William T. Haines

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William T. Haines
William T. Haines.jpg
49th Governor of Maine
In office
January 1, 1913 – January 6, 1915
Preceded byFrederick W. Plaisted
Succeeded byOakley C. Curtis
Maine Attorney General
In office
1897–1900
GovernorLlewellyn Powers
Preceded byFrederick A. Powers
Succeeded byGeorge M. Seiders
Member of the Maine Senate
In office
1888-1892
Personal details
Born
William Thomas Haines

(1854-08-07)August 7, 1854
Levant, Maine
DiedJune 4, 1919(1919-06-04) (aged 64)
Augusta, Maine
Political partyRepublican
Alma materUniversity of Maine
Albany Law School

William Thomas Haines (August 7, 1854 – June 4, 1919) was an American politician and the 49th Governor of Maine.

Early years[]

William Thomas Haines was born in Levant, Maine on August 7, 1854. As an undergraduate at the University of Maine, he founded the Eternal Companions Society [1] on the Orono Campus in 1875. The fraternity was later chartered as the Beta Eta chapter of Beta Theta Pi[2] and Haines was issued roll number 1 in the new organization. He graduated as Valedictorian[3] of the University of Maine class of 1876 and went on to study law at Albany Law School where he completed his LL.B. degree in 1878. In May, 1879, Haines settled at Oakland (then West Waterville), Kennebec County, Maine, and commenced the practice of law. He remained there until October, 1880. He then moved to Waterville, Maine.

Politics[]

Haines became the county attorney of Kennebec County in 1882. He held that position for five years. He became a member of the Maine State Senate in 1888. He held that position until 1892. He became a member of the Maine House of Representatives in 1895. He served as the attorney general of Maine (1896-1901) and then became a member of the governor’s executive council (1901-1905).

Governor of Maine[]

Haines was nominated for the governorship of Maine by the Republican Party in 1912. He went on to win the general election by a popular vote. He held the governor's office from January 1, 1913 to January 6, 1915. During his administration, a bond issue was authorized for road improvements. A public utilities bill and an anti-trust act were sanctioned. He was unsuccessful in his re-election bid.

Personal life[]

Haines married Edith S. Hemenway. He had three children. He was a Unitarian.

Sources[]

  • Sobel, Robert and John Raimo. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978. Greenwood Press, 1988. ISBN 0-313-28093-2
Party political offices
Preceded by
Bert M. Fernald
Republican nominee for Governor of Maine
1912, 1914
Succeeded by
Carl Milliken
Legal offices
Preceded by
Frederick A. Powers
Maine Attorney General
1897–1900
Succeeded by
George M. Seiders
Political offices
Preceded by
Frederick W. Plaisted
Governor of Maine
1913–1915
Succeeded by
Oakley C. Curtis
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