Ben W. Olcott
| Ben W. Olcott | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 16th Governor of Oregon | |
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In office March 3, 1919 – January 8, 1923 |
|
| Preceded by | James Withycombe |
| Succeeded by | Walter M. Pierce |
| 9th Secretary of State of Oregon | |
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In office April 17, 1911 – May 28, 1920 |
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| Preceded by | Frank W. Benson |
| Succeeded by | Sam A. Kozer |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 15, 1872 Keithsburg, Illinois |
| Died | July 21, 1952 (aged 79) Portland, Oregon |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Lena Olcott |
| Profession | Banker |
Ben Wilson Olcott (October 15, 1872 – July 21, 1952) was the 16th Governor of Oregon, U.S.
Olcott was born in Keithsburg, Illinois. He was educated at a Keithsburg elementary school and a business school in Dixon, later becoming a clerk in Chicago. In 1891, at age 19, he moved to Salem, Oregon, and became a roommate and good friend of Oswald West. West would become a major influence in the development of Olcott's political career.
For nearly 15 years Olcott travelled throughout the Pacific Northwest, mostly in order to prospect for gold. Often this interrupted pursuits of other occupations, mostly in the field of banking. His trips would take him to Southern Oregon (1892–93 accompanied by Oswald West), back to Salem to become a bank teller (1893–1895), Northern Washington and British Columbia (1895–1897), and then back to Illinois for a career as a bank cashier.
Olcott's sense of adventure prevailed again in 1904, leading him to Alaska. His journey ended notably when he drove a dog sled team to Nome, a trip of over 1,000 miles up the Yukon and Tanana rivers in the height of winter. Settling in Fairbanks, Olcott found work as a gold dust teller, and later a bank branch manager. He managed to make a sizeable profit from gold prospecting, allowing him to move back to Oregon.
Olcott's good friend Oswald West had entered politics, heading the State Land Office. West offered Olcott a position in the Land Office, which he accepted in 1909. He became more interested in the political process, and was appointed by Governor Chamberlain to oversee the state's interest in a failed Portland bank, which held a large amount of state school funds.
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