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Walter Marcus Pierce (May 30, 1861 – March 27, 1954) was an American politician, a
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...
, who served as the 17th Governor of Oregon and a member of 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 ...
from . A native of
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
, he served in the
Oregon State Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the State legislature (United States), statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. Ther ...
before the governorship, and again after leaving the U.S. House. Pierce was an anti-Catholic supporter of compulsory public education and signed a law banning parochial schools, resulting in lawsuits and the
United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on question ...
case of ''
Pierce v. Society of Sisters ''Pierce v. Society of Sisters'', 268 U.S. 510 (1925), was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court striking down an Oregon statute that required all children to attend public school. The decision significantly expanded coverage of ...
''. He was also a eugenicist and supported
Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...
. He advocated unsuccessfully for a state income tax and vehicle license fee.


Early life

Pierce was born to Charles M. and Charlotte L. (née Clapp) Pierce,
Jacksonian Democrat Jacksonian democracy, also known as Jacksonianism, was a 19th-century political ideology in the United States that restructured a number of federal institutions. Originating with the seventh U.S. president, Andrew Jackson and his supporters, i ...
farmers in
Morris, Illinois Morris is a city in and the county seat of Grundy County, Illinois, Grundy County, Illinois, United States and part of the southwest Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 14,163 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. A team of ...
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 was the belief in the 19th century in the United States, 19th-century United States that American pioneer, American settlers were destined to expand westward across North America, and that this belief was both obvious ("''m ...
as propounded by
Horace Greeley Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and newspaper editor, editor of the ''New-York Tribune''. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congres ...
, Pierce moved west. After arriving in
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
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 ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. It had a population of 34,060 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, estimated to have decreased to 33,339 as of 2023. The combined populat ...
, he earned enough money to settle in Milton, Oregon in
Umatilla County Umatilla County () is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. The population of 81,826 ranks it as the 14th largest in Oregon, and largest in Eastern Oregon. Hermiston is the largest city in Umatilla County, but Pendleton remain ...
. 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 Cornelia Marvin Pierce (December 26, 1873 – February 12, 1957) was an American librarian, originally from Iowa. She moved to Oregon in 1905 to become the first director of the Oregon Library Commission and, later, the first Oregon State Librar ...
, the Oregon State Librarian, whom he married in 1928. From 1886 until 1890, Pierce served as superintendent of
Umatilla County Umatilla County () is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. The population of 81,826 ranks it as the 14th largest in Oregon, and largest in Eastern Oregon. Hermiston is the largest city in Umatilla County, but Pendleton remain ...
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 (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...
, earning his
Bachelor of Laws A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...
degree in 1896.


Early political career

After graduation, the Pierce family returned to Oregon, where Walter set up a successful law firm in Pendleton. From 1896 to 1906, he managed a power company, speculated in land, and became one of the state's most renowned
Hereford Hereford ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of the ceremonial county of Herefordshire, England. It is on the banks of the River Wye and lies east of the border with Wales, north-west of Gloucester and south-west of Worcester. With ...
cattle breeders. He was again elected county clerk and served 1899 to 1903. Pierce won a seat in the
Oregon State Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the State legislature (United States), statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. Ther ...
in 1902. In his first term, he failed to win passage of
prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...
legislation, while 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 (OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs and a variety of graduate and doctoral degrees through all 11 of the universit ...
from 1905 to 1927. He began advocating for using the
Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...
for
hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
power during this time. Pierce was also the promoter of the Hot Lake Sanatorium Company in Union County.''Clarke Woodward Drug Co. v. Hot Lake Sanatorium Co.''
88 Ore. 284, 169 P. 796 (1918). West Publishing Company.
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 A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often in a health ...
is now the
Hot Lake Hotel Hot Lake Hotel (also known as Hot Lake Sanatorium and Hot Lake Resort) is a historic Colonial Revival hotel originally built in 1864 in Hot Lake, Union County, Oregon, United States. The hotel received its namesake from the thermal spring on t ...
and is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
.


Unsuccessful campaigns for Senate and governor

Pierce won the Democratic nomination for the
United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
in 1912, but lost to
Harry Lane Harry Lane (August 28, 1855 – May 23, 1917) was an American politician in the state of Oregon. A physician by training, Lane served as the head of the Oregon State Hospital, Oregon State Insane Asylum before being forced out by political enemie ...
in the general election. In 1916, he was once again elected to the state Senate. In 1918, Pierce ran, unsuccessfully, as a progressive Democrat against incumbent Governor
James Withycombe James Withycombe (March 21, 1854 – March 3, 1919) was an English-born American Republican politician who served as the 15th Governor of Oregon. Biography Withycombe was born to tenant farmers Thomas and Mary Ann Withycombe in Tavistock, E ...
. In the next election, in 1920, he lost his Senate seat by twenty-seven votes.


Governorship

Much of Pierce’s policies were rooted in racism, including supporting
eugenics Eugenics is a set of largely discredited beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter the frequency of various human phenotypes by inhibiting the fer ...
. He also supported
birth control Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth control only be ...
and
Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...
. In
1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...
, Pierce ran a successful campaign for governor against incumbent Ben W. Olcott. At the time, the
Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...
was growing in influence and power across the state and had drafted the overtly anti-Catholic and
anti-semitic Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
Compulsory School Act, a bill to require all school-age children to attend public 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 he divided the state Democratic Party by endorsing
Robert M. La Follette Robert Marion La Follette Sr. (June 14, 1855June 18, 1925), nicknamed "Fighting Bob," was an American lawyer and politician. He represented Wisconsin in both chambers of Congress and served as the 20th governor of Wisconsin from 1901 to 1906. ...
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
La Grande, Oregon La Grande () is a city in and the county seat of Union County, Oregon, Union County, Oregon, United States. La Grande is Union County's largest city, with a population of 13,082 at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census. The La Grande metro population ...
. The Compulsory Education Act was later struck down by the
Supreme Court of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...
in its 1925 ''
Pierce v. Society of Sisters ''Pierce v. Society of Sisters'', 268 U.S. 510 (1925), was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court striking down an Oregon statute that required all children to attend public school. The decision significantly expanded coverage of ...
'' decision, on the grounds that it violated the
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution The Fourteenth Amendment (Amendment XIV) to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments. Considered one of the most consequential amendments, it addresses Citizenship of the United States ...
.


Member of the U.S. House of Representatives

In 1928, Pierce ran unsuccessfully for the 2nd Congressional District seat. He declined to run for governor in 1930, but tried once more for Congress in 1932. He was elected amid excitement over the landslide presidential election victory of
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
. Pierce would become a staunch supporter of Roosevelt's
New Deal The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depressi ...
, serving in Congress until his defeat in 1942. Pierce joined the majority of his party in opposing anti-lynching legislation in 1940. 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 is an unincorporated community in Polk County, Oregon, United States. It lies four miles west of Salem on Oregon Route 22 at the confluence of Rickreall Creek and the Willamette River. For statistical purposes, the United States Census ...
. Pierce and his wife both became involved in the anti-Japanese movement 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 ...
, in response to a concern on the part of local residents about the success of Japanese truckers in certain areas of Oregon.


Death and legacy

Pierce died on March 27, 1954, near
Salem, Oregon Salem ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, w ...
, 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.
Eastern Oregon University Eastern Oregon University (EOU) (officially designated as Oregon’s Rural University) is a public university in La Grande, Oregon. It was formerly part of the since dissolved Oregon University System. EOU was founded in 1929 as a teacher’s ...
named its library after him and Cornelia, but removed the name Pierce from the library in November 2020 due to the governor's views on race.


Footnotes


Further reading

* Arthur H. Bone (ed.), ''Oregon Cattleman/Governor, Congressman: Memoirs and Times of Walter M. Pierce.'' Portland, OR: Oregon Historical Society, 1981. * M. Paul Holsinger, "The Oregon School Bill Controversy, 1922-1925," ''Pacific Historical Review,'' vol. 37, no. 3 (Aug. 1968), pp. 327–341
In JSTOR
* Karl Klooster, ''Round the Roses II: More Portland Past Perspectives.'' Portland, OR: K.T. Klooste, 1992. * Robert R. McCoy, "The Paradox of Oregon's Progressive Politics: The Political Career of Walter Marcus Pierce," ''Oregon Historical Quarterly,'' vol. 110, no. 3 (Fall 2009), pp. 390–419
In JSTOR
* Robert Sobel and John Raimo (eds.), "Walter M. Pierce," in ''Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States 1789-1978.'' Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1982; volume 3, pp. 1276–1277.


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
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pierce, Walter M. 1861 births 1954 deaths Anti-Japanese sentiment in the United States Democratic Party governors of Oregon Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law alumni Educators from Oregon Democratic Party Oregon state senators People from Morris, Illinois People from Polk County, Oregon Burials at City View Cemetery Educators from Illinois Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Oregon American anti-communists American eugenicists American birth control activists American white supremacists Progressivism in the United States Ku Klux Klan in Oregon 20th-century Oregon politicians People from La Grande, Oregon Oregon lawyers 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 20th-century members of the Oregon Legislative Assembly