Hal Elden Hoss (October 7, 1892 – February 6, 1934) was an American journalist and politician in the state of Oregon. A native of Portland, he was raised there and edited several newspapers in Oregon before he became the private secretary for the Governor of Oregon, I. L. Patterson. A Republican, he served as Oregon Secretary of State for six years before he died in office.

Hal Hoss was born on October 7, 1892, in Portland, Oregon, where he was raised.^[1] After he earned his education in that city he married Myrtle Lantz in 1914, and had four children together.^[1] In 1918, he became the editor of the Banner Courier newspaper of Oregon City.^[1] Hoss remained there until 1920 when began managing and editing the Enterprise paper, also in Oregon City.^[1] In 1922, he was inducted into Sigma Delta Chi, an honor society for journalists.^[2]

He remained in the newspaper business until 1926 at the Enterprise, and served as the president of the Oregon Press Association on several occasions.^[1] Hoss was active in attempts to reform the penal system, serving on commissions to this aim.^[1] He even was appointed to the state's parole board.^[1] In 1927, Hoss was hired by Governor I. L. Patterson to work as his personal secretary.^[1]

On September 24, 1928, Sam A. Kozer resigned from the office of Oregon Secretary of State.^[3] Oregon Governor I. L. Patterson appointed the Republican Hoss on that same day to fill the remaining term of Kozer.^[3] Hoss then won election to a full four-year term in 1928, and won re-election in 1932 to a second four-year term.^[3] While in his first term, his office created the Operations Division and the state began to require testing to acquire a driver's license.^[4] Hal Elden Hoss died in office on February 6, 1934, at the age of 41.^[3]