Isaac Homer Van Winkle (December 3, 1870 – December 14, 1943) was an American attorney in the state of
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
of Oregon for 23 years.
Early life
Van Winkle was born in
Linn County, Oregon
Linn County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 128,610. The county seat is Albany. The county is named in honor of Lewis F. Linn, a U.S. Senator from Missouri who advocated the ...
Salem, Oregon
Salem ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County, Oregon, Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river ...
, in 1898 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.Obituaries: Isaac H. Van Winkle. ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', December 16, 1943. In 1901, he graduated from
Willamette University College of Law
Willamette University College of Law is the law school of Willamette University. Located in Salem, Oregon, and founded in 1883, Willamette is the oldest law school in the Pacific Northwest. It has approximately 24 full-time law professors and e ...
, where he later served as the sixth dean.Among Ourselves ''
Oregon State Bar Bulletin
The Oregon State Bar Association (OSBA) is a public corporation and instrumentality of the Oregon Judicial Department in the U.S. state of Oregon. Founded in 1890 as the private Oregon Bar Association, it became a public entity in 1935 that regulat ...
'', October 2003. Retrieved on September 4, 2007 On September 3, 1902, Isaac married Lella Velvetta Parrish, and they had one daughter named Rosalind. Lella died in 1918.
Public service
In 1904, Van Winkle began serving as an assistant attorney general for Oregon, remaining in the post until 1920 (though not from 1913 to 1915). He was an instructor at Willamette's law school from 1905 to 1913. That year he began his tenure as dean of the school, remaining until 1927. The Van Winkle Melton Endowed Professorship at Willamette is named in his honor.
On October 14, 1920, Van Winkle was appointed as the sixth
Oregon Attorney General
The Oregon Attorney General is a statutory office within the executive branch of the state of Oregon, and serves as the chief legal officer of the state, heading its Department of Justice with its six operating divisions. The attorney general is ch ...
by
Oregon Governor
The governor of Oregon is the head of government of Oregon and serves as the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. ter ...
Ben W. Olcott
Ben Wilson Olcott (October 15, 1872July 21, 1952) was an American politician of the Republican Party who served as the 16th Governor of Oregon.
Early life
Olcott was born in Keithsburg, Illinois. He was educated at a Keithsburg elementary ...
, to replace George M. Brown, who had resigned from the position.Earliest Authorities in Oregon - Attorneys General of Oregon Oregon Secretary of State: ''Oregon Blue Book''. Retrieved on September 4, 2007. As a Republican, he was elected to a full four-year term later that year. Van Winkle won re-election in 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, and 1940 before dying in office on December 14, 1943. Van Winkle's 23 years as Oregon's top lawyer are the longest of any
attorney general
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general.
In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
in the state's history. In 1938, he ran for a position on the