Theodore Thurston Geer (March 12, 1851February 21, 1924) was the tenth Governor of Oregon (the first born in the territory of the state), serving from January 9, 1899, to January 14, 1903. The Republican politician was in office when the legislature adopted the "Oregon System", Oregon's system of initiative and referendum. He also served in the Oregon House of Representatives, including time as its Speaker. Biography Early life Theodore Geer was born on March 12, 1851, in the Waldo Hills east of Salem, in what was then the Oregon Territory. His parents, Heman Johnson Geer and the former Cynthia Ann Eoff, separated when Theodore was 14 years old. Geer was educated in the Salem schools and at Willamette University in Salem. After his parents separated he began working, and in 1866 he moved to the Grande Ronde Valley with his father. While living in Eastern Oregon, Geer wrote letters to the Blue Mountain Times newspaper. In 1877, he returned to the Willamette Valley and the Waldo Hills where he farmed. Political career In 1880, Geer was elected to the Oregon Legislative Assembly, representing Marion County in the House of Representatives. He returned to the House in 1889, serving through the 1893 legislative session, and serving as Speaker of the House in 1891. He served as a Presidential Elector in 1897. Theodore Geer was elected as the 10th Governor of Oregon in 1898 to replace William Paine Lord, defeating Democrat and Populist party nominee W. R. King. A Republican governor, he served one term from January 9, 1899, until January 14, 1903. Geer was the tenth governor since statehood, but the first native Oregonian to hold that position. Geer supported the first amendment to the 1857 Oregon Constitution that instituted the initiative and referendum system of legislation in Oregon. The amendment was passed by the Oregon Legislative Assembly in 1899 and 1901, and approved by the Oregon voters in 1902. Geer did not win re-nomination for a second term and left the office in 1903. Bicycling Geer was known for being an enthusiastic participant in the 1890s bicycle craze, and the governor-elect signed the 1899 "cycle path" legislation passed by the State Legislature that was to create a statewide network of bicycle paths. Governor Geer regularly bicycled from his home in Macleay to the Capitol. Final years After leaving political office, he worked as the editor of the Oregon Statesman newspaper