Jay Hollister Upton (April 28, 1879 – December 30, 1938) was an American politician and attorney from the state of Oregon.

His father was a lawyer, and his grandfather, William W. Upton, was one of the first judges to serve on the Oregon Supreme Court.

He served as a private in Company H of the 2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regiment[3] and participated in the capture of Guam and the Philippine campaigns.

After graduation, he became a law clerk for Multnomah County judge Lionel R. Webster, a position he held for three years.

As a young professional, he joined a number of civic organizations including the local Elks and Eagles lodges as well as the United Spanish War Veterans association.

[1][2][3][4] Upton, a Republican, ran for a Multnomah County seat the Oregon House of Representatives in 1912.

Upton was one of twelve Republicans nominees selected in the primary to represent the party in the general election.

Upton finished twelfth in field of 51 candidates, securing the last available District 18 seat.

[3][7] Upton took his seat in the Oregon House on 13 January 1913, serving through the 1913 regular legislative session which ended in early March.

In Prineville, he continued as a member of the Elks and Eagles, serving as lodge president for both organizations.

[3][4][11][12] When World War I began in Europe, Upton recruited a volunteer regiment and was selected as the unit's captain.

[14] He also promoted agricultural interests throughout Oregon and advocated for dams, land reclamation, and irrigation projects.

This senate district included Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson, Klamath, and Lake counties.

[3][4][15] Upton campaigned for better roads in eastern Oregon, more investments in irrigation projects, improved rural school facilities, and anti-communist patriotism.

[21][22] Since Oregon state senators serve a four-year term, Upton did not have to run for re-election prior to the opening of the 1923 legislative session.

Once the November 1914 general election was over, he began actively seeking support for the senate president position.

However, after Upton personally assured the eastern Oregon senators he would not make any special deals with Moser, they agreed to continue to support him.

[35] Upton began his second four-year term serving in the 1925 legislative session from 12 January through 26 February.

He was also a member of the judiciary, assessment and taxation, irrigation and drainage, and public lands committees.

[52] Upton told the newspapers he considered running for governor, but could not arranged campaign financing in time for the special election.

He also served on the judiciary, military affairs, railroads and utilities, roads and highways, and banking committees.

He was also a member of six other committees including banking, insurance, game, irrigation and drainage, road and highways, and alcohol control.

[72][73] After the primary, Upton resigned his seat in the state senate so he could focus on his Congress race.

[74][75] In the general election vote count, Upton took an early lead, but Pierce eventually won.

[76][77] After losing the Congressional race, Upton returned to central Oregon where he continued his law practice and his ranching activities.

He represented the public institutions like the Bend School District as well as numerous private clients.

During the actual event in 1938, Upton was the chairman of the Spanish War veterans' nation convention.

The accident occurred as Upton, his wife, and another passenger were returning to central Oregon from a visit to Portland.