Joseph Poindexter
Joseph Poindexter | |
---|---|
Attorney General of Montana | |
In office May 31, 1915 – January 1, 1917 | |
Governor | Sam V. Stewart |
Preceded by | D. M. Kelly |
Succeeded by | Sam C. Ford |
Judge of the United States District Court for the Territory of Hawaii | |
In office May 14, 1917 – February 16, 1924 | |
Appointed by | Woodrow Wilson |
Preceded by | Charles F. Clemons |
Succeeded by | William T. Rawlins |
Personal details | |
Born | Joseph Boyd Poindexter April 14, 1869 Canyon City, Oregon, U.S. |
Died | December 3, 1951 Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, U.S. | (aged 82)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Margaret Conger |
Children | Everton Helen |
Alma mater | Wesleyan University Washington University in St. Louis |
Joseph Boyd Poindexter (April 14, 1869 – December 3, 1951) was the eighth Territorial Governor of Hawaii and served from 1934 to 1942.
Early life
Joseph Boyd Poindexter was born in
Career
In 1917, President Woodrow Wilson appointed Poindexter as Judge on the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. Poindexter served in that capacity from May 14, 1917, to February 16, 1924. He then practiced law in Hawaii until 1934. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Poindexter the eighth governor of Hawaii on January 30, 1934.[4][5]
A joint Congressional Committee visited Hawaii in 1937 and submitted a report in February 1938 recommending a
Poindexter was appointed to the governorship of Hawaii by Roosevelt in 1934; he was reappointed to the governorship in 1938. Poindexter was the only second territorial governor to that point to serve more than one term of office.
In the immediate aftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Poindexter placed the territory under martial law and allowed the U.S. military to form a military government.[6][7] He mobilized the Hawaii Territorial Guard while the attack was still ongoing and appointed himself its captain general. The military government would continue until 1943. After his term expired, Poindexter remained in office until August 24, 1942, when his successor, Ingram Stainback, was confirmed. He remained in Hawaii and practiced law and in July 1943, the Hawaii supreme Court appointed him as one of the trustees of the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Estate.[citation needed]
Gubernatorial accomplishments
An editorial at his death credited Poindexter with a balanced budget, improved civil service and wage laws that regulated child labor and improved public health and welfare. During his administration the Hawaii Housing Authority was established, and projects such as the "Mayor Wright homes" (named for George F. Wright) were begun. He advocated for larger airports and other major public works projects, including roads, parks, schools and the Ala Wai Golf Course.[8]
Later life
Poindexter resumed his law practice after leaving the governorship. In July 1943, the
Personal life
Poindexter married Margaret Conger in Dillon, Montana on April 22, 1897. The couple had two children, Everton and Helen.[3]
Fraternal memberships
References
- ^ "TERRITORIES: Poindexter in Paradise". Time. February 12, 1934.
- ^ "Political Graveyard". Lawrence Kestenbaum. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
- ^ OL 25119222M– via www.archive.org.
- ISBN 978-0-8248-1577-6.
- ISBN 978-1-57306-209-1.
- ISBN 978-0-8263-3637-8.
- ISBN 978-1-56656-615-5.
- Honolulu AdvertiserDecember 7, 1951
Further reading
- Dyer, C.Y. (editor), Biographical Sketches of Hawaii's Rulers, 8th ed. (Honolulu: Bishop National Bank of Hawaii, 1957), p. 34-35.