Paul G. Hatfield


Paul Gerhart Hatfield was an American politician and a member of the Democratic Party. He served briefly as United States Senator from Montana in 1978, and then as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Montana.

Education and career

Born in Great Falls, Montana, Hatfield attended the College of Great Falls. He served in the United States Army Signal Corps with the 181st Signal Depot Company, from 1951 to 1953, including in Korea during the Korean War from 1952 to 1953. He received a Bachelor of Laws from the Alexander Blewett III School of Law at the University of Montana in Missoula in 1955, and was admitted to the Montana bar that same year, commencing his practice in Great Falls. 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. He was elected Chief Justice of the Montana Supreme Court in the 1976 general election, defeating long-time Associate Justice Wesley Castles with a vote of 199,536 to 95,947, taking office in January 1977.

United States Senate service

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. He served from January 22, 1978, until his resignation December 14, 1978. He was defeated for renomination in the Democratic primary in June 1978 by Congressman Max Baucus with Baucus getting 87,085 votes to Hatfield's 25,789. There were two other minor candidates in the race. After that nominating defeat, Hatfield remained in the Senate until his own resignation when the election of his successor, Baucus, was officially certified after the general election in November 1978. Max Baucus praised his former primary opponent for being "one of the most decent and thoughtful people I've had the privilege of knowing."

Federal judicial service

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 Judge Russell Evans Smith. Hatfield was confirmed by the United States Senate on May 9, 1979, and received his commission the following day. 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. Hatfield was a resident of Great Falls from 1979 until his death on July 3, 2000. He is buried in Riverside Memorial Park in Spokane, Washington.

Legacy

Hatfield was regarded as a courageous United States Senator 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 and as the most outstanding jurist in Montana history. He died in Great Falls. The Paul G. Hatfield Courthouse in Helena is named in his honor.