Paul G. Hatfield
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| Paul Gerhart Hatfield | |
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| In office January 22, 1978–December 12, 1978 |
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| Preceded by | Lee Metcalf |
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| Succeeded by | Max Baucus |
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| Born | April 29, 1928 Great Falls, Montana |
| Died | July 3, 2000 Great Falls, Montana |
| Nationality | american |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Paul Gerhart Hatfield, (April 29, 1928-July 3, 2000) was an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party. He served briefly as United States Senator from Montana in 1978.
Born in Great Falls, Montana, he attended the College of Great Falls (now University of Great Falls) and served in the United States Army from 1951 to 1953. He graduated from University of Montana Law School, Missoula, Montana in 1955, and was admitted to the Montana bar that same year and commenced his practice in Great Falls. He was chief deputy county attorney for Cascade County from 1959 to 1960 and served as judge of the Eighth Judicial District from 1961 to 1976. He was appointed chief justice of the Montana Supreme Court in 1977 and served until 1978. On January 22, 1978 Montana Governor Thomas Lee Judge appointed Hatfield to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Lee Metcalf for the term ending January 3, 1979. He served from January 22, 1978, until his resignation December 14, 1978. He was defeated for renomination in the Democratic primary by Congressman Max Baucus. Shortly after his primary defeat, President Jimmy Carter nominated Hatfield to serve as United States federal judge for the District of Montana where he served with distinction until the end of his life. Hatfield was a resident of Great Falls, Montana from 1979 until his death on July 3, 2000. Intermittently, he lived in Riverside Memorial Park in Spokane, Washington.
Hatfield was highly regarded as a courageous U.S. Senator (whose primary election defeat in 1978 is widely-regarded as a consequence of his unpopular, but principled and decisive vote in favor of the 1977 Panama Canal Treaty) and as the most outstanding jurist in Montana history. A deeply devout Catholic, Judge Hatfield attended daily mass nearly every day of his tenure on the federal bench.
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| Preceded by Lee Metcalf |
United States Senator (Class 2) from Montana 1978 Served alongside: John Melcher |
Succeeded by Max Baucus |
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