Earl Snell
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| Earl W. Snell | |
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23rd Governor of Oregon
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| In office January 11, 1943 – October 28, 1947 |
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| Preceded by | Charles A. Sprague |
| Succeeded by | John Hubert Hall |
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| In office 1935 – 1943 |
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| Preceded by | P. J. Stadelman |
| Succeeded by | Robert S. Farrell, Jr. |
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| Born | July 11, 1895 Gilliam County, Oregon |
| Died | October 28, 1947 (aged 52) Lake County, Oregon |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Edith Welshons |
| Profession | Automobile dealer |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
Earl Willcox Snell (July 11, 1895 - October 28, 1947) was an Oregon businessman American Republican politician, serving in the Oregon State Senate, and as the 23rd Governor of Oregon.
[edit] Early Life and Business Career
Snell was born on a farm near the small town of Olex, Gilliam County, Oregon. He received a public school education, and attended Oregon Institute of Technology without attaining a degree. After military service during World War I, he settled in Condon, Oregon, where he married Edith Welshons, with whom he would have one son, and published the local newspaper.
He moved to Arlington, Oregon, where he opened with a partner the successful automobile dealership which would be his principal livelihood the rest of his life. He later expanded his business interests to include ranching and banking.
[edit] Political career
After serving on the Arlington City Council, in 1926 he was elected to the first of four consecutive terms in the Oregon House of Representatives, his final term as Speaker. In the 1942 elections, in which Democrats in Oregon made considerable inroads, he successfully sought election as Oregon Secretary of State, resigning as Speaker to serve in that office from 1935 to 1943.
Prevented by a term limit from seeking another term as Secretary of State, Snell decided to challenge his own party's incumbent Gov. Charles A. Sprague in the Republican primary. He received strong support from the state automobile dealers association, and not only gained the nomination, but went on to be elected Governor with 78 percent of the vote, taking office on January 11, 1943.
Generally recognized as a moderate, Snell's administration was marked by conservationist measures, public works projects and relief programs in line with the federal New Deal programs, and initiatives designed to promote agricultural, timber and industrial interests with a view to expanding Oregon's economy. He overwhelmingly won reelection in 1946, by a margin of more than two to one, but died in office the next year.
On October 28, 1947, Snell and two other top office-holders - Oregon Secretary of State Robert S. Farrell, Jr. and State Senate President Marshall E. Cornett, were killed in a plane crash while en route to a bird hunt in south-central Oregon. Pilot Cliff Hogue perished as well, when his small plane crashed in stormy weather near Lakeview, Oregon. A state funeral was held for Snell, Farrell and Cornett at the Capitol in Salem. Governor Snell was buried in Salem's Belcrest Memorial Park.
[edit] References
- Earl Wilcox Snell (html). Governors of Oregon. Oregon State Library. Retrieved on 26 November 2006.
- Governor Earl W. Snell: Biographical Note (html). Oregon Governors. Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on 26 November 2006.
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This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2006) |
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