William Paine Lord facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Paine Lord
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| U.S. Minister to Argentina | |
| In office February 14, 1900 – March 27, 1903 |
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| Preceded by | William I. Buchanan |
| Succeeded by | John Barrett |
| 9th Governor of Oregon | |
| In office January 14, 1895 – January 9, 1899 |
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| Preceded by | Sylvester Pennoyer |
| Succeeded by | T. T. Geer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 20, 1838 Dover, Delaware |
| Died | February 17, 1911 (aged 72) San Francisco, California |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Juliette Montague |
| Profession | Lawyer |
William Paine Lord (born July 20, 1838 – died February 17, 1911) was an important American politician. He was a member of the Republican Party. Lord served as the ninth Governor of Oregon from 1895 to 1899.
Before becoming governor, he was a judge on the Oregon Supreme Court, which is Oregon's highest court. He even served three times as the Chief Justice, meaning the main judge of that court. After being governor, he became an ambassador for the United States in Argentina, a country in South America. He also helped organize and write down all of Oregon's laws.
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Growing Up and Early Life
William Paine Lord was born on July 20, 1838, in Dover, Delaware. His parents were Edward and Elizabeth Lord. When he was young, he had some hearing loss and found it hard to speak clearly.
He went to a Quaker school and had private teachers. Later, he studied law at Fairfield College and finished in 1860.
Joining the Military
Before he could start his law career, Lord joined the military during the American Civil War. He became a Major in the 1st Delaware Cavalry Regiment. He fought for the Union Army in the Army of the Potomac.
After the war, Lord went back to law school at Albany Law School in New York and graduated in 1866. He then rejoined the army as a lieutenant. He was stationed in places like Alcatraz Island in San Francisco and Fort Steilacoom near Tacoma, Washington.
When the United States officially took control of Alaska in 1867, Lieutenant Lord was sent to Sitka. In 1868, he left the army to start his own law practice in Salem, Oregon.
Starting a Political Career
William Paine Lord quickly became involved in politics. In 1870, he became the City Attorney for Salem, which meant he was the main lawyer for the city.
His first elected job was as a state Senator in 1878. He soon left that job to run for a position as a Justice (judge) on the Oregon Supreme Court. He won and served on the court from 1880 to 1894. People thought he was a very good and fair judge. He even served as the Chief Justice for his last term.
In 1894, he was chosen by the Republican Party to run for Governor. He won the election and stepped down from his judge position to become governor.
Time as Governor of Oregon
William Paine Lord was very popular, and this helped him become Governor. As governor, he worked to improve education and stop unfair practices where people tried to illegally buy and sell public land. He also supported the idea of letting people directly vote for their United States Senators. At that time, state lawmakers chose senators, not the public.
In 1895, the University of Oregon gave him an honorary degree for his work.
Protecting Oregon's Land
Governor Lord wanted to stop dishonest land speculation, which is when people buy land hoping its value will go up quickly, sometimes using unfair methods. He created the State Land Board to manage public lands. This board helped protect Oregon's wildlife and fishing areas, and its work led to the land-use system Oregon has today.
Changes to Laws
Lord also suggested changing the Oregon Constitution to allow the Governor to use a "line-item veto". This means the governor could reject specific parts of a bill without rejecting the whole thing. Even though this change didn't happen during his time, later governors supported it, and the line-item veto was finally approved in 1916.
Lord tried to get re-elected for a second term in 1898 but lost in a close election to another Republican, Theodore T. Geer.
Later Life and Legacy
After leaving the Governor's Office, William Paine Lord was appointed as the U.S. Minister (which is like an Ambassador) to Argentina by President William McKinley. He served in Argentina until 1902, then returned to Oregon.
In 1902, the Oregon Supreme Court asked him to become the Code Commissioner. In this job, which he held until 1910, he carefully looked at and organized all of Oregon's existing laws. He put them into three large books called Lord's Oregon Laws, which officially became the Oregon Statute Code of 1909.
In 1910, Lord retired and moved to San Francisco. He passed away there on February 17, 1911. His body was brought back to Oregon and buried in the Mount Crest Abbey Mausoleum in Salem.
