Austin F. Flegel

Austin F. Flegel
Member of the Oregon State Senate
In office
January 10, 1949 – January 8, 1951
Personal details
Born(1890-05-04)May 4, 1890
Portland, Oregon, United States
DiedSeptember 14, 1956(1956-09-14) (aged 66)
Portland, Oregon
Political partyDemocratic

Austin Finck Flegel Jr. (May 4, 1890 – September 14, 1956)[1] was an American businessman and politician who was a Democratic member of the Oregon Senate from 1949 until 1951.[2][3] He was the Democratic nominee in the 1950 gubernatorial election.

Career

Flegel was born to Austin Finck Flegel Sr. and Dora Dawley in 1890 in Portland. He was the first of 10 children, including Arthur Dawley Flegel, who served as mayor of Roseburg.[4]

Flegel first ran to represent Oregon's 3rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives in 1914, losing to Clifton N. McArthur. He came in second place in a five-way race, receiving 32% of the vote.[5] He represented parts of Portland in the Oregon Senate between 1949 and 1951. In 1950, Flegel ran for Governor of Oregon.[6] He won a close race for the Democratic primary, defeating Walter J. Pearson, the state treasurer, and Lew Wallace, a former state senator who was also the 1942 and 1948 nominee.[7] Flegel lost the general election to incumbent Republican Douglas McKay by a 2-to-1 margin.[8]

Following his defeat, Flegel was appointed by President Harry S. Truman as Director of the United States Economic Mission to Thailand, serving from 1953 until 1954.[9] He later ran for delegate to the 1956 Democratic National Convention.[10]

He died on the night of September 14, 1956, at his home in Portland.[11]

References

  1. ^ "Surname: Flegel". TribalPages. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  2. ^ "Oregon's Historic Senate Floor Desks" (pdf). Oregon Legislature. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  3. ^ "Oregon Legislators and Staff Guide 1949 Regular Session (45th): January 10 – April 16". State of Oregon. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  4. ^ "Senator Flegel To Talk To Rally Of Democrats". The News-Review. October 31, 1949. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  5. ^ "OR - District 03 1914". Our Campaigns. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  6. ^ "Flegel enters governor's race". The Register-Guard. March 1, 1950. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
  7. ^ "Democratic choice for governorship still not clear". The Register-Guard. May 21, 1950. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
  8. ^ "OR Governor 1950". Our Campaigns. Retrieved November 7, 2016.
  9. ^ Johnson, Jean L. (May 1961). "Discovering the Korat". Cat Magazine.
  10. ^ "Austin Flegel Files Convention Candidacy". The News-Review. February 2, 1956. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  11. ^ "Death Claims Austin Flegel". Statesman Journal. September 15, 1956. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Governor of Oregon
1950 		Succeeded by