Former U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch dies
Orrin Hatch, the longest-serving U.S. senator from Utah, died at 88 years old on April 23. Hatch served as a senator for 42 years from 1977 to 2019.
His death was announced in a press release from his foundation—Orrin G. Hatch Foundation—and didn’t specify a cause. However, the New York Times reported that Hatch’s son said the cause was complications from a recent stroke.
In the press release, leaders within the foundation recognized his good works.
“Senator Orrin G. Hatch personified the American Dream,” said Matt Sandgren Executive Director of the Hatch Foundation. “He made it his life’s mission to expand freedom and opportunity for others—and the results speak for themselves. Senator Hatch touched the hearts of countless individuals, and I know I speak for all of them when I say he will be dearly missed.”
Chairman of the Hatch Foundation A. Scott Anderson said, “A man of wisdom, kindness, character, and compassion, Orrin G. Hatch was everything a United States Senator should be. Today, more than ever, we would do well to follow his example.”
Hatch earned a bachelor’s in history from BYU and earned his law degree in 1962 from the University of Pittsburgh Law School.
He also received an honorary doctorate degree from USU in 2013 when he was serving in his seventh term. In a Utah State Today article about it, they stated he was, “known for his service, hard work and perseverance. As the senate representative for the state of Utah, Hatch is a leader in developing strong legislation that has impacted the lives of every American.”
Born in Pennsylvania, Hatch eventually moved to Utah in 1969 where he made a name for himself as a lawyer. And after never before running for public office, in 1976 he filed to run for the U.S Senate.
The press released reports that upon Hatch’s retirement, he passed more legislation into law than any other living senator. In total, he sponsored or cosponsored more than 750 bills into law.
He authored or coauthored laws including: The Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (or SCHIP), and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Since retirement, the press release stated Hatch devoted his time to building his foundation, “a national policy think tank that seeks to foster civic participation, bipartisan dialogue, and commonsense solutions to the nation’s most pressing problems.”
Hatch is survived by his wife, Elaine Hatch and their six children.
-Jacee.Caldwell@usu.edu
Featured photo from: Utah State Today