John H. Hager

Infobox_Lt_Governor
name=John Henry Hager


order=37^th
office=Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
term_start=January 14, 1998
term_end=January 14, 2002
governor=Jim Gilmore
predecessor=Don Beyer
successor=Tim Kaine
birth_date=birth date and age|1936|8|28
birth_place=Durham, North Carolina
death_date=
death_place=
party=Republican
spouse=Maggie Hager
profession=Politician, Entrepreneur
religion=

John Henry Hager (born 28 August 1936 in Durham, North Carolina) is an American politician who served as the chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia from July 2007 until May 2008. He also served as Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1998 to 2002, and as an assistant secretary within the United States Department of Education from 2004 to 2007.cite book
author=Marquis Who's Who TM. Marquis Who's Who Reproduced in Biography Resource Center
title=John Henry Hager
origdate= |origyear= |origmonth=
url=http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC
format=Fee
accessdate=2008-04-17
year=2008
month= |publisher=Gale |location=Farmington Hills, Michigan
quote=Document Number: K2014485169 ]

Personal

Growing up in Durham, Hager started a neighborhood newspaper at age 9.cite news
first=HOLLY A.
last=HEYSER
authorlink= |author= |coauthors=
title=HAGER IS SEEN AS TOLERANT, WITH A MIND OF HIS OWN
url=http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1997/vp970922/09220087.htm
format=
work=The Virginian-Pilot
publisher=
location=Norfolk, Virginia
id=
pages=
page=A1
date=1997-09-22
accessdate=2008-04-18
language=
quote=
archiveurl=
archivedate= ]

While an undergraduate at Purdue University he ran a vending machine business, was an active member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and was a member of ROTC. One term, his course load was 25 credit hours - about two thirds more than normal. He was graduated with a BSME (mechanical engineering) in 1958. Both his parents, Virgil and Ruth Hager, were 1928 Purdue alumni.cite web
url=https://engineering.purdue.edu/ME/People/DEAs/hager.html
title=Our People - Purdue Engineering
accessdate=2008-04-17
date=2007-03-05
publisher=Purdue U - School of Mechanical Engineering
quote= ]

Hager earned his MBA at Harvard in 1960, and subsequently served in the Army, rising to the rank of Captain.

He married Margaret Dickinson "Maggie" Chase 27 February 1971; they have two sons, John Virgil "Jack" Hager (born 1973) and Henry Chase Hager. Henry married President Bush's daughter, Jenna, on May 10, 2008 at her parents' Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas.cite web
url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/16/jenna.bush/
title= Jenna Bush gets engaged
accessdate=2008-04-17
date=2007-08-16
work=CNN.com/politics
quote= ]

Hager contracted polio when his son was vaccinated for the disease with live virus vaccine in 1973. As a result, he uses a nonmotorized wheelchair for daily ambulation - and competes in wheelchair races.

Career

After his active duty military service, Hager began work for the at the American Tobacco Company in Richmond, Virginia. The company retired him after his bout with polio, but he returned - beginning at the bottom again. At American Tobacco, he served as a government affairs representative. Hager was forcibly retired from the American Tobacco Company after the company's sale in 1994.

In 1975, he volunteered for Lieutenant Governor John N. Dalton, and in 1984 he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention. In 1994, he co-chaired the Senatorial campaign for Oliver North. He ran for state party chairman in 1992,cite news
first=KAREN
last=WEINTRAUB
authorlink= |author= |coauthors=
title= LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR HOPEFUL TAKES NEW TACK ON LAKE GASTON...
url=
format=
work=The Virginian-Pilot
publisher=Landmark Communications, Inc.
location=
id=
pages=
page=A1
date=1997-10-13
accessdate=2008-04-18
language=
quote=John H. Hager ... in 1992 ... ran for state party chairman ...
archiveurl=http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1997/vp971013/10130073.htm
archivedate=Unknown ] and was treasurer of the state Republican Party in 1994. [cite news
first=MARGARET
last=EDDS
authorlink= |author= |coauthors=
title= NORTH'S STAR DIMS IN DEFEAT
url=?
format=
work=The Virginian-Pilot
publisher=Landmark Communications, Inc.
location=
id=
pages=
page=A1
date= 1994-11-09
accessdate=2008-04-18
language=
quote=
archiveurl=http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1994/vp941109/11090544.htm
archivedate=Unknown]

Hager has served as the director of Virginia's homeland security under Governors Jim Gilmore and Mark Warner. Hager was elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in 1997, defeating Democrat Lewis F. Payne, Jr.. Hager is believed to be the first disabled individual to serve in an elected statewide office in Virginia.

In 2001, Hager ran for Governor of Virginia, but lost the Republican nomination to Virginia's then Attorney General, Mark Earley.

Hager is the former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services. He was nominated to this position by President George W. Bush on May 24, 2004, confirmed by the Senate on November 21, 2004cite web
url=http://www.ed.gov/news/staff/bios/hager.html
title=Archived: John H. Hager, Assistant Secretary, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative ServicesBiography
accessdate=2008-04-17
date=2007-08-14
publisher=U.S. Department of Education
quote=He served in the U.S. Army and the Army Reserves, rising to the rank of captain. He is a member of the American Legion. A lifelong athlete, he has also competed in many wheelchair races. ] and resigned effective August 1, 2007.

In July 2007, Hager was elected to serve as chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia.cite web
url=http://www.rpv.org/?q=node/22
title=Meet the RPV Chairman - Republican Party of Virginia
accessdate=2008-04-17
publisher=Republican Party of Virginia
quote= ] He was defeated for reelection by Delegate Jeff Frederick in May 2008. [cite newspaper | url = http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/news.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-05-31-0185.html | title = Frederick unseats Hager |accessdate= 2008-05-31 | publisher=Richmond Times Dispatch]

Memberships

*American Legion
*Chairman, Disability Commnission
*co-chmn. com. on Ednl. Infrastructure
*chmn. Faith Based Cmty. Svcs. Task Force
*vice-chmn. Gov.'s Commn. on Transp. Policy
*bd. dir., vice-chair Aerospace State Assn.
*trustee, v.p. Jamestown Yorktown Found.
*Honorary Chairman, Greater Richmond Convention Center
*Director, President, Sorensen Institute of Political Leadership
*dir. Ctr. for Politics, Port Jamestown 2001
*past dir. Partnership for Urban Va.
*past dir. Va. State C of C
*trustee, exec. com.
*Finance Committee, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
*1st v.p., dir. Va. Pub. Safety Found., Inc.
*past pres., trustee, exec. com. Children's Hosp.
*Met. Richmond Conv. and Vis. Bur. (past chmn., dir., founding dir.)
*Va. Health Care Found. (past chmn., dir., exec. com.)
*7th Dist. Rep. Party (past vice chmn. 3rd district, exec. com. mem. past precinct, ward and campaign chmn.)
*Rep. Party of Va. and del./alt. to 4 natl. convs. (past treas., past exec. com. mem., state ctrl. com. mem.)
*ruling elder, 1st Presbyterian Church, Richmond
*mem. drug task force Va. State Crime Commn.
*Hager has also been a long time member of the Bohemian Grove club. Fact|date=April 2008

Honors and awards

*Honorary degree from Mary Washington College
*Honorary degree from Averett College
*Honorary degree from University of Northern Virginiacite web
url=http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2004/12/12062004b.html
title=Archived: John H. Hager Assumes Duties as Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
accessdate=2008-04-18
date=2004-12-06
publisher=U.S. Department of Education
quote=Hager ... holds honorary degrees from Averett College in Danville, Va., Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, Va., and the University of Northern Virginia in Manassas.]
*Distinguished Engineering Alumnus, Purdue School of Engineering, 2007.
*Outstanding Young Men of America, 1976
*Man of the Year, Tobacco International Magazine, 1990
*Alumni Citizenship award, Purdue University, 1987
*Service award, Richmond Republican Committee, 1992
*Distinguished Alumni award, Durham Academy, 1992
*Good Government award, Richmond First Club, 1996
*Tourism Leadership award, Metropolitan Richmond Convention and Visitors Bureau, 1997
*Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans award, Westminster-Canterbury, 1997
*Citizenship award Virginia Council of Indians, 1998
*Heritage award, Radford University, 2000,
*Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year award, ARC, 2004
*Humanitarian award, National Conference of Community and Justice, 2002

References