Douglas McKay

Douglas McKay
Born	James Douglas McKay (1893-06-24) 24 June 1893 Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Died	22 July 1959(1959-07-22) (aged 66) Salem, Oregon, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, politician
Known for	25th Governor of Oregon; 35th United States Secretary of the Interior

For the NYPD Police Commissioner, see Douglas Imrie McKay. For the ice hockey athlete, see Doug McKay. For the Australian cricket player, see Douglas McKay (cricketer).

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox officeholder James Douglas McKay (June 24, 1893 – July 22, 1959) was a prominent American entrepreneur and political leader from Oregon. After serving in the military during World War I, he pursued a career in business, gaining notable success as the proprietor of an automobile dealership located in Salem, Oregon. As a member of the Republican Party in Oregon, he held local government positions including city councilor and mayor of Salem before winning election to the Oregon State Senate. McKay completed four terms as a state senator and served domestically as a major in the U.S. Army during World War II. Subsequently, he was elected as Oregon’s twenty-fifth governor in 1948. He resigned prior to completing his gubernatorial term upon appointment as the thirty-fifth U.S. United States Secretary of the Interior under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. His tenure was marked by conservative approaches that provoked strong opposition from environmental advocates, ultimately leading to his resignation in 1956.

Early life and business career

Born in Portland, Oregon, McKay was the son of Edwin D. McKay, a farmer, and his wife Minnie A. Musgrove. Due to his family's modest financial situation, he had to take on work while still attending school. Following the death of his father in 1911, McKay was compelled to leave formal education before completing high school.

At the age of twenty, he enrolled at Oregon State College in Corvallis, where he pursued studies in agriculture. In 1916, McKay was chosen as the student body president. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree and wed Mabel Christine Hill on March 31, 1917. The couple had three children: one son, Douglas, and two daughters, Shirley and Marylou. Tragically, their son Douglas Jr. passed away in a car accident in November 1939.

During World War I, McKay served overseas with the United States Army, attaining the rank of first lieutenant. He suffered wounds to his leg, right arm, and shoulder during combat, for which he was awarded a Purple Heart. After his military discharge, his injuries made it impossible to continue the physically demanding work of farming. Consequently, he shifted to a career in business in Portland, initially selling insurance before moving into automobile sales where he eventually became a sales manager. This role led to his relocation to Salem to oversee the company’s dealership operations there.

In 1927, McKay established Douglas McKay Chevrolet Co., later expanding his ventures by opening a Cadillac dealership. He also held the position of president of the Oregon Automobile Dealer's Association during his career.

Early political career

McKay secured multiple local political positions as a member of the Republican Party, including serving as Salem's mayor beginning in 1932. During his tenure, he successfully navigated the city through financial difficulties caused by the Great Depression. A journalist of that era, cited by biographer Herbert S. Parmet, described McKay’s leadership in restoring Salem’s fiscal health as making him "a staunch proponent of both government and business safeguarding their financial foundations."

In 1934, McKay was elected to the Oregon State Senate, where he served four terms, interrupted only by his military service as a major in the Army during World War II. He participated as an alternate delegate at the 1940 Republican National Convention, which nominated the Willkie-McNary ticket.

Governor of Oregon

In 1948, McKay was elected governor on a platform emphasizing fiscal conservatism and promoting economic development. Throughout his governorship, he adopted a pragmatic stance toward state administration. While advocating strongly for resource conservation, he simultaneously endorsed harvesting old growth timber to stimulate employment opportunities for Oregon residents. McKay was a vocal opponent of the Federal Government’s proposal to establish a Columbia Valley Authority. He championed legislation directing 95 percent of the profits from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission into the state's general fund, with the remainder allocated to Oregon municipalities proportionally based on population. Additionally, he promoted expansion of Oregon’s highway infrastructure, backing a successful bond issue that generated $75 million for the Oregon State Highway Department. McKay secured reelection in 1950.

Between 1949 and 1951, future governor Tom McCall served as McKay’s executive secretary and press officer.

Secretary of the Interior

McKay and President Dwight D. Eisenhower represented divergent ideological wings within the Republican Party: Eisenhower aligned with the party’s moderates, while McKay belonged to its conservative faction. Concerned that conservative Senator Robert A. Taft had slim chances in the 1952 United States presidential election, and admiring Eisenhower’s military achievements and leadership skills, McKay endorsed Eisenhower early in his campaign. Following Eisenhower’s victory, McKay was appointed as the Secretary of the Interior. He resigned from the governorship of Oregon on December 27, 1952.

As Secretary of the Interior, McKay aimed to balance his dedication to natural resource management with fiscal responsibility and business principles. He eliminated five divisions within the Interior Department, resulting in a reduction of four thousand positions and cutting nearly $200 million from its budget. He encouraged cooperative efforts among state governments, local organizations, private enterprises, and federal agencies to develop infrastructure and natural resources. Despite this collaborative approach, McKay opposed both the Columbia Valley Authority project and federal protection for the Hell's Canyon area. During his tenure, he established nine new wildlife reserves and resisted transferring ownership of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge to military control. Conversely, he supported constructing a dam at Echo Park, which would have inundated part of Dinosaur National Monument. In Oregon, he permitted a mining company to log timberlands; critics consequently labeled him "Giveaway McKay." Furthermore, he endorsed the Indian termination policy enacted in 1954. His policies drew strong condemnation from liberals and environmental advocates alike, leading to his resignation in frustration in 1956.

McKay appeared on the cover of Time magazine’s August 23, 1954 edition.

Later years and legacy

Encouraged by President Eisenhower, McKay stepped down on March 9, 1956, with his resignation taking effect on April 15, 1956, in order to run against the sitting Wayne Morse for a seat in the United States Senate. His campaign was intensely contested and ultimately unsuccessful, partly due to the resistance he faced from Oregon's environmental advocacy organizations. Following McKay's departure, Eisenhower appointed Fred Andrew Seaton, a Moderate Republican and former brief senator from Nebraska, to succeed the more conservative McKay as Secretary of the Interior.

McKay passed away from a heart attack in Salem, Oregon, at age 66, and was laid to rest at Belcrest Memorial Park in Salem.

In honor of his legacy, Salem's Douglas McKay High School, established in 1979, carries his name.

External links

• Guide to the Douglas McKay papers at the University of Oregon

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