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Hal E. Hoss

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hal E. Hoss
Image
Hoss, circa 1928
Oregon Secretary of State
In office
September 24, 1928 – February 6, 1934
GovernorI. L. Patterson
A. W. Norblad
Julius L. Meier
Preceded bySam A. Kozer
Succeeded byPeter J. Stadelman
Personal details
BornOctober 7, 1892
DiedFebruary 6, 1934(1934-02-06) (aged 41)
PartyRepublican
SpouseMyrtle Lantz
OccupationJournalist

Hal Elden Hoss (October 7, 1892 – February 6, 1934) was an American journalist and politician in the state of Oregon. A native of Portland, he was raised there and edited several newspapers in Oregon before he became the private secretary for the Governor of Oregon, I. L. Patterson. A Republican, he served as Oregon Secretary of State for six years before he died in office.

Early life

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Hal Hoss was born on October 7, 1892, in Portland, Oregon, where he was raised.[1] After he earned his education in that city he married Myrtle Lantz in 1914, and had four children together.[1] In 1918, he became the editor of the Banner Courier newspaper of Oregon City.[1] Hoss remained there until 1920 when began managing and editing the Enterprise paper, also in Oregon City.[1] In 1922, he was inducted into Sigma Delta Chi, an honor society for journalists.[2]

He remained in the newspaper business until 1926 at the Enterprise, and served as the president of the Oregon Press Association on several occasions.[1] Hoss was active in attempts to reform the penal system, serving on commissions to this aim.[1] He even was appointed to the state's parole board.[1] In 1927, Hoss was hired by Governor I. L. Patterson to work as his personal secretary.[1]

Political career

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On September 24, 1928, Sam A. Kozer resigned from the office of Oregon Secretary of State.[3] Oregon Governor I. L. Patterson appointed the Republican Hoss on that same day to fill the remaining term of Kozer.[3] Hoss then won election to a full four-year term in 1928, and won re-election in 1932 to a second four-year term.[3] While in his first term, his office created the Operations Division and the state began to require testing to acquire a driver's license.[4] Hal Elden Hoss died in office on February 6, 1934, at the age of 41.[3]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Corning, Howard M. (1989) Dictionary of Oregon History. Binfords & Mort Publishing. p. 119.
  2. ↑ "Homecoming Gossip" (PDF). Old Oregon. 5 (3): 11. December 1922.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Oregon Secretary of State Agency History, page 14". Oregon Blue Book. Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Oregon Secretaries of State Biographical Sketches, 1841–Present". Oregon Blue Book. Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved 2008-01-05.
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