Meier, Julius L., 1874-1937

Dates:

Birth 1874-12-31

Death 1937-07-14

Gender:

Male

Nationality: Americans

Language: English

Biographical notes:

Julius L. Meier (December 31, 1874 – July 14, 1937) was an American businessman, civic leader, and politician in the state of Oregon. An independent, he served as Governor of Oregon from 1931 to 1935. He is the only independent to be elected Governor of Oregon.

Born in Portland, Oregon, he graduated from the University of Oregon School of Law in 1895 and practiced law with a partner, George W. Joseph, for the next four years, until he went into the family's business, the Meier & Frank Department Store, serving as general manager from 1910 to 1930 and then becoming President. During the World War I era, Meier was regional director of the Council of National Defense and helped in France’s rehabilitation after the war. He also headed the Oregon Commission of the Pan-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. As leader of the Columbia River Highway Association, he helped to build support for the Columbia River Highway. In the 1920s, as an attorney and highly involved in Portland's Republican Party, Meier took over Henry L. Corbett's work between the party and the city government, meaning he received monthly payments from organized crime, especially Prohibition-era liquor and gambling operations.

After the death of George W. Joseph, his former law partner, after receiving the Republican nomination for Governor of Oregon, Meier was offered and declined the nomination to replace him. After the Republican Party selected Phil Metschan, Jr., an opponent of public hydropower development, to replace Joseph, Meier entered the race as an independent candidate adopting Joseph's platform which included public development of hydroelectric power along the Columbia River. In the three-way race, Meier won 54.5 percent of the vote. Although he won election, Meier was unable to succeed in implementing his platform, with the federal government instead taking over development of the Columbia River. However, due in part to voter approval of a state income tax, Meier was able to financially stabilize the state. He also supported legislation to regulate liquor traffic, helped establish a State Board of Agriculture, a State Unemployment Commission, and the Oregon State Police, and sought adoption of a nonpartisan judicial system. He declined to run for a second term for reasons of health.

Meier retired to "Menucha", his estate above the Columbia River in Corbett, Oregon, dying there in 1937. He is buried at Beth Israel Cemetery in Portland.