| Willis Chatman Hawley | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon's 1st district |
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| In office March 4, 1907-March 3, 1933 |
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| Preceded by | Binger Hermann |
| Succeeded by | James W. Mott |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 5, 1864 Monroe, Oregon |
| Died | July 24, 1941 (aged 77) Salem, Oregon |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | Willamette University |
Willis Chatman Hawley (May 5, 1864 - July 24, 1941) was an American politician and educator in the state of Oregon. A native of the state, he would serve as president of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, where he earned his undergraduate and law degrees before entering politics. A Republican, he served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Oregon from 1907 to 1933 where he co-sponsored the Smoot-Hawley Tariff in 1930.
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Hawley was born on a farm in the old Belknap settlement near Monroe in Benton County, Oregon, on May 5, 1864.[1] After he attended country schools, he entered college. In 1884, he graduated with a bachelor of science degree from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.[1] Hawley was the principal of the Umpqua Academy from 1884-86. In 1888, he received a bachelor of arts degree from the school along with a Bachelor of Laws from the law department.[1]
Next, he served as president of the Oregon State Normal School at Drain south of Eugene from 1888-1891.[1] During this time he earned a masters degree from Willamette in 1890 and the following year joined the faculty at his Alma mater.[1] Hawley became the president of Willamette, serving in that position from 1893 to 1902 while he was professor of history and economics for sixteen years at the school.[2]
After wards, he had a variety of business and educational ventures before entering politics.[2] Hawley then was a member of the National Forest Reservation Commission and a member of the Special Committee on Rural Credits created by Congress in 1915.[2] Additionally, he served as a member of the Commission for the Celebration of the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the Birth of president and general George Washington.[2]
Hawley won Oregon's 1st Congressional District as a Republican in 1906.[2] He was then re-elected every two years to Congress for the next 12 sessions of Congress.[2] Hawley served in Washington, DC from March 4, 1907 until March 3, 1933.[2] While in Congress, he was chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means for the Seventieth and Seventy-first Congresses. Hawley was then a co-sponsor of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff in 1930, which raised import tariffs to record levels.[2]
Hawley did not win his party's nomination for his seat in 1932, and left office in March 1933.[2] He returned home to Salem where he practiced law.[2] Willis C. Hawley died on July 24, 1941, at the age of 77 in Salem and was interred at that city's City View Cemetery.[2]
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Binger Hermann |
U.S. Representative of Oregon's 1st Congressional District 1907-1933 |
Succeeded by James W. Mott |
| Academic offices | ||
| Preceded by George Whitaker |
President of Willamette University 1891–1902 |
Succeeded by John Hamline Coleman |