George W. Joseph
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| George W. Joseph | |
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Member of the Oregon State Senate
from the 13 district |
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| In office 1921 – 1929 |
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| Born | May 10, 1872 Joseph Creek, Modoc County, California |
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| Died | June 17, 1930 Oregon |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Bertha L. Snell |
George W. P. Joseph (May 10, 1872-June 17, 1930) was an attorney and Republican politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. He was born in a California log cabin.[1]
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[edit] Early life
Joseph was born on May 10, 1872, in Joseph Creek, Modoc County, California.[2] The son of Delilah Jane Joseph (nee Heath) and Edwin Worthington Joseph, Joseph moved to Oregon in 1876 with his parents.[2] In 1889, he graduated from high school in Lakeview, Oregon, before studying law and passing the bar in 1893.[2] Joseph then moved to Portland to practice law, and where he was married on September 6, 1903, to Bertha L. Snell.[2]
In Portland, he would partner with Bert E. Haney to form a legal practice.[2] Notably, he drew up and executed the will of his friend E. Henry Wemme, owner of the Mount Hood Company and, thereby, the Bull Run Hydroelectric Project and the historic Barlow Road.
[edit] Political career
In 1920, Joseph was elected to the Oregon State Senate as a Republican representing Multnomah County.[3] He won a second four-year term in 1924, representing District 13.[4] Joseph did not return for the 1929 legislative session.[5]
In the late 1920s, the matter of Wemme's estate went before the Oregon Supreme Court. Joseph accused the opposing attorney, Thomas Mannix, of collusion with Chief Justice John L. Rand. In the ensuing controversy, both Mannix and Joseph were disbarred, and Joseph announced his candidacy for Governor of Oregon in the 1930 election.[1]
Joseph was considered a populist candidate, and advocated for public development of hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River. He won the Republican nomination, defeating incumbent A. W. Norblad by 5000 votes.[6] In those days, the Republican nomination virtually guaranteed victory in the general election.[1]
He died of a stroke, however, on June 17.[7]
The Republican Party nominated Phil Metschan, who had not run in the primary, and who opposed public power utilities.
Joseph's friend and business partner Julius Meier entered the race as an independent candidate, adopting Joseph's platform. Meier won the election with 54.5% of the vote. He went on to pass legislation in accordance with Joseph's platform, highlighting those efforts in his 1935 address.[8]
Joseph's heirs donated a piece of property to the State of Oregon in 1934, which is now known as George W. Joseph State Natural Area.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Oregon Ousting. Time (June 9, 1930). Retrieved on 2007-10-08.
- ^ a b c d e Colmer, Montagu, and Charles Erskine Scott Wood. History of the Bench and Bar of Oregon. Portland, Or: Historical Pub. Co, 1910. p. 85.
- ^ 1921 Regular Session (31st). Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on May 28, 2008.
- ^ 1925 Regular Session (33rd). Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on May 28, 2008.
- ^ 1929 Regular Session (35th). Oregon State Archives. Retrieved on May 28, 2008.
- ^ Wallis, James Harold (1935). The Politician; His Habits, Outcries, and Protective Coloring. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, p. 181. ISBN 0405059043.
- ^ "Nominee drops dead in Oregon", Los Angeles times, June 17, 1930.
- ^ Governor Julius L. Meier's Administration: Governor's Message, 1935. Oregon State Archives (1935). Retrieved on 2008-05-27.
- ^ Lewis and Clark's Columbia River - Latourell Falls, Oregon
[edit] Further reading
- Adams, Lester; Lois P. Myers (1931). George W. Joseph: His Life. Kessinger Publishing, LLC, 92 pages.
