Paul G. Hatfield

Paul Gerhart Hatfield ( born April 29, 1928 in Great Falls, Montana; † July 3, 2000 ) was an American lawyer and politician who represented the state of Montana in the United States Senate.

Life

Career

Paul Hatfield grew up in Great zoom Falls, where he was from 1947 to 1950 students at the local college. His university studies at the University of Great Falls had to interrupt Hatfield since 1951, he was sent as a soldier of the United States Army in the Korean War. In the army he was a member of the U.S. Army Signal Corps. After returning to Montana in 1953, he studied law at the University of Montana on again and graduated in 1955 with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. In the same year his recording followed in the Bar Association of the State of Montana.

After about four years in which he had worked as a lawyer in Great Falls, he ran successfully in 1959 for the post of Deputy District Attorney of Cascade County. After about a year Hatfield was in 1961 he became a judge at the Court of Montana Make jurisdiction; He remained there for 15 years until 1976. During the same year he was elected Supreme Judge of the Montana Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of the State appointed. He held the office for two years, until 1978.

Political career

After the death of U.S. Senator Lee Metcalf in January 1978 Hatfield was determined by Montana Governor Thomas Lee Judge as his successor. Hatfield, a member of the Democratic Party was, was sworn in on 22 January 1978. Although Hatfield was not even a year in office, but he made ​​history as his voice decided to ratify the Torrijos -Carter Treaties. These provided to return the Panama Canal from the U.S. to Panama. Since a two-thirds majority in the Senate was absolutely necessary for the law, the senators were asked in the order of the length of their term of office to her voice. Hatfields Voting was the 67th voice that spoke out for the adoption of the law. Since many conservative voters did not agree with this decision in Montana Hatfields had Panama Paul - as he was called from now on by some media and voters - as he stood in November 1978, the election by the people, a very difficult position Max Baucus, also a Democrat, was not only the primaries to decide for themselves, but also the election in November of the year 1978. Hatfield announced, on 12 December 1978 announced his immediate resignation.

Late life

In 1979 he was briefly legal advisor for the Democratic group in the U.S. Senate until he was appointed in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter as the successor to Russell Evans Smith Judge of the Federal District Court for the District of Montana. He remained there until 1996 when he retired.

Paul G. Hatfield was married from 1958 until her death in 1992, Dorothy Ann Allen Hatfield. The marriage was preceded by two daughters, Kathleen and Susan, and a son, Paul, out. Hatfield himself died 72 years old, in July 2000 at his home in Great Falls a heart attack.