Notes for Charles Arthur Sprague

Family Group Sheet

Notes for Charles Arthur Sprague

Governor of State of Oregon 1939-1943

Sprague, Charles Authur
Birth: Nov. 12, 1887 Death: Mar. 13, 1969 In 1929 this businessman became the editor and manager of the Oregon Statesman in Salem. Served as trustee of both Albany College and Willamette University. Served as Governor of Oregon from 1939 - 1943, and was the first to initiate control over logging.

Charles Arthur Sprague
1939-1943
Born in Lawrence, Kansas, on November 12, 1887 to Charles Alien and Alice Caroline (Glasgow) Sprague; a Presbyterian. Married to Blanche Chamberlain, a teacher from Umatilla County. Oregon, on August 8, 1912; father of Martha and Wallace Arthur. Young Charles grew up with his brother, Robert Wyatt, in southeast Iowa, where he attended public schools and worked in his father's grain elevator. After attending Monmouth College in Illinois where he received his A.B. degree in 1910, he taught in Iowa; Sprague migrated to Washington State in 1910. At Waitsburg he served as Superintendent of Schools from 1910-1913; he was Assistant Superintendent of Public Instruction for Washington from 1913 to 1915. In 1915 Sprague became editor and publisher of the weekly Journal-Times in Ritzville, Washington; a connection he maintained until 1925. Desiring to operate a daily, Sprague became the business manager of the Corvallis Oregon Gazette Times from 1925 to 1937. In 1929 he bought controlling interest in the Salem Oregon Statesman and served as Editor and Manager until 1939, when he became sole owner and publisher. He held control of the paper until his death. Sprague established himself as one of the leading editorialists and public commentators of the Northwest. A declared Republican, he nonetheless took an independent position on the issues of the time, reflecting a progressive view which was often at odds with leaders of his party. In 1938. when the Democrats were badly split between the conservative incumbent, Charles Martin, and those sympathetic to the New Deal, Sprague easily won the Republican nomination for governor in a field of eight candidates. His 62,275 votes nearly equalled those of all of his opponents. Despite warm support by New Dealers for his opponent, Henry L. Hess, Sprague carried 32 of the 36 counties in the general election, winning 214,062 votes to Hess 158,744. Republicans won control of the State Senate, 21 to 9. and the House. 50 to 10. Republicans expected smooth sailing legislatively and politically. However, Sprague proved himself more progressive than his predecessor and equally independent. He vetoed so many special interest bills passed by his fellow Republicans that opponents initiated a recall move. It failed, but his own effectiveness had been reduced. Sprague began to eliminate state taxes on real property; reduced the state debt by more than $12 million: organized state employment services; and helped bring peace to the labor scene. Perhaps his most enduring achievement was the introduction of state regulations of logging operations to protect and rehabilitate state forest lands. After Pearl Harbor, Sprague devoted his energies to organizing civilian defense units, and cooperating with national officials in expanding Oregon's war efforts. Despite his forward-looking views and general acclaim as a moderate who had led quietly but well, Sprague was challenged for the Republican nomination in May 1942 by Secretary of State, Earl Snell, an astute professional politician. With but 30 percent of the voters participating, Snell beat Sprague 79,696 votes to 56,285. Sprague returned to his job as editor and publisher in January 1943. He served his community, state and nation in a variety of capacities--including a period as alternate delegate to the United Nations in 1952-before he died of lung cancer in Salem on March 13, 1969. He was interred in Mt. Crest Abbey Mausoleum.