Oren E. Long
(1889-1965)
Like
Wallace Farrington, Oren Long brought a strong background in education to his political career. With higher education degrees earned at Johnson College, Tennessee, the University of Michigan, Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania, Long began his teaching career in
1912. In
1917, he took a position as a social worker at Waiakea Settlement in Hilo and from that time until 1934, he worked as a teacher and educator on the islands of Hawai`i, Kaua`i and O`ahu. From
1934 to
1946 he was appointed by
Governor Poindexter to the post of superintendent of public instruction; during that time the number of high schools in Hawai`i grew from nine to 24.
In
1946,
Governor Stainback appointed Long as director of public welfare. Later that same year, President Truman appointed him secretary of Hawai`i. In his role as secretary, he served as acting governor during a
1947 strike by pineapple workers and
the 1949 dock strike. In
1948, Long's background in education served him as head of an advisory committee on education for the trust territories, a position that took him to Guam, Truk, the Marshall Islands and Caroline Islands.
In
1951, Long was appointed governor of Hawai`i by President Truman. As governor, Long was a strong advocate for statehood.
