Isaac Homer Van Winkle (December 3, 1870 – December 14, 1943) was an American attorney in the state of Oregon. A former dean of Willamette University's law school, he served as the 6th Attorney General of Oregon for 23 years.
Isaac Homer Van Winkle | |
|---|---|
 Van Winkle in 1921 | |
| 6th Oregon Attorney General | |
| In office October 14, 1920 – December 14, 1943 | |
| Appointed by | Ben W. Olcott |
| Preceded by | George M. Brown |
| Succeeded by | George Neuner |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 3, 1870 Halsey, Oregon |
| Died | December 14, 1943 (aged 73) Salem, Oregon |
| Political party | Republican |
Early life
editVan Winkle was born in Linn County, Oregon, near the community of Halsey, to Isaac Newton Van Winkle and Elizabeth Ann Pearl.[1] Isaac graduated from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, in 1898 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.[2] In 1901, he graduated from Willamette University College of Law, where he later served as the sixth dean.[3] On September 3, 1902, Isaac married Lella Velvetta Parrish, and they had one daughter named Rosalind.[1] Lella died in 1918.[2]
Public service
editIn 1904, Van Winkle began serving as an assistant attorney general for Oregon, remaining in the post until 1920 (though not from 1913 to 1915).[2][4] He was an instructor at Willamette's law school from 1905 to 1913.[2] That year he began his tenure as dean of the school, remaining until 1927.[2] The Van Winkle Melton Endowed Professorship at Willamette is named in his honor.[3]
On October 14, 1920, Van Winkle was appointed as the sixth Oregon Attorney General by Oregon Governor Ben W. Olcott, to replace George M. Brown, who had resigned from the position.[5] As a Republican, he was elected to a full four-year term later that year. Van Winkle won re-election in 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, and 1940 before dying in office on December 14, 1943.[5] Van Winkle's 23 years as Oregon's top lawyer are the longest of any attorney general in the state's history.[5] In 1938, he ran for a position on the Oregon Supreme Court, but lost and remained as Attorney General.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b Descendants of Rev. Isaac Newton Van Winkle, RootsWeb. Retrieved on September 4, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e Obituaries: Isaac H. Van Winkle. The New York Times, December 16, 1943.
- ^ a b Among Ourselves, Oregon State Bar Bulletin, October 2003. Retrieved on September 4, 2007
- ^ State v. Nielsen, 51 Or. 588, 95 P. 720 (1908)
- ^ a b c Earliest Authorities in Oregon - Attorneys General of Oregon, Oregon Secretary of State: Oregon Blue Book. Retrieved on September 4, 2007.
- ^ The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Vanwagenen to Vaudain. Retrieved on September 4, 2007.