Nathaniel M. Haskell

Nathaniel Mervin Haskell ( born September 27, 1912 in Pittsfield, Maine; † February 8, 1983 in Portland, Maine ) was an American politician and dated January 6, 1953 to January 7, 1953 Governor of Maine.

Early years and political rise

Nathaniel Haskell was born in Pittsfield. At the age of two years his parents died. With his sister and her husband, he moved to Portland. There he attended Deering High School. In 1934 he finished his studies in law at the University of Maine, the same year he was admitted to the bar. He included an office in downtown Portland, where he was throughout his life working as a lawyer. 1943 Haskell was elected to the House of Representatives from Maine. 1945, 1947 and 1949 he was re-elected and sat four legislative sessions in the House of Representatives. In 1951 he was elected to the State Senate. After his re-election in 1953 he was elected president of the Senate.

Governor

Burton M. Cross, his predecessor in the office of President of the Senate, in 1952 elected as the new governor of Maine, after Frederick G. Payne resigned to transfer to the federal Senate. Since December 24, 1952 Cross was governor, because there is no lieutenant governor in Maine and the Constitution of Maine then the Senate President assumes the office of the governor. Cross' tenure as President of the Senate ended on January 5, 1953. Haskell was elected on January 6, 1953 to the new Senate President and walked thus simultaneously succeeds as governor of Cross. A day later, on January 7, 1953, Cross was sworn into office as governor and could assume the office of Haskell. Haskell went down in history as the governor of Maine with the shortest term of office to be exactly 25 hours. Haskell then regularly officiated as President of the Senate. In the same year he retired from the Senate in order to become a judge at the Probate Court of the Cumberland County.

Private

Haskell was married to Anne. He had four children with her and died in 1983 in Portland.