Former Center for Women, Politics & Policy Board Chair Sue Hildick reflects on Senator Mark O. Hatfield, her first employer and greatest teacher:

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Although we lost one of Oregon’s greatest statesmen on August 7, I have been missing Senator Mark O. Hatfield for a number of years. He was my first employer and greatest teacher of my professional career. 

Throughout our state and across our nation, individuals and institutions are reflecting on his legacy. As former board chair of the Center for Women, Politics & Policy at the Hatfield School of Government, I feel compelled to share some reflections with women associated with the Center who have chosen to seek excellence through leadership. 

For those of us who had a calling to work in Washington, D.C., Oregonians could find an oasis on the seventh floor of the Hart Building. It was a classroom. A museum. A place of hard work and difficult decisions. Most importantly, it was a home for Oregonians who wanted to do good things for their beloved state. 

At the age of 26 [pictured at left: Sue Hildick, (upper left corner) and Senator Mark Hatfield (lower right corner) in his Hart Building office on Capitol Hill in 1995.], I was asked to serve as his legislative director and at the time, he was the second most senior Republican on the Hill. I told the Senator that I wasn’t sure I could handle the responsibility and he said, “Don’t worry. We’ll do it together.” He had so much confidence in the people who worked for him and always brought out the best in all of us – an important quality of a great leader.  

As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Hatfield wielded significant power and influence. But through his grace, welcoming demeanor and eloquence – he was always both approachable and inspirational. 

The Senator had a wonderful leadership style. He often asked his staff what we cared about and encouraged us to leverage his unique position to transform those aspirations into tangible results for Oregon. He told us to “invest in our vision,” and there were countless ideas that were conceptually ahead of their time that are now a part of who we are and what we represent as a state. He made sure Oregon was a part of key national investment strategies, such as light rail and biomedical research infrastructure.

Through his role in the Senate, we had countless leaders and heads of agencies come through our doors. He had great respect for the women and men who held those positions and they often remarked on his professionalism and leadership. He particularly enjoyed watching young people, women and the unexpected leaders among us, reach their potential and achieve success.

Both the Senator and his Chief of Staff Gerry Frank instilled in all of us the importance of treating everyone with respect. They insisted we respond to inquiries from Oregonians in a swift and thorough manner. Anyone who walked into the office or took the time to call or write received the same level of service. Everyone mattered. 

That was his philosophy for constituent service and his legislative career. He believed in voting for and investing in “life-preserving options, not life-destroying options.” The continuity in his voting record and his stance on issues are now a part of our nation’s history for future generations to study and reflect upon.  

Once he announced his retirement, I knew my time serving Oregon from Washington, D.C. was drawing to a close. But his work paved a way for me to continue to work hard for Oregon in Oregon.  

We are fortunate that the Center for Women, Politics & Policy is housed in an academic institution that bears his name. I believe that grooming leaders starts in the classroom and that’s what the Senator was all about. 

As a nonpartisan organization where women across the political spectrum come together to encourage women to live a life of leadership – I know Senator Hatfield would be proud of the accomplishments of the women who have been involved with the Center. As someone who loved history and collected personal possessions of President Lincoln and Oregon governor memorabilia, I believe he would be particularly fond of the Center’s archives of papers from Oregon’s women leaders.

Timing is everything. To know we have lost Justice Betty Roberts and Senator Mark Hatfield this summer can’t be ignored. What are our lessons from these iconic Oregon leaders who started and ended their careers in the classroom? 

Illuminate the past. Inspire the present. Invest in the future.

These words epitomize the Center and are most certainly inspired by Justice Roberts, Senator Hatfield and other great leaders who incorporated this perspective in their endeavors. A few years before Justice Roberts died, she said, “I’m not done with my torch yet. Go get your own.” Not only do we all need to identify that torch we hope to carry, it is my hope that our torches are brighter and stronger because of what she accomplished in her lifetime. 

Senator Hatfield once said, “Pray for the integrity, justice, and courage to vote the correct vote, not the political vote.” As we carry our torches with conviction, we need to think about those guiding principles if we are to overcome the unprecedented challenges our communities and country face. To accomplish greatness, I believe more than ever that we need to do it collaboratively, not combatively. 

It pains me to think that Senator Mark Hatfield and Justice Betty Roberts are now a part of our past. Their illuminating spirit and inspiring acts of courage throughout their careers will have a profound impact on the present … and the future. 

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Sue Hildick, President of Foundations for a Better Oregon/The Chalkboard Project, formerly Legislative Director (1990-1996) to the late U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield and past chair of the Center for Women, Politics & Policy at the Hatfield School of Government (2005-2006).