Paul G. Hatfield

Paul Gerhart Hatfield
United States Senator from Montana
In office January 22, 1978 – December 12, 1978
Appointed by	Thomas Lee Judge
Preceded by	Lee Metcalf
Succeeded by	Max Baucus
Personal details
Born	April 29, 1928(1928-04-29) Great Falls, Montana
Died	July 3, 2000(2000-07-03) (aged 72) Great Falls, Montana
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	College of Great Falls University of Montana
Military service
Service/branch	United States Army
Years of service	1951-1953

Paul Gerhart Hatfield, (April 29, 1928 – July 3, 2000) was an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party. He served briefly as United States Senator from Montana in 1978, and was later a United States federal judge.

Early life

Born in Great Falls, Montana,^{[citation needed]} he attended the College of Great Falls (now University of Great Falls)^{[citation needed]} and served in the United States Army, Signal Corps, 181st Signal Depot Company, from 1951 to 1953^{[citation needed]} . He received an LL.B. from University of Montana Law School, Missoula, Montana in 1955^{[citation needed]}, and was admitted to the Montana bar that same year, commencing his practice in Great Falls.^{[citation needed]}

Career

He was chief deputy county attorney for Cascade County from 1959 to 1960 and served as judge of the Eighth Judicial District from 1961 to 1976.^{[citation needed]} He was appointed chief justice of the Montana Supreme Court in 1977 and served until 1978.^{[citation needed]}

On January 22, 1978, Montana Governor Thomas Lee Judge appointed Hatfield to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Lee Metcalf for the term ending January 3, 1979.^{[citation needed]} He served from January 22, 1978, until his resignation December 14, 1978.^{[citation needed]} He was defeated for renomination in the Democratic primary by Congressman Max Baucus.^{[citation needed]}

Shortly after his primary defeat, on March 15, 1979, Hatfield was nominated by President Jimmy Carter to a seat on the United States District Court for the District of Montana vacated by Russell E. Smith.^{[citation needed]} Hatfield was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 9, 1979,^{[citation needed]} and received his commission the following day.^{[citation needed]} He served as chief judge from 1990 to 1996, assuming senior status on February 9, 1996, and continuing to serve until the end of his life.^{[citation needed]} Hatfield was a resident of Great Falls, Montana from 1979 until his death on July 3, 2000. He is buried in Riverside Memorial Park in Spokane, Washington.

Hatfield was highly regarded as a courageous U.S. Senator^{[citation needed]} (whose primary election defeat in 1978 is widely-regarded as a consequence of his unpopular, but principled and decisive vote in favor of the 1977 Panama Canal Treaty^{[citation needed]} ) and as the most outstanding jurist in Montana history^{[citation needed]}. He died in Great Falls, Montana.^{[citation needed]} The Paul G. Hatfield Courthouse in Helena, Montana is named in his honor.^{[citation needed]}

External links

• Paul G. Hatfield at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Paul G. Hatfield at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a public domain publication of the Federal Judicial Center.

United States Senate
Preceded by Lee Metcalf	United States Senator (Class 2) from Montana 1978 Served alongside: John Melcher	Succeeded by Max Baucus