Earl Snell
| Earl W. Snell | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 23rd Governor of Oregon | |
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In office January 11, 1943 – October 28, 1947 |
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| Preceded by | Charles A. Sprague |
| Succeeded by | John Hubert Hall |
| 13th Oregon Secretary of State | |
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In office January 7, 1935 – January 4, 1943 |
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| Preceded by | Peter J. Stadelman |
| Succeeded by | Robert S. Farrell, Jr. |
| Member of the Oregon House of Representatives | |
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In office 1926–1934 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 11, 1895 Olex, Oregon |
| Died | October 28, 1947 (aged 52) Lake County, Oregon |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Edith Welshons |
| Profession | Automobile dealer |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
Earl Willcox Snell (July 11, 1895 – October 28, 1947) was an American politician, businessman, and member of the Republican Party, serving in the Oregon House of Representatives, as the Oregon Secretary of State, and as the 23rd Governor of Oregon. American journalist John Gunther described Snell as "genial, mediocre, and perpetually on the fence."
Snell was born on a farm near the small town of Olex, Gilliam County, Oregon. He received a public school education, and attended Oregon Institute of Technology without attaining a degree. After military service during World War I, he settled in Condon, where he married Edith Welshons, with whom he would have one son, and published the local newspaper.
He moved to Arlington, where he and a partner opened the successful automobile dealership which would be his principal livelihood for the rest of his life. He later expanded his business interests to include ranching and banking.
After serving on the Arlington City Council, in 1926 he was elected to the first of four consecutive terms in the Oregon House of Representatives, his final term as Speaker. In 1934, despite inroads by Democrats in Oregon in previously Republican Oregon, Snell was elected Oregon Secretary of State, serving from 1935 to 1943.
Prevented by a term limit from seeking another term as Secretary of State, Snell decided to challenge his own party's incumbent Gov. Charles A. Sprague in the Republican primary. He received strong support from the state automobile dealers association, gained the nomination, and went on to be elected Governor with 78 percent of the vote, taking office on January 11, 1943.
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