Louis F. Hart

Louis Folwell Hart (4 January 1862 in High Point, Missourindash 4 December 1929 in Tacoma, Washington) was governor of Washington State from 14 June 1919 to 12 January 1925. He is most remembered for reorganizing the state's administrative structure by reducing the number of agencies and the consequent financial economies.Staff (5 December 1929) "Death Summons Louis F. Hart: Life was Eventful" Centralia Daily Chronicle 38(280): p. 1, 8]

Early life

Hart studied law in Missouri, and lured by the frontier he and his wife moved to Snohomish, Washington in the late-1880s,Staff (18 December 1930) "Wife of Former Governor Passes" Centralia Daily Chronicle 39(300): p. 1] where he practiced law. In 1899 they moved to Tacoma where he continued to practice law and was an insurance agent. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,719260-3,00.html "Gubernatorial Spoon River" "Time Magazine" 13 October 1924] ]

Political career

In 1912, he was elected as Washington’s Lieutenant Governor and he was reelected in 1916. During World War I he served chairman of the Selective Service Appeals Board for Southwest Washington.Hart became governor when the then governor Ernest Lister retired in 1919 due to failing health. Hart was elected governor in his own right in 1920. Hart was instrumental in getting new road projects through the state legislature and strongly supported the creation of a state highway patrol. He oversaw the construction of a new State Capitol complex. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment reorganizing the state's administrative structure, reducing the number of administrative agencies from 75 to 10.

Personal life

Hart did not run for reelection in 1924, but instead retired to Tacoma where he practiced a little law, and served as the president of the "State Good Roads Association". He married Ella James on 9 February 1881 in Missouri and over the course of years they had five children, three sons and two daughters.

Notes

References

*Sobel, Robert, and Raimo, John (eds.) (1978) "Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978" Vol. 4. Meckler Books, Westport, CT, ISBN 0-930466-00-4
*White, J.T. (ed.) (1933) "The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography, being the history of the United States " Vol. 23. James T. White & Company, New York, [http://worldcat.org/oclc/64067983 OCLC 64067983]

External links

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