A native Oregonian, he grew up in the Hillsboro area where he later practiced law. A Republican, he served in both houses of the Oregon Legislature, as had his father William D. Hare. William Gilman Hare was born in Farmington, Oregon, south of Hillsboro on April 19, 1882.
He was the son of attorney and politician William Davenport and Henrietta (née Scholfield) Hare, and brother to Joseph, Frances Ellen, Martha G., Henrietta, and Ruth.
William was educated in the public schools of Hillsboro before attending preparatory school at Tualatin Academy in neighboring Forest Grove in 1900. In 1903, he graduated from Pacific University, the college division of the academy, with a bachelor"s degree.
Hare then graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor in 1906 with a bachelor of laws degree. Hare returned to Oregon, passed the bar, and was admitted to practice on August 21, 1907, by the state supreme court in Salem. His father, William Davenport Hare, served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly and as mayor of Hillsboro.
William was elected as a Republican to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1914 to serve Hillsboro and Washington County in District 15.
In 1920, he was elected to a four-year term in the Oregon State Senate representing District 11. A son later served in the Senate as well, representing the same district.
After nearly 60 years in legal practice, he retired in 1965. William Gilman Hare died on November 25, 1971, at the age of 89 at Tuality Community Hospital in Hillsboro.
The Hillsboro School District’s athletic complex, Hare Field, was named for him.
Hare was a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Masons, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Odd Fellows, and the Rotary Club.
