Julius Meier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Julius Meier
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Meier in 1911
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| 20th Governor of Oregon | |
| In office January 12, 1931 – January 14, 1935 |
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| Preceded by | A. W. Norblad |
| Succeeded by | Charles Martin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 31, 1874 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | July 14, 1937 (aged 62) Corbett, Oregon, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican (before 1930) Independent (1930–1937) |
| Spouse |
Grace Mayer
(m. 1901) |
| Education | University of Oregon (LLB) |
Julius L. Meier (born December 31, 1874 – died July 14, 1937) was an important businessman and leader in Oregon. He was the son of the person who started the famous Meier & Frank department store. Julius Meier first became a lawyer, then joined his family's business in Portland. He was a politician who didn't belong to a major party, known as an independent. Meier served as the 20th Governor of Oregon from 1931 to 1935. He is the only independent person ever elected as Governor of Oregon.
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Early Life and Family
Julius Meier was born in Portland on December 31, 1874. His parents, Aaron and Jeannette Meier, were immigrants from Germany. His father, Aaron, started Meier & Frank, which became Oregon's biggest department store. Julius had three brothers and sisters.
He married Grace Mayer on Christmas Day in 1901. He joked that it was the only day he was allowed to take off from working at the store.
Education and Early Career
Meier studied law at the University of Oregon School of Law. He graduated in 1895. For the next four years, he worked as a lawyer with his partner, George W. Joseph.
After that, he joined his family's department store business. A story says that when he became a lawyer, he added the "L" to his name. A sign painter told him that all important lawyers had a middle name, so Meier picked "L".
Community Involvement
Before becoming a politician, Julius Meier spent 30 years helping his community. He was known for giving money to good causes. During World War I, he helped with efforts to raise money for the war. He also helped France recover after the war.
Meier led the Oregon group for the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. He also tried to bring a world's fair to Portland in 1925.
Building the Columbia River Highway
One of his big achievements was leading the Columbia River Highway Association. This group helped get public support to build the Historic Columbia River Highway. This famous road was built in two main parts. The first part went west from Portland to Astoria (1912–1915). The second part went east from Portland to The Dalles (1913–1922).
His daughter, Jean, later remembered that her father walked or even crawled along every part of the road's planned path. This shows how dedicated he was to the project.
Becoming Governor of Oregon
In the 1930 election for governor, Meier's former law partner, George W. Joseph, won the nomination for the Republican party. However, Joseph sadly passed away shortly after.
The Republican Party then chose Phil Metschan, Jr. as their new candidate. Metschan was against public development of hydroelectric power along the Columbia River. This was different from Joseph's ideas.
Julius Meier decided to run for governor as an independent candidate. He supported Joseph's ideas, including public power. Even though The Oregonian newspaper was against him, Meier won the election easily. He received 54.5% of all the votes. This big win showed that many people in Oregon wanted public power development.
Governor's Achievements
Julius Meier served one term as governor, from 1931 to 1935. He chose not to run again because of his health. He hired George W. Joseph Jr., the son of his former law partner, as a legal advisor. Meier even paid his salary himself.
During his time as governor, Meier achieved many important things:
- He helped create the Oregon Liquor Control Commission after Prohibition ended.
- He started the Oregon State Police, which helps keep people safe.
- He helped set up a State Board of Agriculture and a State Unemployment Commission.
- He worked to make the justice system non-political.
- He used his business skills to help Oregon during the Great Depression. This was a very difficult time for the economy.
While he was governor, federal laws were passed in 1933. These laws allowed for the public building of the Bonneville and Grand Coulee dams. These dams would provide hydroelectric power.
Later Life and Legacy
After being governor, Julius Meier retired to his home called "Menucha." This estate was located above the Columbia River in Corbett, Oregon. He passed away there in 1937. He is buried at Beth Israel Cemetery in Portland.
In 1950, his family sold Menucha to the First Presbyterian Church of Portland. Today, Menucha is used as a place for meetings and retreats.
The Meier and Frank families sold their department store chain in 1966. Later, in 2006, the remaining stores became "Macy's" stores.
See also
