William G. Hare (April 19, 1882 – November 25, 1971) was an American lawyer and politician 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 ...

. A native Oregonian, he grew up in the Hillsboro area where he later practiced law. A Republican, he served in both houses of the

Oregon Legislature The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the Ho ...

, as had his father

William D. Hare William Davenport Hare (September 1, 1834 – February 6, 1910) was an American politician in Oregon. He served as a Republican member of the Oregon Legislature and the 8th mayor of Hillsboro, Oregon. His other duties included those of custo ...

. His brother

Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

was once the mayor of Hillsboro.

Early life

William Gilman Hare was born in

Farmington, Oregon Farmington is an unincorporated community in Washington County, Oregon, United States. It is located on the Tualatin River, a tributary of the Willamette, about eight miles southwest of Beaverton, at the intersection of Oregon Route 10 and Rive ...

, south of Hillsboro on April 19, 1882.Colmer, Montagu, and Charles Erskine Scott Wood. 1910. ''History of the Bench and Bar of Oregon''. Portland, Or: Historical Pub. Co. p. 147-148. He was the son of attorney and politician William Davenport and Henrietta (''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' Scholfield) Hare, and brother to Joseph, Frances Ellen, Martha G., Henrietta, and Ruth.''Portrait and Biographical Record of Portland and Vicinity, Oregon. Containing Original Sketches of Many Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present''. Chicago: Chapman Pub. Co., (1903). p. 727-8. William was educated in the public schools of Hillsboro before attending preparatory school at

Tualatin Academy Tualatin Academy was a secondary school in the U.S. state of Oregon that eventually became Pacific University. Tualatin Academy also refers to the National Register of Historic Places-listed college building constructed in 1850 to house the academ ...

in neighboring

Forest Grove A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

in 1900. In 1903, he graduated from Pacific University, the college division of the academy, with a bachelor's degree. Hare then graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in

Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...

in 1906 with a bachelor of laws degree. Hare returned to Oregon, passed the

bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar (u ...

, and was admitted to practice on August 21, 1907, by the state supreme court in Salem. He settled in Hillsboro where he formed a legal partnership with later judge George R. Bagley.

Political career

His father, William Davenport Hare, served in both houses of the

Oregon Legislative Assembly The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the Ho ...

and as mayor of Hillsboro. His brother Joseph also served as mayor. William was elected as a Republican to the

Oregon House of Representatives The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 65,000. The House meets in the west wing of the ...

in 1914 to serve Hillsboro and Washington County in District 15. After one session off, he won election to his old seat in 1918 and served in the 1919 session. In 1920, he was elected to a four-year term in the

Oregon State Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the state Sena ...

representing District 11. Hare won re-election in 1924 to a second four-year term and remained in office through the 1927 session. A son later served in the Senate as well, representing the same district.

Later years and family

Hare was a member of the

Knights of Pythias The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded in Washington, D.C., on . The Knights of Pythias is the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was founded ...

, the Masons, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Odd Fellows, and the

Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, profe ...

."Obituary: William G. Hare", '' Oregon Journal'', November 29, 1971, p. 13. He married Jane M. Greer of Hillsboro on November 25, 1906, and they had two children; one son ( John) and one daughter. After nearly 60 years in legal practice, he retired in 1965. William Gilman Hare died on November 25, 1971, at the age of 89 at

Tuality Community Hospital Hillsboro Medical Center, formerly Tuality Community Hospital, is a medical care facility located in Hillsboro in the U.S. state of Oregon. The 167-bed facility was founded in 1918 in downtown and is one of two hospitals in Hillsboro, Washington ...

in Hillsboro. The

Hillsboro School District The Hillsboro School District 1J is a unified school district located in Hillsboro, Oregon, Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The district operates 26 elementary schools, four middle schools, and four high schools. Founded in 1851, the school di ...

's athletic complex,

Hare Field Hare Field is a multi-sport facility located in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The facility opened in 1965 and is owned by the Hillsboro School District. Hare Field includes a baseball stadium, a football stadium, practice fields, and track an ...

, was named for him.McKinney, Dick. "Sparts trim Gresham in first game", ''

The Hillsboro Argus ''The Hillsboro Argus'' was a twice-weekly newspaper in the city of Hillsboro, Oregon, from 1894 to 2017, known as the ''Washington County Argus'' for its final year. The ''Argus'' was distributed in Washington County, Oregon, United States. First ...

'', October 19, 1976.

References

External links

Phelps, William, House
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hare, William G. 1882 births 1971 deaths Pacific University alumni Politicians from Hillsboro, Oregon University of Michigan Law School alumni Republican Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives Republican Party Oregon state senators 20th-century American legislators Lawyers from Hillsboro, Oregon 20th-century American lawyers