The Oregonian (Portland, OR)
April 24, 1957 pg. 1

HENRY L. CORBETT

Heart attack on train fatal

Death Claims H. L. Corbett

Henry L. Corbett, 75, a native son who twice acted as governor of his state and held other political and civic offices for many years, died Monday night on Southern Pacific's Cascade near Dunsmuir, Cal., en route home from a visit to Santa Barbara.

It was nearing midnight Monday when the often elected state senator from Multnomah county was awakened with a pain in his heart and his wife called for a doctor at Dunsmuir. It was, however, too late and Mr. Corbett succumbed to the attack. The body was brought into Portland.

Previous Setbacks Survived

Senator Corbett had experienced a serious heart attack many years ago but had recovered from it and carried on his business and civic enterprises without interruption since. In 1952 he presented to the state highway commission a tract of 63 acres adjacent to Blue lake on the Santiam highway near Bend for a park.

He gave many years of service to his city and stare without pay. Shortly after his graduation from Harvard in 1903 he bought a huge eastern Oregon ranch, raised cattle and lived the life of a rancher. There are many who remember him when he did the work of a cowhand, ate the cowman's food and slept between blankets under the stars.

Obituary Sketch on page 11.

The Oregonian (Portland, OR)
April 24, 1957 pg. 11

Corbett Rites Set Thursday

Family Includes Oregon Senator

See Story on Page 1, Also

The funeral for Henry Corbett, 75, twice acting governor of his native state, will be at 2 p.m. Thursday under auspices of J. P. Finley & Son at the First Unitarian church.

The family has requested no flowers and suggested that any remembrances be in the form of contributions to Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

Survivors of Senator Corbett include the widow, Gretchen Hoyt Corbett; two sons and two daughters, Henry L. Jr. and Alfred H., and Rosina and Helen E.; two brothers, Elliott R. and Hamilton F.

Family Arrives Early

Henry L. Corbett was born in Portland July 29, 1881, to Mr. and Mrs. Henry J. Corbett, both members of prominent pioneer families. One of the grandfathers was Henry W. Corbett who came from Vermont to Portland to open a hardware store when the city consisted of a few wooden buildings. The other was William S. Ladd, founder of the Ladd & Tilton bank. Grandfather Henry W. Corbett was a United States senator from Oregon.

Henry was the eldest of three sons, the others being Elliott R. and Hamilton F. The father died soon after the birth of the youngest son and when the elder Corbett died, the bulk of his fortune was left to his grandsons. His Mother's maiden name was Helen Ladd.

Henry spent his boyhood in Portland and received his early education at the old Portland academy. Later he attended Harvard university from which he was graduated in 1903 with a bachelor of arts degree.

Banking Position Calls

After his experience with ranch life in eastern Oregon, he returned to Portland, became a director of the First National bank and took an active interest in civic and political problems. He was elected to the state senate in 1922 by the largest vote ever given a senator from this county at that time and was re-elected three times. He resigned in 1930 to run for the Republican nomination for governor, but was defeated. However, he served as governor twice in 1927 when he was president of the senate and Governor I. L. Patterson left the state. Mr. Corbett also was president of the senate in 1935
Mayor Henry Simon appointed him a member of the Portland executive committee in 1909. He was one of the first members of the dock commission and in 1924 was named on the Port of Portland commission where he served until January, 1851, being president for 13 ½ years.

He was president of Portland chamber of commerce in 1917, 1918 and 1919 and past president of the Northwest Rivers and Harbors congress and in 1934 urged more play facilities to prevent problem boys and girls. He was Oregon state chairman of the Crusade for Freedom in 1954. He was elected to the board of directors of Southern Pacific in 1940.

During World War I Mr. Corbett was president of the state council of defense, chairman of two Red Cross drives and Portland chairman of the United States war trade board. He was in military training preparing to follow his two brothers into the service when the armistice was signed in 1918.

He was a member of the Arlington, University, Multnomah Athletic, Waverley County and Oswego clubs. His home was at 12300 S. W. Tryon Hill road.