable in a formal, civilized or controlled environment. ...
at a protest against President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...
in Nashua. Hall, who was 83 at the time, was sitting in a chair outside the designated area for protestors, and was close to the presidential motorcade route. Hall was also holding a sign that said, "Bush is bad for America". After Hall refused to move, three police officers picked Hall up, "chair, cane, and all", carrying her away and arresting her. A photographer captured the arrest, and the incident became national news. Hall was acquitted in September 2004 after Nashua District Court judge Clifford Kinghorn ruled that the evidence provided did not fit the charge of disorderly conduct; Kinghorn stated that "the police had no authority under state law to make Hall move because she wasn't getting in their way". Hall also explained that she had originally written the law that was being applied to her case. Later in 2004, Hall ran again for the state house for Hillsborough County's 5th district. Hall won, placing fourth with 13% of the vote. In the
2004 Democratic Party presidential primaries From January 14 to June 8, 2004, voters of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States, president in the 2004 United States presidential election. United States Senate, Senator J ...
, Hall was a supporter of
Howard Dean Howard Brush Dean III (born November 17, 1948) is an American physician, author, consultant, and retired politician who served as the 79th governor of Vermont from 1991 to 2003 and chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 2005 to 20 ...
's campaign. Hall was re-elected in 2006, placing fourth and receiving 13% of the vote; Hall narrowly defeated fellow incumbent Donald Ryder, a Republican, receiving just 25 more votes than him. In 2007, Hall announced her candidacy for chairman of the
New Hampshire Democratic Party The New Hampshire Democratic Party (NHDP) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Its chair is Raymond Buckley, and its vice chairs are Maura Sullivan and Donovan Fenton. The most recent Democratic governor ...
. Her main opponent was
Raymond Buckley Raymond "Ray" Buckley (born 1959) is an American politician from the state of New Hampshire who currently serves as chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. Buckley previously served as President of the Association of State Democratic Chairs ...
, the vice chair of the state party and an executive member of the
Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...
. During the campaign, Buckley, who was considered to be the frontrunner, was falsely accused of possessing child pornography by former state representative Steve Vaillancourt, who had been a former friend of his. Buckley was exonerated following an official state investigation, and Vaillancourt later stated that he had exaggerated in the allegations. Later in the campaign, Joe Kelly Levasseur, the chairman of the
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
Republican Party, posted an old home video of Buckley to
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
, in which Buckley, who is openly gay, is seen "cursing and unzipping his pants", as well as highlighting Buckley's membership in a
MySpace Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...
group called "Gays in New Hampshire". Despite this, Buckley maintained his support amongst statewide Democrats, with the exception of U.S. representative
Paul Hodes Paul William Hodes (born March 21, 1951) is an American lawyer, musician, and former U.S. representative for , serving from 2007 to 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party, and was New Hampshire's first Jewish representative. Hodes was an u ...
, who withdrew his support for Buckley following the release of the video. Buckley ultimately defeated Hall, receiving 109 votes to Hall's 17. A third candidate, former state house Democratic Leader Jim Craig, withdrew following Buckley's exoneration, but remained on the ballot.


Proposed impeachment of George W. Bush

In 2008, Hall again gained national prominence for introducing a bill in the New Hampshire House of Representatives which would petition the
United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
to introduce
articles Article often refers to: * Article (grammar), a grammatical element used to indicate definiteness or indefiniteness * Article (publishing), a piece of nonfictional prose that is an independent part of a publication Article(s) may also refer to: ...
to
impeach Impeachment is a process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In Euro ...
President Bush and Vice President
Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American former politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He has been called vice presidency o ...
for
high crimes and misdemeanors The charge of high crimes and misdemeanors covers allegations of misconduct by officials. Offenses by officials also include ordinary crimes, but perhaps with different standards of proof and punishment than for non-officials, on the grounds th ...
relating to the
Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
. The bill accused Bush and Cheney of electioneering, torture, unlawful surveillance, misleading Congress, and violating the
United Nations Charter The Charter of the United Nations is the foundational treaty of the United Nations (UN). It establishes the purposes, governing structure, and overall framework of the United Nations System, UN system, including its United Nations System#Six ...
by engaging in an unlawful aggressive war, as well as other alleged crimes. The bill, New Hampshire House Resolution 24, cited section 603 of Jefferson's ''Manual'', which states that "an impeachment may be set in motion by the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
by charges transmitted from the legislature of a state". In 1973, Hall had opposed a similar bill calling for the impeachment of President
Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
. Hall campaigned for impeachment alongside U.S. representative
Dennis Kucinich Dennis John Kucinich ( ; October 8, 1946) is an American politician. Originally a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, Kucinich served as U.S. Representative from Ohio's Ohio's 10th congressional district, 10th congressional district fro ...
, whose campaign she supported in the
2008 Democratic Party presidential primaries From January 3 to June 3, 2008, voters of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party chose their nominee for President of the United States, president in the 2008 United States presidential election. Senator Barack Obama of Illi ...
. Hall's bill was supported by ''
Pentagon Papers The ''Pentagon Papers'', officially titled ''Report of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Vietnam Task Force'', is a United States Department of Defense history of the United States in the Vietnam War, United States' political and militar ...
'' leaker
Daniel Ellsberg Daniel Ellsberg (April 7, 1931June 16, 2023) was an American political activist, economist, and United States military analyst. While employed by the RAND Corporation, he precipitated a national political controversy in 1971 when he released th ...
, former
US attorney general The United States attorney general is the head of the United States Department of Justice and serves as the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government. The attorney general acts as the principal legal advisor to the president of the ...
Ramsey Clark William Ramsey Clark (December 18, 1927 – April 9, 2021) was an American lawyer, activist, and United States Federal Government, federal government official. A progressive, New Frontier liberal, he occupied senior positions in the United States ...
, and former director of the
Strategic Defense Initiative The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was a proposed missile defense system intended to protect the United States from attack by ballistic nuclear missiles. The program was announced in 1983, by President Ronald Reagan. Reagan called for a ...
Robert M. Bowman. However, the bill also had several outspoken opponents, such as Republican state representative
David Hess David Alexander Hess (September 19, 1936 – October 7, 2011) was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and director. He came to prominence for his portrayals of murderous rapists, villains and gruff characters in several films in the 1970 ...
, who stated he had "never seen a document more vitriolic and more inflammatory". In February 2008, the House State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee voted 10-5 to recommend that the House not vote for the bill. In April 2008, the state house voted 227-95 to
table Table may refer to: * Table (database), how the table data arrangement is used within the databases * Table (furniture), a piece of furniture with a flat surface and one or more legs * Table (information), a data arrangement with rows and column ...
the resolution, effectively killing the legislation. Some Democrats who voted in favor of tabling the bill, such as state representatives Ray Gagnon and
Susan Almy Susan W. Almy (born March 28, 1946) is a Democratic member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, representing the Grafton 13th District since 1996. As of 2008, she also chairs the board of directors of the New Hampshire Civil Libertie ...
, both of whom said they supported the bill in principle, stated that the bill would take away time that could be spent fixing everyday issues. Bernie Benn, another Democratic state representative, stated that impeachment would be too divisive.


Independent candidacies

Later in 2008, Hall ran for the 12th district of the New Hampshire Senate as an
independent candidate An independent politician or non-affiliated politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent. Some politicians have polit ...
, despite still being a registered Democrat. Hall placed a distant third with just 10% of the vote. Democrat Peggy Gilmour won with 47% of the vote, while Republican state representative Paul LaFlamme received 43%. In 2010, Hall officially switched her party registration to independent, stating that she "wanted to make a statement
hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
neither party was doing what they should be". That year, Hall ran as an independent candidate for the New Hampshire House of Representatives in Hillsborough County's 5th district. However, Hall placed seventh out of eight candidates, receiving just 6% of the vote in the district she formerly represented. In 2012, Hall ran as an independent candidate for the state house in Hillsborough County's 12th district. She placed last out of five candidates, receiving 10% of the vote.


Death

Hall died on April 26, 2018, of
congestive heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to fill with and pump blood. Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF typically pr ...
in
Petersburgh, New York Petersburgh is a town located in the northeast section of Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 1,372 at the 2020 census.U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 census results, Petersburgh, New York. https://www.census.gov/search-resu ...
. At the time of her death, Hall had 5 children, 12 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren.


Tenure

During her tenure with both the Republican and Democratic parties, Hall frequently challenged her party's
political establishment In sociology and in political science, the term the establishment describes the dominant social group, the elite who control a polity, an organization, or an institution. In the praxis of wealth and power, the Establishment usually is a self-s ...
. While in the Republican Party, Hall was seen as a member of the party's
liberal wing Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...
; she was an objector to the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
and opposed an attempt to outlaw
abortion Abortion is the early termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. Abortions that occur without intervention are known as miscarriages or "spontaneous abortions", and occur in roughly 30–40% of all pregnan ...
, with Hall stating, "I don't think I should legislate my religious beliefs on someone else". While a Democrat, Hall was seen as a firebrand emblematic of the party's
grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or continent movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from volunteers at the local level to imp ...
base, challenging the Democratic establishment by opposing Buckley in 2007 and leading the attempt to impeach Bush. Hall was described as "a giant among the moral compass-holders in the community". While in the state house, Hall's primary issues were the government integrity and campaign finance reform. Hall was also an advocate for mental health issues. She served as the first president of Milford Regional Counseling Services in the 1970s, and later founded Harbor Homes, an organization that provides transitional housing for people with mental illness. In the 1960s, Hall was also the president of the Waban Association for Retarded Children.


Economy, regulation, and taxation

In 1989, Hall led opposition towards a bill which would introduce new regulations against
gravel pit A gravel pit is an open-pit mine for the extraction of gravel. Gravel pits often lie in river valleys where the water table is high, so they may naturally fill with water to form ponds or lakes. Gravel pit lakes are typically nutrient rich and ...
operators. However, the following week, in what was described as "parliamentary shenanigans", the bill was revived, amended, and passed in both chambers of the state legislature. Later in 1989, Hall sponsored a
bottle bill There are ten states in the United States of America with container deposit legislation, popularly called "bottle bills" after the Oregon Bottle Bill, the first such legislation that was passed. Container deposit legislation (CDL) requires a ...
which would have introduced a 5-cent deposit on bottles and cans in order finance recycling centers. The bill also called for bottles and cans to be recycled instead of reused. Hall sponsored a similar bill in 1979, which would have imposed a tax ranging from $25 to $9,000 a year on businesses in order to fund litter control and recycling. In 1990, New Hampshire's economy collapsed and the state fell heavily into debt. Hall opposed a bill which would order the state to repay all of its bills within 30 days, stating that it didn't solve the problem and "would only make us think we're doing something". Hall also opposed a budget which would marginally cut spending and levy small taxes, such as a 4-cent
cigarette tax Tobacco smoking is the practice of burning tobacco and ingesting the resulting tobacco smoke, smoke. The smoke may be inhaled, as is done with cigarettes, or released from the mouth, as is generally done with Tobacco pipe, pipes and cigars. The ...
and a 5% phone tax, stating that "cutting 10 percent and 20 percent isn't going to do. Nickel and dime taxes aren't going to do it either". She was instead supportive of the legislature stepping back and allow the governor to "reduce spending any way he could". Hall had previously opposed the state budget in 1979 due to the inclusion of a 1-cent
gas tax A fuel tax (also known as a petrol, gasoline or gas tax, or as a fuel duty) is an excise tax imposed on the sale of fuel. In most countries, the fuel tax is imposed on fuels which are intended for transportation. Fuel tax receipts are often dedica ...
. In 2007, Hall supported legislation pushed by the
Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI, pronounced "Reggie") is the first mandatory market-based program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the United States. RGGI is a cooperative effort among the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, ...
which would "reduce carbon pollution from power plants, lower energy bills and strengthen our economy".


Education

Throughout her career, Hall supported the breaking up of cooperative school districts. Cooperative school districts, known as school administrative units (SAUs), were school districts consisting of multiple towns. Hall said that wealthier, smaller towns would be forced to disproportionately fund an SAU when grouped with poorer, larger towns. She also said the small towns were effectively trapped in the SAU as long as the larger towns were able to out-vote the smaller towns. In 1971, Hall sponsored legislation which would establish a volunteer corps to provide assistance and counseling to minors who violated the law. In 1973, she sponsored a bill which would create a scholarship program for college students from New Hampshire. After a first attempt failed in the House, the bill was amended to apply only to students attending in-state colleges. The program would provide matching funds for college students: the state would allocate 25 cents for every dollar given by a private scholarship. During her 2008 state senate campaign, Hall stated that she opposed funding education from property taxes, instead supporting a "pay-as-you-go" model.


Government integrity and reform

In 1972, Hall supported an election reform bill which would restrict candidates from working in polling places in which their name was on the ballot. She was the only representative from a small town to support the bill. Introduced by state representative Chris Spirou, the bill had public support, but faced heavy opposition in the House after being "verbally beaten into the ground by many state representatives from small towns who double as election officials in their home communities". In her support for the bill, Hall said that it could allow for more people to become involved in the political process. While with Common Cause in 1977, Hall supported a state ethics commission to watch over the state legislature, stating that at the time New Hampshire was the only state that didn't have conflict-of-interest legislation. In 1979, Hall supported a rule change in the state house that would require all members of the House to list their sources of income. In the mid-2000s, Hall stated her concerned with the outsourcing of New Hampshire's vote counting systems to private companies, citing security and integrity concerns. In 2006, Hall proposed a bill which would make primary and general election days a state holiday. The same year, Hall supported a rules change in the state house which would end segregated party seating, which she said increased partisanship by keeping members of opposing parties separated from each other. During her independent candidacies, Hall also advocated for elections to be publicly funded in order to limit the effects of corporate influence on elections. Due to her work on campaign finance reform, Hall was frequently compared to
Doris Haddock Doris "Granny D" Haddock (born Ethel Doris Rollins; January 24, 1910 – March 9, 2010) was an American political activist from New Hampshire. Haddock achieved national fame when, between the ages of 88 and 90, starting on January 1, 1999, and cul ...
, who she was friends with, and with whom she collaborated on election reform issues with.


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Betty 1921 births 2018 deaths Members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives Women state legislators in New Hampshire School board members in New Hampshire 20th-century American engineers 20th-century American women politicians 21st-century American women politicians Activists from New Hampshire American anti-corruption activists People from Koblenz People from Hillsborough County, New Hampshire Politicians from New York City 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American businesswomen 21st-century American businesspeople 21st-century American businesswomen New Hampshire Republicans New Hampshire Democrats New Hampshire independents Horace Mann School alumni Barnard College alumni American women civilians in World War II 20th-century American educators 20th-century American women educators American members of the Churches of Christ American lobbyists Candidates in the 1974 United States elections Candidates in the 1981 United States elections Candidates in the 1982 United States elections Candidates in the 2008 United States elections Candidates in the 2010 United States elections Candidates in the 2012 United States elections American anti–Iraq War activists American anti–Vietnam War activists Presidential impeachment in the United States 20th-century members of the New Hampshire General Court 21st-century members of the New Hampshire General Court