Arno H. Denecke

Arno Harry Denecke (May 7, 1916 – October 20, 1993) was an American jurist who was the 37th Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court from 1976 to 1982, having been on the court since 1963. A veteran of World War II, he retired from the United States Army at the rank of colonel in 1974.

Early life Denecke was born May 7, 1916, in Rock Island, Illinois. In 1939, he graduated from the University of Illinois College of Law and then went to work for Montgomery Ward from 1939 to 1941 in both Chicago and Oakland, California.

Legal career After the war, Denecke moved to Portland, Oregon, and joined the firm of Mautz, Souther, Spaulding, Denecke & Kinsey (now Schwabe, Williamson, Wyatt). While in private practice Denecke argued in front of the U.S. Supreme Court as attorney for Ross Island Sand & Gravel in a worker's compensation case, Hahn v. Ross Island Sand & Gravel Co., 358 U.S. 272 (1959). During this time he served as a member of the Portland School Board in the 1950s. Denecke left the firm in 1959 when he was appointed as circuit court judge for Multnomah County by Governor Mark Hatfield. As an educator Arno Denecke taught at the University of Oregon School of Law,

Additionally, Denecke was a trustee for both the Oregon Graduate Center (now part of OHSU) and Reed College in Portland. He also served as chairperson for the YMCA Youth & Government program, and served as an overseer to Lewis & Clark College.

Judicial career In 1962, Arno Denecke was elected to the Oregon Supreme Court. He started in 1963 and was re-elected in 1968, 1974, and 1980. and led an investigation of Oregon's State Accident Insurance Fund. Denecke was married to Marguerite L. Gahr. He had two stepchildren, Michael Potter and Shirley Potter.

Publications Author of, The Judiciary Needs Your Help Teachers, 22 J. LEGAL EDUC. 197, 203 (1969).