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Former Oregon Sen. Mark Hatfield died Sunday at the age of 89. Hatfield is remembered for his four decades of public service, his staunch opposition to war and more importantly, his Christian faith.
Hatfield, born July 12, 1922, died in a Portland care facility after suffering with poor health for many years. He served in the U.S. Senate from 1967-1997. Since the news of his passing, friends and colleagues from both sides of the aisle have come forward to pay tribute.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote in a statement, "Oregon has lost a great son. The United States Senate has lost one of its former giants. The nation has lost a man who represented honesty and decency. And, I have lost a very good friend."
Newspaper Columnist Cal Thomas said Hatfield was "the first Christian politician" he had ever met. Thomas recalls being a young believer at the time and finding in Hatfield a role model for his own Christian walk.
"Hatfield was the first to suggest to me that the two kingdoms – of God and of the world – sometimes intersect, but more often than not diverge," Thomas wrote in a tribute published by Fox News.
Hatfield was best known for diverging from his fellow Republicans to side with Democrats against war – most notably the Vietnam War. He also opposed abortion, the death penalty and prayer in school.
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Hatfield also delivered earmarks to his state for several projects including the construction of a Marine Science Center that now bears his name.
Other buildings named in his honor include the U.S. courthouse in Portland, a library at Willamette University and a Maryland research center at the National Institutes of Health.
Prior to entering the Senate, Hatfield served as governor of Oregon and was first elected as the state’s chief executive in 1958 and re-elected in 1962. Before his tenure as governor, Hatfield served in the state legislature.
The Oregon statesman was also a political science professor and served in the Navy during World War II.
He was survived by his wife Antoinette and his four children.
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