Walter M. Pierce | |
|---|---|
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| 17th Governor of Oregon | |
| In office January 8, 1923 – January 10, 1927 | |
| Preceded by | Ben W. Olcott |
| Succeeded by | I. L. Patterson |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon's 2nd district | |
| In office March 4, 1933 – January 3, 1943 | |
| Preceded by | Robert R. Butler |
| Succeeded by | Lowell Stockman |
| Member of the Oregon State Senate | |
| In office 1917–1921 | |
| In office 1903–1907 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Walter Marcus Pierce May 30, 1861 Morris, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | March 27, 1954 (aged 92) Salem, Oregon, U.S. |
| Resting place | Mount Crest Abbey Mausoleum |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Clara Rudio Pierce (died, 1890) Laura Rudio Pierce (died, 1925) Cornelia Marvin Pierce |
| Alma mater | Northwestern University (LLB) |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Walter Marcus Pierce (May 30, 1861 – March 27, 1954) was an American politician, a Democrat, who served as the 17th Governor of Oregon and a member of the United States House of Representatives from Oregon's 2nd congressional district. A native of Illinois, he served in the Oregon State Senate before the governorship, and again after leaving the U.S. House. Pierce was an anti-Catholic supporter of compulsory public education and signed a law banning parochial schools, resulting in lawsuits and the United States Supreme Court case of Pierce v. Society of Sisters. He was also a eugenicist and supported Prohibition. He advocated unsuccessfully for a state income tax and vehicle license fee.