Isaac Homer Van Winkle

Isaac Homer Van Winkle (December 3, 1870 – December 14, 1943) was an American attorney in the state of Oregon. A former dean of Willamette University's law school, he served as the 6th Attorney General of Oregon for 23 years.

Isaac Homer Van Winkle
Van Winkle in 1921
6th Oregon Attorney General
In office October 14, 1920 – December 14, 1943
Appointed by	Ben W. Olcott
Preceded by	George M. Brown
Succeeded by	George Neuner
Personal details
Born	December 3, 1870 Halsey, Oregon
Died	December 14, 1943(1943-12-14) (aged 73) Salem, Oregon
Political party	Republican

Early life

Van Winkle was born in Linn County, Oregon, near the community of Halsey, to Isaac Newton Van Winkle and Elizabeth Ann Pearl.[1] Isaac graduated from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, in 1898 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.[2] In 1901, he graduated from Willamette University College of Law, where he later served as the sixth dean.[3] On September 3, 1902, Isaac married Lella Velvetta Parrish, and they would have one daughter named Rosalind.[1] Lella died in 1918.[2]

Public service

In 1904, Van Winkle began serving as an assistant attorney general for Oregon, remaining in the post until 1920 (though not from 1913 to 1915).[2][4] He was an instructor at Willamette's law school from 1905 to 1913.[2] That year he began his tenure as dean of the school, remaining until 1927.[2] The Van Winkle Melton Endowed Professorship at Willamette is named in his honor.[3]

On October 14, 1920, Van Winkle was appointed as the sixth Oregon Attorney General by Oregon Governor Ben W. Olcott, to replace George M. Brown, who had resigned from the position.[5] As a Republican, he was elected to a full four-year term later that year. Van Winkle won re-election in 1924, 1928, 1932, 1936, and 1940 before dying in office on December 14, 1943.[5] Van Winkle's 23 years as Oregon's top lawyer are the longest of any attorney general in the state's history.[5] In 1938, he ran for a position on the Oregon Supreme Court, but lost and remained as Attorney General.[6]

References

1. Descendants of Rev. Isaac Newton Van Winkle, RootsWeb. Retrieved on September 4, 2007.
2. Obituaries: Isaac H. Van Winkle. The New York Times, December 16, 1943.
3. Among Ourselves, Oregon State Bar Bulletin, October 2003. Retrieved on September 4, 2007
4. State v. Nielsen, 51 Or. 588, 95 P. 720 (1908)
5. Earliest Authorities in Oregon - Attorneys General of Oregon, Oregon Secretary of State: Oregon Blue Book. Retrieved on September 4, 2007.
6. The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Vanwagenen to Vaudain. Retrieved on September 4, 2007.

Legal offices
Preceded by George M. Brown	Oregon Attorney General 1920-1943	Succeeded by George Neuner
Academic offices
Preceded by Charles L. McNary	Dean of Willamette University College of Law 1913–1927	Succeeded by Roy R. Hewitt