Oren E. Long

Oren Ethelbirt Long (March 4, 1889 – May 6, 1965), was the tenth Territorial Governor of Hawaii and served from 1951 to 1953. A member of the Hawai'i Democratic Party, Long was appointed to the office after the term of Ingram Stainback. After statehood was achieved he served in the United States Senate, one of the first two, along with Hiram Fong, to represent Hawai'i in that body. Long remains the only U.S. Senator from Hawaii with no Asian ancestry.

Life

Long was born in Altoona, Kansas and attended Johnson Bible College in Knoxville, Tennessee, University of Michigan, and Columbia University in New York City. He first came to Hawai'i in 1917 as a social worker in Hilo. He then held various educational positions in the public school system eventually becoming a superintendent from 1933 to 1946. He was appointed Governor of the Territory of Hawai'i by President of the United States Harry Truman in 1951 and served until 1953. Long served in the Hawaii Territorial Senate 1956-1959.

On July 28, 1959 he was elected to one of the two Senate seats from the newly formed State of Hawaii, and took office on August 21, 1959. The other Senator elected was Republican Hiram Fong. Long chose not to run for re-election in 1962, and was succeeded by fellow Democrat & then-Rep. Daniel Inouye, in January 1963.

Long appeared as a contestant on What's My Line? shortly after taking office. After three rounds of questioning, the panel successfully guessed him to be the senator from Hawaii.

He died in 1965 of a heart attack in Honolulu, Hawaii and was buried in Oahu Cemetery.

References

• Oren E. Long at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

External links

• Oren Ethelbirt Long at Find a Grave