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Julius L. Meier was a Portland businessman
and attorney in Portland at the turn of the century. (His father
Aaron Meier founded the Meier & Frank department store.) |
In 1895, Meier opened a law
partnership with George Joseph, who would become a longtime friend.
As a Republican, Meier served on
many citizen advisory boards but never ran for public office until 1930.
His close friend George Joseph had won the Republican nomination for Governor
but had died shortly after. When the Republican central committee
nominated ultraconservative Phil Metschan, Meier dropped his party affiliation
and ran as an independent.
Meier won the
three-way 1930 governor's race with 54.5% of the vote.
Upon entering
office, Meier faced record unemployment and debt levels as a result of the Great
Depression. He worked with both parties as well as New Deal agencies and
Oregon's Congressional delegation in Washington DC to bring federal dollars and
jobs to the state . Back in Salem, he worked to provide workers'
assistance programs and stabilize the state's revenue system.
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Within
three years, Meier had eliminated Oregon's deficit, put record numbers
of people to work, and created the Oregon State Police.
Due to
declining health, Meier retired from public life at the end of his first
term and died shortly after. |
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"In this hour of our people's distress, we should lay aside all petty grievances
and blind partisanship."
- Governor
Julius L. Meier, 1933
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