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American businessman and politician (1921–2020)

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Hal Haskell
Haskell in 1957

Mayor of Wilmington, Delaware
In office January 7, 1969 – January 9, 1973
Preceded by	John E. Babiarz Sr.
Succeeded by	Thomas C. Maloney
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Delaware's at-large district
In office January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1959
Preceded by	Harris McDowell
Succeeded by	Harris McDowell

Personal details
Born	Harry Garner Haskell Jr. (1921-05-27)May 27, 1921 Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Died	January 16, 2020(2020-01-16) (aged 98) Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Mary "Mimi" Carey (née Foster) Haskell (m. 1947; died 2008)
Domestic partner	Ruth du Pont Lord (2009–2014; her death)
Residence(s)	Wilmington, Delaware Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
Alma mater	Princeton University
Occupation	Businessman
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Coast Guard
Years of service	1943–1946
Rank	Lieutenant
Battles/wars	World War II

Harry Garner Haskell Jr. (May 27, 1921 – January 16, 2020) was an American businessman and Republican politician from Wilmington, Delaware. He served as mayor of Wilmington from 1969 to 1973 and represented Delaware in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1957 to 1959.

Early life

Haskell was born in Wilmington, the son of Elizabeth (Denham) and Harry Garner Haskell, a DuPont executive. He was educated at Tower Hill School in Wilmington, and St. Mark's School in Southborough, Massachusetts. He attended Princeton University from 1940 until 1942 when he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard Reserve. He was made an ensign in 1943 and was discharged as a lieutenant (junior grade) in 1946.

Career

Haskell was the personnel manager of Speakman Co. in 1947 and 1948, and president of Greenhill Dairies, Inc., from 1948 until 1953, and then owner and operator of Hill Girt Farm in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. He was secretary of the Departmental Council of the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1953 and 1954, consultant to the special assistant to U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1955, and president of the University of Delaware Research Foundation.

Haskell was a delegate to the Republican National Conventions from 1952 until 1984 and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1956, defeating incumbent Democratic U.S. Representative Harris McDowell. Haskell voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. He served in the Republican minority in the 85th Congress but lost his bid for a second term in 1958 to McDowell. Haskell served from January 3, 1957, until January 3, 1959, during the administration of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He was elected mayor of Wilmington, Delaware, in 1969, serving one term until 1973, being as of 2023 the most recent Republican to serve as mayor of Wilmington.

In 1970, he was appointed a member of the President's National Reading Council and was president of Abercrombie and Fitch. He also worked with Computer International, Computer Time Sharing, Inertial Motors Corps, and Interpoint Corp.

Advocacy

He was a founding member of the Brandywine River Museum and Conservancy in Chadds Ford and served on the board for over fifty years. He was also instrumental in creating two empowerment and mentor groups, in Worcester, Massachusetts and Wilmington Delaware; Dynamy and Delaware Futures, respectively.

Personal life

On January 16, 2020, Haskell died in his home in Chadds Ford. He was 98 years old. At the time of his death he had eight children, nineteen grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.

Electoral history

Election results
Year	Office	Subject	Party	Votes	%	Opponent	Party	Votes	%
1956	U.S. Representative	Hal Haskell	Republican	91,538	52%	Harris McDowell	Democratic	84,644	48%
1958	U.S. Representative	Hal Haskell	Republican	76,099	50%	Harris McDowell	Democratic	76,797	50%
1968	Mayor of Wilmington	Hal Haskell	Republican			John E. Babiarz	Democratic

References

House, United States. Congress (1958). "Hearings".
^ "Harry G Haskell Jr Obituary". delawareonline.com. January 23, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
"HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957". GovTrack.us.
"Harry G. Haskell Jr. '44". Princeton Alumni Weekly. September 26, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
Affo, Marina. "Former Wilmington mayor and congressmen Hal Haskell dies at 98". The News Journal. Retrieved March 11, 2024.

External links

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded byHarris McDowell	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Delaware's at-large congressional district January 3, 1957 – January 3, 1959	Succeeded byHarris McDowell
Honorary titles
Preceded byJohn Dingell	Most senior living U.S. representative (sitting or former) February 7, 2019 – January 16, 2020 Served alongside: William Broomfield (until February 20, 2019) and Merwin Coad	Succeeded byMerwin Coad

v t e Members of the United States House of Representatives from Delaware
Vining Patten Latimer Bayard C. A. Rodney Broom Van Dyke Ridgely Cooper Clayton McLane Hall D. Rodney Johns Milligan Robinson G. B. Rodney J. W. Houston Riddle Cullen Whiteley Fisher Temple Smithers Nicholson Biggs Lofland J. Williams Martin Lore Penington Causey Willis Handy J. H. Hoffecker W. O. Hoffecker Ball H. A. Houston Burton Heald Brockson Miller Polk Layton Boyce R. G. Houston Adams Stewart Allen G. S. Williams Traynor Willey Boggs Warburton McDowell Haskell Roth du Pont Evans Carper Castle Carney Blunt Rochester McBride (elect)

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