page_title: Henry L. Corbett
section_title: Businessman
hierarchical_section_title: Henry L. Corbett / Businessman
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo of Oregon businessman Henry Ladd Corbett, published in Morning Oregonian, 7 July 1903
context_page_description: Henry Ladd Corbett was an American businessman, civic leader, and politician in the state of Oregon. He was born into one of the wealthiest and most influential families in Oregon. Corbett attended Harvard University and then returned to Oregon to manage family business interests. Over the years, he served as president of the Portland Chamber of Commerce and president of Portland Port Commission. He also represented Multnomah County in the Oregon State Senate, serving two terms as President of the Senate. He served as acting governor of Oregon twice in 1927.
context_section_description: After graduating from Harvard, Corbett returned to Oregon to manage family business interests which included a major ownership stake in Ladd and Tilton Bank inherited from the Ladd side of his family as well as the extensive holdings of the Corbett estate.  In addition, Corbett got involved in Portland area civic affairs.  He was appointed to the Lewis and Clark Exposition board of directors in 1903.  He joined the Portland chamber of commerce and the Multnomah Athletic Club, where he played community league football.  He also took up the sport of polo.  In 1904, Corbett bought 19 acres (7.7 ha) in southwest Portland where he later built his family home.  That home, known as the H. L. and Gretchen Hoyt Corbett House, is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  In 1907, Corbett joined C.E.S. Wood to establish the Blitzen Valley Land Company. The company bought the P Ranch, a 64,717-acre (26,190 ha) cattle ranch in Harney County, Oregon.  The ranch was originally owned by the pioneer cattle baron, Peter French.  After buying the property, Corbett moved to the ranch as the on-site manager.  As a hands-on manager, he worked with his buckaroos out on the range whenever it was required.  Eventually, the company was renamed the Eastern Oregon Live Stock Company.  To service ranch visitors, the company built the Fenchglen Hotel in Frenchglen, Oregon, approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) from the ranch headquarters.
  After living on the ranch for about a year, Corbett returned to Portland.  In May 1908, the Ladd and Tilton Bank was incorporated and Corbett was elected to the board of directors.  Corbett and his brothers were also the corporation's largest stock holders. In addition his position on the Ladd and Tilton board, Corbett was a member of the board of directors for the First National Bank of Portland (later renamed First National Bank of Oregon).  He was also president of the Portland Hotel Company that operated the Portland Hotel and vice president of the Oregon Electric Railway company as well as a member of that company's board of directors.
  At the age of 26, Corbett married Gretchen Hoyt of New York City on 3 June 1908.  Because of his prominence as a Portland businessman and community leader, the Morning Oregonian covered both Corbett's engagement announcement and his wedding on the front page of the newspaper.
  In 1909, Portland's mayor, Joseph Simon, appointed Corbett to the Portland Executive Committee.  The committee served as the mayor's cabinet, advising him on city government activities and related public affairs.  Later that year, Corbett was elected to the board of directors for the Portland-based Home Telephone Company, one of the largest telephone systems in the United States at that time.  By 1911, Corbett was also vice president of the Oregon Surety and Casualty Company and a member of that company's board of directors.
  In 1915 and 1916, Corbett built a family home on his southwest Portland property, in an area now known as Dunthorpe.  The home was designed by Whitehouse and Fouilhoux, a well known Portland architecture firm.  It was a large two-story home with 7,000 square feet (650 m²) of interior space.  In addition to the family living areas, there was a two-story servants' wing connected to the main house.
  Corbett served as president of Portland's chamber of commerce from 1917 through 1919.  During World War I, he was president of the Oregon Council of National Defense and chairman of the United States War Trade Board in Portland.  He was also chairman of Oregon's state Red Cross committee and headed two Red Cross fundraising drives.  As president of the chamber of commerce, he worked with the War Industries Board to expand war production.  He helped organize the Spruce Production Division for the war effort and facilitated increased output at Portland shipyards.  He then began army training to enter active military service, but the war ended before he was commissioned.
  After the war, Corbett was appointed to the Port of Portland Commission.  During the post-war period, he also served as pres
caption: Corbett in 1903
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