John H. Hager

John Henry Hager was born on August 28, 1936, in Durham, North Carolina. His parents were Virgil Hager (1905–2002) and Ruth Rabbe Hager (1906–2000), both of whom graduated from Purdue University in 1928. In 1945, Hager initiated a neighborhood newspaper project. During his undergraduate studies at Purdue University, he engaged in various activities including operating a vending machine business, participating in Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, and joining the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). His academic workload was notably extensive at times, with one term comprising approximately 25 credit hours. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) in 1958 from Purdue.

Following his college education, Hager obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Harvard Business School in 1960. Subsequently, he served in the United States Army, attaining the rank of captain.

Hager's professional career included employment at the American Tobacco Company in Richmond, Virginia, beginning in the 1960s. Initially retiring from the company due to health issues related to polio, he later resumed work in a government affairs role. His employment at American Tobacco concluded after the company was sold to Brown & Williamson in 1994.

In his political and civic engagements, Hager volunteered for Lieutenant Governor John N. Dalton in 1975 and was a delegate to the 1984 Republican National Convention. He co-chaired Oliver North’s 1994 U.S. Senate campaign and served as treasurer of the Virginia Republican Party in 1994. He also sought the chairmanship of the Virginia Republican Party in 1992. Hager served as the director of Virginia's homeland security under Governors Jim Gilmore and Mark Warner.

In the 1997 Virginia gubernatorial election, Hager was elected as the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, serving from 1998 to 2002. He defeated Democrat Lewis F. Payne Jr. in that election. Hager was the first individual with a disability elected to that office, being a polio survivor who used a wheelchair for mobility. He participated in the campaign with statements emphasizing overcoming challenges and converting difficulties into opportunities. He sought the gubernatorial nomination in 2001 but was defeated by Attorney General Mark Earley, who subsequently lost the general election to Mark Warner.

After Warner's election as governor, Hager served in the state government as the homeland security director in the Office of Commonwealth Preparedness—a position created post-September 11, 2001.

From 2004 to 2007, he served as the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services. Nominated by President George W. Bush, Hager was confirmed by the Senate in November 2004. In this role, he aimed to finalize regulations related to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), provided technical assistance to states, and promoted outreach and transition services for individuals with disabilities. He resigned from this position effective August 1, 2007.

In July 2007, Hager was elected chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia but was defeated for reelection by Delegate Jeff Frederick in May 2008.

Hager married Margaret Dickinson "Maggie" Chase on February 27, 1971. They had two sons, John (born 1973) and Henry (born 1978). His younger son, Henry Hager, married Jenna Bush, daughter of President George W. Bush, on May 10, 2008, at the Bush family ranch in Crawford, Texas.

In 1973, Hager contracted polio after his son was vaccinated with a live-virus polio vaccine. As a result, he used a non-motorized wheelchair in daily activities and was known to participate in wheelchair racing.

John Hager died on August 23, 2020, five days before his 84th birthday. In his passing, Governor Ralph Northam ordered state flags to be flown at half-staff until September 2, 2020.

Throughout his life, Hager was involved with various organizations, including serving as chairman of the American Legion, vice-chair of the Virginia Governor's Commission on Transportation Policy, and holding directorships and presidencies in arts and community organizations such as the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, the Sorensen Institute of Political Leadership, and the Children's Hospital.

He received numerous honors, including honorary degrees from Mary Washington College, Averett College, and the University of Northern Virginia, as well as awards recognizing his professional and community contributions, such as the Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award from Purdue University in 2007, and the Lettie Pate Whitehead Evans Award in 1997.