Corbett, Alfred H., 1915-2000

Alfred H. Corbett (b. July 22, 1915, Portland, OR–d. Nov. 10, 2000, Poulsbo, WA) was born in Portland, Oregon to a wealthy and politically connected Orgeon family. He received his B.S. from Harvard University (1937) and his LL.B. from Yale University (1939). He served for two years as a sergeant during World War II. After the war, Corbett was the first Commissioner of the Portland (Oregon) Housing Authority, and in 1951 he became Assistant General Counsel to the Defense Electrical Power Administration in Washington DC. Corbett was elected Oregon State Representative in 1956, and later State Senator, and served in that capacity until 1965. In 1965 President Lyndon Johnson appointed Corbett to a senior position in the legal office of the United States Office of Economic Opportunity in Washington, D.C. In this position, Corbett played a leading role in the Johnson administration's war on poverty.