Willis Chatman Hawley (May 5, 1864 – July 24, 1941) was an American politician and educator in the state of

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

. A native of the state, he would serve as president of

Willamette University Willamette University is a private liberal arts college with locations in Salem and Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1842, it is the oldest college in the Western United States. Originally named the Oregon Institute, the school was an unaffiliated ...

in Salem, Oregon, where he earned his undergraduate and law degrees before entering politics. A

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, he served as a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from Oregon from 1907 to 1933 where he co-sponsored the

Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act The Tariff Act of 1930 (codified at ), commonly known as the Smoot–Hawley Tariff or Hawley–Smoot Tariff, was a law that implemented protectionist trade policies in the United States. Sponsored by Senator Reed Smoot and Representative Willi ...

in 1930.

Early life

Hawley was born on a farm in the old Belknap settlement near Monroe in

Benton County, Oregon Benton County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 95,184. Its county seat is Corvallis. The county was named after Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S. Senator who advocated American contr ...

, on May 5, 1864. After he attended country schools, he entered college. In 1884, he graduated with a bachelor of science degree from

in Salem, Oregon. 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 Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...

from the

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

department. Smoot and Hawley standing together, April 11, 1929

Next, he served as president of the Oregon State Normal School at Drain south of Eugene from 1888–1891. During this time he earned a master's degree from Willamette in 1890 and the following year joined the faculty at his alma mater. 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. Then, he engaged in a variety of business and educational ventures before entering politics. Hawley became a member of the National Forest Reservation Commission and a member of the Special Committee on Rural Credits created by Congress in 1915. 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 George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of ...

Politics

Hawley won

Oregon's 1st Congressional District Oregon's 1st congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S state of Oregon. The district stretches from Portland's western suburbs and exurbs, to parts of the Oregon coast. The district includes the principal cities of ...

as a

in 1906. He was then re-elected every two years to Congress for the next 12 sessions of Congress. Hawley served in

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...

from March 4, 1907, until March 3, 1933. 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. Hawley was defeated in his bid for renomination to his House seat in 1932, and left office in March 1933. He returned to Salem where he practiced law. He died on July 24, 1941, at the age of 77 in Salem and was interred at that city's

City View Cemetery City View Cemetery is a privately owned cemetery in Salem, Oregon, United States that was established in 1893. Its Mount Crest Abbey Mausoleum, opened in 1914, contains the remains of eight governors of Oregon. History The cemetery was establis ...

References

External links

* http://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/hawley_willis/ * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hawley, Willis C. 1864 births 1941 deaths Oregon lawyers People from Monroe, Oregon Willamette University College of Law alumni Presidents of Willamette University Willamette University alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Oregon Burials at City View Cemetery