Member of The U.S. House of Representatives
In 1928, Pierce ran unsuccessfully for the 2nd Congressional District seat. He declined to run for a second term as governor in 1930, but tried once more for Congress in 1932. He was elected amid excitement over the landslide presidential election victory of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Pierce would become a staunch supporter of FDR's New Deal, serving in Congress until his electoral defeat in 1942.
One of the oldest politicians in Oregon history, Pierce retired from politics at age 81. He and his wife Cornelia retired to Eola, Oregon. Pierce and his wife both became involved in the anti-Japanese movement during World War II, in response to a concern on the part of local residents about the success of Japanese truckers in certain areas of Oregon.
Pierce died on March 27, 1954, near Salem, Oregon, at the age of 92 and was interred at the Mount Crest Abbey Mausoleum in Salem. His third wife Cornelia died on February 12, 1957.
Read more about this topic: Walter M. Pierce
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