Hall, Arnold Bennett, 1881-1936

Arnold Bennett Hall (1881-1936) was a professor of political science and law, college president, and an author.

Hall was president of the University of Oregon during 1926-1932. He is noted for his promise of increased emphasis on scholarship and research. Though funding for some of his projects passed the legislature, many proposals were vetoed or drastically reduced by the governor. President Hall was also known for attempting to gain endowments that would help ensure the quality of the university. In the midst of his attention to fundraising, he also led opposition to a proposal, finally defeated, that would have combined the UO and Oregon State College into one campus in Corvallis. The Arnold Bennett Hall Society, which recognizes donors who have made gifts to the university through planned giving, remains his legacy, along with the increased private giving he encouraged.

From 1932 until his death, he was director of the Institute for Government Research, Brookings Institute, Washington, D.C. He was the author of several books on political science and international law, and was a member of numerous professional and honorary societies.

Sources: Wisconsin Historical Society, http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/dictionary/index.asp?action=view&term_id=1367&term_type_id=1&term_type_text=people&letter=H

Presidential History, http://president.uoregon.edu/history

From the guide to the Office of the President: Arnold Bennett Hall records, 1926-1932, (Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries)