Louis F. Hart

Louis Folwell Hart ( born January 4, 1862 in High Point, Moniteau County, Missouri, † December 4, 1929 in Tacoma, Washington ) was an American politician and from 1919 to 1925, the ninth Governor of the State of Washington.

Early years

Folwell studied law in Missouri and then moved in the late 1880s after Snohomish in today's Washington state. There he worked as a lawyer. In 1899 he moved to Tacoma, where he continues to practice as a lawyer. He was also an insurance agent. Hart was a member of the Republican Party. In 1912 he was elected Vice- Governor of the State of Washington and in 1916 he was confirmed by the voters in this office. During the First World War he was chairman of a convocation Verification Committee ( Selective Service Appeals Board ) for the southwestern area of the state. After the death of the incumbent Governor Ernest Lister on June 14, 1919 Hart fell to the office of governor as his deputy.

Governor of Washington

Hart's first task was the completion of fractured his predecessor's term. In 1920 he was elected for another four-year term in that office. Thus he could remain in office until January 12, 1925. During his tenure, the governor promoted the development of road and motorway network. At that time an independent Traffic Police (Highway Patrol ) was established to control the highways. Governor Hart has reformed the government apparatus and merged many departments. The number of originally 75 authorities dropped to only ten. In these years, the Capitol in the state capital was built. Also worth mentioning is a general strike, which resulted in 1919 in Seattle worker unrest.

Further CV

Due to his poor health hard renounced in 1924 on a bid again. After the end of his term he retired to Tacoma, where he was working as a lawyer again. There he is also deceased in December 1929. Louis Hart was married to Ella James, with whom he had five children.