Oregon Republican League: History 104 Biographies

Every Wednesday, the Oregon Republican League will post the biographies of important figures, in the League's/State of Oregon's history. Feel free to comment or share stories of your family's Republican affiliation.

Governor John H. Hall
Biographical Note


John H. Hall was governor from October 30, 1947 to January 10, 1949.

Hall was born in Portland, Oregon on February 7, 1899. During World War I he served as a medical corpsman on the troop transport Florida. He attended Oregon State College and graduated in 1923 with a degree in business administration. After a variety of jobs he attended Northwestern College of Law in Portland, Oregon and received his law degree in 1928. He was admitted to the bar in 1928.

Hall's political career began in 1932 when he was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives. He served in the 1933, 1939, 1943, 1945, and 1947 sessions of the Legislative Assembly, and became Speaker of the House in the 1947. Due to the deaths of Governor Earl Snell, Secretary of State Robert S. Farrell Jr., and President of the Senate Marshall E. Cornett on October 28, 1947, the Speaker of the House, as required by Oregon constitution, became governor.

Governor Hall supported liberalizing the liquor trade and even provoked controversy by dismissing a member of the Liquor Control Commission who felt that there should be a limit on buying liquor. Governor Hall also asked for wage and salary adjustments for state employees due to inflation and was a strong supporter of education. He favored using the treasury surplus over budget-balancing requirements to finance buildings for higher educational and other state institutions.

After he was defeated by Douglas McKay in the 1948 primary election, John Hall returned to Lincoln County, where he practiced law, and won election to a term as District Court Judge. He died on November 14, 1970 in Newport, Oregon.

John Hall was married to Elizabeth Walch from 1926 until her death in 1937. They had two children. He married Alyce Johnson in 1941 and they had one child.