Larry Hobart was born in Silverton, Oregon in 1931. He won a competition to be an intern to U.S. Senator Richard L. Neuberger from Oregon and went to Washington, D.C. After interning for a year, he earned his master’s degree in public administration at the University of Michigan and then returned to Washington, D.C. to work as Senator Neuberger’s legislative assistant, which he did until the Senator died in 1960. From there, he worked for the American Public Power Association