Harry Lane

Harry Lane (August 28, 1855 – May 23, 1917) was an American politician in the state of Oregon. A physician by training, Lane served as the head of the Oregon State Insane Asylum before being forced out by political enemies. After a decade practicing medicine, the progressive Democrat won election as the mayor of Portland in 1905, gaining re-election in 1907. Lane's tenure in office was largely uneventful, although he did gain lasting recognition for having appointed the first female police officer in America in 1908 as well as for his vision that the city should host an annual Rose Festival. In November 1912, Lane was elected to the United States Senate where he was a leading advocate for women's suffrage and a more benevolent relationship between the American government and the nation's Native American population. He was one of a small handful of federal legislators to vote against Amer...