Honorary Degree Recipient 1996

Mark O. Hatfield served as US Senator from Oregon for 30 years (longest tenure of any Oregonian Senator, 1967-1997) and also served as Oregon’s 16th Secretary of State and 29th Governor. He was a member of the Republican Party and also served in the US Navy during World War II from 1943-1947. Hatfield was one of the earliest and most prominent opponents of the Vietnam War and was a strong advocate for federal spending on medical research and bigger budgets for the National Institute of Health. He assisted in the formation of Oregon’s community college system and continually urged the country to focus more on world hunger and poverty. Hatfield also served as Dean of Students at Willamette University and was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from UO. He passed in August of 2011.