By Ken Hector and Vic Gilliam
Sometime in Mark Hatfield’s early career as a state legislator, first in the House and then in the Senate, he decided it was time to test the waters for statewide office.
With a speaking engagement already scheduled in Silverton, the Marion County Senator decided to use the occasion to announce his intention to run for Secretary of State.
His election at age 34 was to Hatfield the perfect omen, a lucky charm of sorts.
Accordingly, two years later he returned to Silverton to announce his candidacy for Governor. Elected in 1958 at age 36, he was the youngest person to be elected Oregon Governor, serving two terms.
His “Silverton success” continued, and it led to five consecutive elections as Oregon’s “senior” Senator in Washington DC, with each re-election campaign announced in Silverton.
He used several venues to make his candidacy announcements in our town, a total of nine occasions in all, with scores of appearances here both during and after his lengthy public service.
For many of his 30 years in the U.S. Senate, he served as chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee, which enabled him to return Oregon tax dollars to his home state, for areas such as medical research, farm innovation, marine and agricultural science.
Major beneficiaries included Oregon Health Science University, Oregon State University, and the City of Silverton for the Oregon Garden.
Although he was a Republican, he often found himself at odds with his own party, particularly with his opposition to the Viet Nam war.
That opposition derived from his experience while serving in the Navy, which included seeing the devastation resulting from the atomic bomb in Hiroshima.
But it was that same independence that inspired a generation, including Vic Gilliam, to challenge our nation’s policies from within the political system.
Hatfield taught us to speak up, using democracy to change the way we do things, while never endorsing insurrection or violent protest.
Hatfield’s message was we live in the best county, the paragon of democracy, and we need to exercise our rights and responsibilities as citizens of a great republic.
When Senator Hatfield decided he would not run for re-election, he once again returned to Silverton to make the announcement.
This time the venue was Silverton Hospital.
On a cold, wet December morning in 1995, in a tent that covered most of the parking lot, he stood before a standing-room-only crowd that included a host of former Hatfield staffers and national TV audience to share his thoughts on public service, why he was retiring, and that it was time for him to come home to his beloved Oregon for good.
“For the last 30 years, my calling has been to live in Washington, D.C.,” Hatfield said. “Thirty years of voluntary separation from the state I love is enough.”
As Mayor at that time, I had the honor and privilege to introduce the Senator. I concluded my remarks as follows; “I am proud to call Mark Hatfield my Senator, and I am honored to call him my friend.”
Those feelings have not changed for me.
On Aug. 7, Hatfield died at the age of 89. A public memorial for Hatfield is 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 in the House Chamber at the Capitol in Salem.
Oregon has lost one of its greatest statesman and public servants, and Vic and I have lost a great mentor and friend.
Ken Hector is Director of Community Outreach and Government Affairs at Silverton Hospital and served as Silverton’s Mayor from 1992 – 2008
Vic Gilliam is State Representative District 18, Silverton and Molalla. He was a member of Hatfield’s staff.
