W. W. Thayer
William W. Thayer | |
---|---|
6th Governor of Oregon | |
In office September 11, 1878 – September 13, 1882 | |
Preceded by | Stephen F. Chadwick |
Succeeded by | Z.F. Moody |
30th Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court | |
In office 1884–1890 | |
Preceded by | Edward B. Watson |
Succeeded by | Robert S. Bean |
14th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court | |
In office 1888–1890 | |
Preceded by | William Paine Lord |
Succeeded by | Reuben S. Strahan |
Personal details | |
Born | Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court from 1888 to 1889.
BackgroundThayer was born on a farm near Lima, New York, on July 15, 1827. He received a public education before studying law in college. He was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1851. He then practiced law with his brother in Buffalo and later Tonawanda. A mining boom in U.S. Representative Andrew J. Thayer, at his law firm. In 1863, he would finally move to Idaho, setting up his own law firm in Lewiston .
Political career in IdahoIn 1866, three years after moving to Lewiston, Thayer was elected district attorney for the Third Judicial District of Idaho Territory. From 1866 until 1867, he moved to Boise to serve for a session of the Idaho Territory House of Representatives. He moved to Portland, Oregon, shortly after leaving the legislature. Early political career in OregonUpon returning to Oregon, Thayer established a successful law firm in the city of East Portland. At this time, he became an active member of the Democratic Party. During the Samuel Tilden prevail in the Electoral College .
Still appreciative of his assistance in the Watts Case, the Oregon State Democratic Party nominated Thayer for governor in 1878. Thayer would win narrowly over Republican Cornelius C. Beekman, by a margin of 59 votes. GovernorshipThayer's time in office is remembered as a fiscally conservative, anti-corruption administration, which sought to make the state bureaucracy more efficient. The State Board of Equalization, land law reforms, and the establishment of a state mental hospital were initiated under his leadership. He would eliminate the state's debt while in office. Governor Thayer often spoke out about the state's finances. Highly criticized by Thayer was the process by which the state legislature based its budget appropriations. He called for revenue projections to be based on actual revenues, not what was anticipated as the legislature had often done in the past. He also refused to fund the completion of the State Capitol Building, stating that the building was too expensive and lavish for Oregon.[citation needed] His lasting legacy was reforming the Supreme Court of Oregon into its present incarnation by statute. Previously, Circuit Court judges served as justices of the Supreme Court. After the statute change, Supreme Court positions were made a separate, directly elected office.
Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme CourtThayer declined to run for a second term in the 1882 gubernatorial election. Instead, he successfully ran a campaign for justice of the Supreme Court in 1884, winning a six-year term on the bench.[1] Justice Thayer remained on the bench until 1890, the last two years of that term serving as chief justice.[1] Thayer died in Lone Fir Cemetery in that city.[2]
References
External linksWikiquote has quotations related to W. W. Thayer.
| July 15, 1827