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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
396:
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,
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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
551:, 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.
451:
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
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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
43:
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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
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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.
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McCoy, R. (2009). The
Paradox of Oregon's Progressive Politics: The Political Career of Walter Marcus Pierce. Oregon Historical Quarterly, 110(3), 390-419. Retrieved from
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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
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for
President in 1924. The Ku Klux Klan, which had endorsed him only a few years earlier, began an unsuccessful recall effort.
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622:, in response to a concern on the part of local residents about the success of Japanese truckers in certain areas of Oregon.
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One of the oldest politicians in Oregon history, Pierce retired from politics at age 81. He and his wife
Cornelia retired to
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from progressive
Republicans on issues of prison reform, reforestation, and hydroelectric development, but he divided the
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433:. From 1896 to 1906, he managed a power company, speculated in land, and became one of the state's most renowned
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Robert R. McCoy, "The
Paradox of Oregon's Progressive Politics: The Political Career of Walter Marcus Pierce,"
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were accused of fraud by another investor, but cleared by the courts of any wrongdoing in 1918. The former
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on May 30, 1861. At the age of 17, he began teaching school despite having only a secondary education.
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in June 1883, he was not able to find work. After a period during which he worked the wheat fields of
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After graduation, the Pierce family returned to Oregon, where Walter set up a successful law firm in
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was growing in influence and power across the state and had drafted the overtly anti-Catholic and
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power during this time. Pierce was also the promoter of the Hot Lake Sanatorium Company in
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Lucile, Helen, Edith and Lorraine. Laura died of cancer in 1925. Pierce's third wife was
764:"State of Oregon: World War II - A Mixed Reception: Japanese Americans Return to Oregon"
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Pierce joined the majority of his party in opposing anti-lynching legislation in 1940.
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As an educator, Pierce was drawn into local politics. He became well known for his pro-
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defeated Pierce. Upon leaving the Governor's office, Pierce returned to his ranch in
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Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Oregon
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618:. Pierce and his wife both became involved in the anti-Japanese movement during
504:. In the next election, in 1920, he lost his Senate seat by twenty-seven votes.
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389:. There he returned to a career in education and established a successful farm.
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In 1883, motivated by both his recent diagnosis of tuberculosis and the idea of
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Oregon Cattleman/Governor, Congressman: Memoirs and Times of Walter M. Pierce.
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346:. He advocated unsuccessfully for a state income tax and vehicle license fee.
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cattle breeders. He was again elected county clerk and served 1899 to 1903.
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Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States 1789-1978.
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from the library in November 2020 due to the governor's views on race.
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Much of Pierce’s policies were rooted in racism, including supporting
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106:
849:
M. Paul Holsinger, "The Oregon School Bill Controversy, 1922-1925,"
354:
Pierce was born to Charles M. and Charlotte L. (née Clapp) Pierce,
880:
Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1982; volume 3, pp. 1276–1277.
536:, Pierce ran a successful campaign for governor against incumbent
908:-Photo and some public speeches of Walter M. Pierce as governor.
1036:
302:(May 30, 1861 – March 27, 1954) was an American politician, a
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Guide to the Walter Pierce papers at the University of Oregon
638:
in Salem. His third wife Cornelia died on February 12, 1957.
876:
Robert Sobel and John Raimo (eds.), "Walter M. Pierce," in
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U.S. Representative of Oregon's 2nd Congressional District
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TO PASS H.R. 801, A BILL TO MAKE LYNCHING A FEDERAL CRIME.
669:, 88 Ore. 284, 169 P. 796 (1918). West Publishing Company.
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The Compulsory Education Act was later struck down by the
604:. Pierce would become a staunch supporter of Roosevelt's
408:
From 1886 until 1890, Pierce served as superintendent of
789:"Ex-Governor Walter Pierce laid to rest in simple rites"
444:
in 1902. In his first term, he failed to win passage of
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Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
1396:
Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law alumni
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from 1905 to 1927. He began advocating for using the
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Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
861:
Round the Roses II: More Portland Past Perspectives.
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Clarke Woodward Drug Co. v. Hot Lake Sanatorium Co.
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608:, serving in Congress until his defeat in 1942.
870:vol. 110, no. 3 (Fall 2009), pp. 390–419.
853:vol. 37, no. 3 (Aug. 1968), pp. 327–341.
846:Portland, OR: Oregon Historical Society, 1981.
642:named its library after him and Cornelia, but
587:decision, on the grounds that it violated the
488:Unsuccessful campaigns for Senate and governor
1048:
724:"Proclamation Against the Ku Klux Klan, 1922"
492:Pierce won the Democratic nomination for the
8:
1386:Anti-Japanese sentiment in the United States
906:Oregon State Archives: Pierce Administration
634:, at the age of 92 and was interred at the
595:Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
69:January 8, 1923 – January 10, 1927
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31:
342:. He was also a eugenicist and supported
101:U.S. House of Representatives
511:
814:Thompson, Sabrina (November 12, 2020).
654:
373:, Pierce moved west. After arriving in
1406:Democratic Party Oregon state senators
816:"EOU removes Pierce name from library"
516:Walter M. Pierce between 1920 and 1925
381:, he earned enough money to settle in
315:United States House of Representatives
712:https://www.jstor.org/stable/20615986
660:
658:
7:
1391:Democratic Party governors of Oregon
630:Pierce died on March 27, 1954, near
482:National Register of Historic Places
320:Oregon's 2nd congressional district
1451:Progressivism in the United States
579:Supreme Court of the United States
566:In the 1926 elections, Republican
25:
863:Portland, OR: K.T. Klooste, 1992.
685:. State of Oregon. Archived from
1441:American birth control activists
1098:
893:"Walter M. Pierce (id: P000339)"
1466:20th-century Oregon politicians
1416:People from Polk County, Oregon
680:"Oregon National Register List"
260:Laura Rudio Pierce (died, 1925)
258:Clara Rudio Pierce (died, 1890)
126:March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1943
1:
1471:People from La Grande, Oregon
1421:Burials at City View Cemetery
953:U.S. House of Representatives
1411:People from Morris, Illinois
868:Oregon Historical Quarterly,
584:Pierce v. Society of Sisters
339:Pierce v. Society of Sisters
1456:History of racism in Oregon
1446:American white supremacists
636:Mount Crest Abbey Mausoleum
454:Oregon Agricultural College
405:, whom he married in 1928.
334:United States Supreme Court
239:Mount Crest Abbey Mausoleum
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851:Pacific Historical Review,
753:. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
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728:Oregon Historical Society
640:Eastern Oregon University
440:Pierce won a seat in the
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62:
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41:
986:Party political offices
891:United States Congress.
1426:Educators from Illinois
644:removed the name Pierce
415:Northwestern University
379:Walla Walla, Washington
273:Northwestern University
27:17th Governor of Oregon
1461:Ku Klux Klan in Oregon
842:Arthur H. Bone (ed.),
557:state Democratic Party
517:
468:. He and fellow owner
425:Early political career
403:Oregon State Librarian
262:Cornelia Marvin Pierce
1401:Educators from Oregon
602:Franklin D. Roosevelt
561:Robert M. La Follette
549:Compulsory School Act
515:
496:in 1912, but lost to
480:and is listed on the
1436:American eugenicists
524:. He also supported
494:United States Senate
313:and a member of the
306:, who served as the
300:Walter Marcus Pierce
198:Walter Marcus Pierce
18:Walter Marcus Pierce
1085:Executive Committee
1064:Governors of Oregon
540:. At the time, the
442:Oregon State Senate
356:Jacksonian Democrat
329:Oregon State Senate
327:, he served in the
157:Oregon State Senate
1005:Governor of Oregon
935:Governor of Oregon
920:Political offices
793:The Register-Guard
518:
311:Governor of Oregon
57:Governor of Oregon
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1022:Succeeded by
976:Succeeded by
942:Succeeded by
572:La Grande, Oregon
369:as propounded by
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16:(Redirected from
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1101:
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1025:Edward F. Bailey
991:Preceded by
962:Robert R. Butler
959:Preceded by
925:Preceded by
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795:. March 31, 1954
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626:Death and legacy
502:James Withycombe
470:Parish L. Willis
421:degree in 1896.
419:Bachelor of Laws
375:Portland, Oregon
367:Manifest Destiny
360:Morris, Illinois
322:
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211:Morris, Illinois
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189:Personal details
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137:Robert R. Butler
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36:Walter M. Pierce
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979:Lowell Stockman
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945:I. L. Patterson
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859:Karl Klooster,
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837:Further reading
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692:on June 9, 2011
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568:I. L. Patterson
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410:Umatilla County
399:Cornelia Marvin
387:Umatilla County
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538:Ben W. Olcott
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1290:P. Patterson
1250:I. Patterson
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1072:Provisional
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823:. Retrieved
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553:
546:anti-semitic
542:Ku Klux Klan
519:
508:Governorship
491:
466:Union County
450:
439:
428:
407:
391:
364:
353:
337:
299:
298:
223:(1954-03-27)
208:May 30, 1861
175:
164:
144:Succeeded by
121:
87:Succeeded by
64:
29:
1381:1954 deaths
1376:1861 births
1325:Goldschmidt
1215:Chamberlain
1112:(1849–1859)
1075:(1843–1849)
994:C. J. Smith
799:January 19,
751:GovTrack.us
530:Prohibition
476:is now the
446:prohibition
358:farmers in
344:Prohibition
132:Preceded by
75:Preceded by
1370:Categories
1340:Kulongoski
1235:Withycombe
1001:Democratic
973:1933–1943
939:1923–1927
498:Harry Lane
474:sanatorium
394:temperance
350:Early life
286:Profession
268:Alma mater
249:Democratic
204:1861-05-30
1345:Kitzhaber
1335:Kitzhaber
1165:Whiteaker
1127:Prichette
1090:Abernethy
773:March 17,
696:March 23,
650:Footnotes
431:Pendleton
255:Spouse(s)
180:1903–1907
176:In office
169:1917–1921
165:In office
122:In office
65:In office
55:17th
1305:Hatfield
1225:Bowerman
1200:Pennoyer
1185:Chadwick
872:In JSTOR
855:In JSTOR
733:July 18,
606:New Deal
522:eugenics
435:Hereford
336:case of
325:Illinois
304:Democrat
115:district
1330:Roberts
1270:Sprague
1255:Norblad
825:July 8,
1320:Atiyeh
1315:Straub
1310:McCall
1300:Holmes
1265:Martin
1245:Pierce
1240:Olcott
1220:Benson
1190:Thayer
1180:Grover
1152:State
1132:Gaines
401:, the
289:Lawyer
230:, U.S.
213:, U.S.
107:Oregon
1355:Kotek
1350:Brown
1295:Smith
1285:McKay
1275:Snell
1260:Meier
1195:Moody
1175:Woods
1170:Gibbs
1142:Curry
1137:Davis
690:(PDF)
683:(PDF)
532:. In
317:from
105:from
1280:Hall
1230:West
1210:Geer
1205:Lord
1122:Lane
1018:1926
1014:1922
1010:1918
827:2024
801:2016
775:2024
735:2011
698:2009
534:1922
528:and
460:for
308:17th
218:Died
194:Born
385:in
278:LLB
112:2nd
109:'s
1372::
1016:,
1012:,
895:.
818:.
791:.
766:.
726:.
657:^
591:.
574:.
484:.
1056:e
1049:t
1042:v
901:.
829:.
803:.
777:.
737:.
700:.
280:)
276:(
206:)
202:(
20:)
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