In This Issue:

OHS Executive Director George Vogt to Retire

Two New ExhibitsPerseverance: Black Pioneers in Early Oregon Now - APril 3.

Peace Corps: 50 Years of Service oPeNs MArch 1.

Research Library NewsLearn about the processing of the Fred Meyer collection.

2011 Hatfield Lecture SeriesBuy your tickets today!

Winter 2011

Now Online Only

This year, celebrate Oregon's 152nd birthday during Statehood Day at the Oregon Historical Society. In honor of this occasion we will have special programming and a lecture by Kerry Tymchuk onsunday, February 13. Save the date!

Happy Birthday Oregon!

Photograph of Mrs. Marie Lynthecom, from the new exhibit Perseverance: Black Pioneers in Early Oregon

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What a difference a year makes! Thanks to the help of our members and friends, we passed a county levy that will replace lost state appropriations, support extended public hours for the Davies Family Research Library, underwrite free admission to Multnomah County residents and all school groups, and add staff for collections care and public programming.

This April, at the OHS Annual Meeting, I am stepping down after nearly four-and-a-half years as executive director. When I told the Board’s executive committee last September of my decision to retire in 2011, I said that the success of our November ballot measure would present the Board with a great opportunity to hire for a new era of OHS rebuilding and fundraising. I am delighted with the Board’s choice of one of its own, Kerry Tymchuk, as the Interim Executive Director. Kerry’s knowledge of Oregon and the donor community and his considerable political savvy guarantee that OHS will not lose a beat in building on the success at the ballot box.

Between now and April, the Society will conduct a full strategic planning process to shape the course ahead. We are committed to seeking input from key stakeholders, which include academic researchers, members, affiliated institutions, our talented staff, political leaders, and the numerous ethnic and Native American communities of Oregon whose history we help preserve and tell. The planning process will set priorities for the next three to five years for the Oregon Historical Society. Please help us when we solicit your views and assistance.

George L. VogtExecutive Director

P.S. Please thank County Commission Chair Jeff Cogen and his colleagues on the Multnomah County Commission for their outstanding support!

Our MissionThe oregon historical society’s mission is preserving and interpreting oregon’s past in thoughtful, illuminating, and provocative ways.

HoursMuseum10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday – SaturdayNoon – 5 p.m. Sunday

Museum store10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday – SaturdayNoon – 5 p.m. Sunday

research library1 p.m. – 5 p.m.  Thursday, Friday, Saturday

1200 sw Park AvenuePortland, or 97205503-222-1741w w w. o h s . o r g

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Meet OHS's Interim Executive Director · · · ·We are excited to announce that board member Kerry Tymchuk has agreed to serve as the Interim Executive Director of the Oregon Historical Society. The great, great, grandson of Oregon pioneers, Mr. Tymchuk is a native Oregonian who earned both his BA in History and J.D. at Willamette University. He has a distinguished public service career that included working as a top aide and advisor to Elizabeth Dole, Bob Dole, and Gordon Smith. Mr. Tymchuk comes to the Oregon Historical Society from his position as corporate communications advisor at CFM, Strategic Communication Inc. He has been a board member of the Oregon Historical

Society since 2007 and has served as chairman of both the Mark O. Hatfield Distinguished Historians Forum and the History Makers Dinner.

Immediate plans have been made to implement a smooth transition that will put Kerry Tymchuk and George Vogt working side by side until late April, when Kerry will take over leadership and Dr. Vogt will fully retire. Mr. Tymchuk will be Interim Executive Director while the Board of Directors crafts a new strategic plan and decides on and implements a search process for the next Executive Director.

Thanks to the extraordinary support of Multnomah County voters, the Oregon Historical Society levy passed on November 2, 2010. In return for Multnomah County’s support, OHS will be offering free admission to all county residents, as well as free admission to school groups across the state. We will also be increasing library hours and public programming within the next year.

• On January 1, 2011, we began admitting school groups statewide to the Oregon History Museum for free. We will continue to offer school bus assistance to help schools in need.

• Starting July 1, 2011, all Multnomah County residents will be admitted for free to the Oregon History Museum and Research Library.

• Starting immediately, memberships for Multnomah County residents will be discounted by $10 at all levels. We hope residents will continue to enjoy all the benefits of membership, including invitations to members-only exhibit previews, a subscription to the Oregon Historical Quarterly, and discounts on Museum Store purchases and tickets to the Mark O. Hatfield Distinguished Historians Forum. We are also enhancing the family membership for Multnomah County residents, allowing family members to bring 2 additional out of county guests to the museum.

Thank you to the voters of Multnomah County for your commitment to preserving history.

Multnomah County Levy News

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Exhibit Updates · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Perseverance: Black Pioneers in early oregonJanuary 14 - April 3, 2011

Throughout Oregon’s early history, the presence of African Americans in all parts of the state was recorded in documents and photographs. They came to Oregon as slaves and free people, in spite of Black Exclusion Laws, and worked and lived alongside other pioneers as farmers, blacksmiths, lumbermen, miners, bootblacks, cowboys, and mid-wives. The stories of these individuals will be told through stunning photographs and newspaper clippings from the era prior to WWII.

The identities of many of the individuals featured in the exhibit are unknown. By sharing these photographs with the public, OHS and the Oregon Northwest Black Pioneers hope to discover the names and stories of these anonymous individuals from Oregon’s past.

Peace corps: 50 Years of service & Bringing the world homeMarch 1 - June 12, 2011

In 2011, Oregonians will have a unique opportunity to share in the Peace Corps experience without leaving the state. In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Peace Corps, the Oregon Historical Society and local alumni are collaborating to produce a special exhibit commemorating Peace Corps volunteers and their extraordinary service and experiences.

Since its inception in 1961, the Peace Corps has sent nearly 200,000 volunteers to 139 countries around the world, spanning from Central America to Africa to Eastern Europe and Asia. Volunteers work for two years with local governments, schools, and entrepreneurs in the sectors of education, health services, and business development.

This exhibit provides an opportunity for Peace Corps alumni to share their stories with the wider community. Opening March 2011, it will showcase leatherwork, carvings, furniture, art, and personal mementoes. Peace Corps alumni’s personal stories, letters, and photographs will be the cornerstone of this multimedia exhibit. Don't forget, current exhibits Walls of Heritage, Walls of Pride and Marking Time close February 13!

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Two Additions to the OHS Archives · · · · · · · · · · ·The Oregon Historical Society is pleased to announce a recent gift of archives from Fred Meyer Stores. The collection consists of over 30 cartons of photographs, advertising materials, and company newsletters. The items document the history of this icon of the Oregon grocery trade from its beginning in the 1930s to the present. The collection came to OHS thanks to the help of Fred Meyer executive Norm Myhr. The archive is now being processed and will be available for research by mid 2011.

Communities throughout Oregon have long supported sports teams of all kinds, some amateur and some professional. A recent gift from Cami Rasmussen of Portland, this early 1900s photograph shows a baseball team from Hood River. (Org. Lot 284, Research Library)

Shown here is a 1930s image of the Fred Meyer store on SE Hawthorne and 36th, now the home of the Bread & Ink Cafe. (Coll 199, Research Library)

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With so many great benefits of membership, from a subscription to the Quarterly to exhibit opening events and admission to our Sunday lecture series, it's the perfect time to become an OHS Member!

Sunday Lecture SeriesIn 2011, we're continuing the tradition of inviting local and regional authors, professors, filmmakers, and historians to OHS for an afternoon of history. There is no additional admission charge to attend these lectures and, as always, we welcome our members for free. Featured topics range from early mapmaking to local architects. Join us on January 23 as author christopher corbett discusses the real story of the Pony Express on the occasion of its 150th anniversary and the vivid story of the "Poker Bride," one of the earliest Chinese immigrants in the wild west. Learn more about Christopher Corbett and his books at http://christophercorbett.net/.other Upcoming sunday lectures:February 13: Kerry Tymchuk: "Laughing All the Way to the White House"February 20: Paula Madden: "Historic Homes of Patriots and Presidents"February 27: Avel Louise Gordly and Patricia A. Schechter: "Remembering the Power of Words: The Life of an Oregon Activist, Legislator, and Community Leader"March 6: Robert Hinds and Lee Roth: "Portland Architect John Yeon"

Winter 1

Oregon Historical Quarterly

Quarterly Update · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·OHQ seeks short Manuscripts on Upcoming local history Projects

The Oregon Historical Quarterly plans to publish "Local History Spotlights" that describe programs, events, and projects taking place around the state. The journal recognizes that local historical societies, libraries, and other groups are doing good work in investigating the past and educating the public about our history, and we would like to make more people aware of it. We expect "Spotlights" to be from 750 to 1500 words and to include one or two images. If you have a project, event, or program coming up in 2011, please contact Eliza Canty-Jones, at 503.306.5236 or Eliza.Canty-Jones@ohs.org, to discuss spotlighting it in OHQ.

MEMBERSHIP BONUSDuring the month of January, all OHS Members can take advantage of FREE ADMISSION to the

Lan Su Chinese Gardens and the Discovery Museum at the World Forestry Center!

Become an OHS Member!

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Next month, we kick-off our 2011 Hatfield Lecture Series. Please join us for this special OHS tradition.

steven hayward“How Ronald Reagan Settled the GOP Split of 1912”February 15, 2011Steven F. Hayward is the F.K. Weyerhaeuser Fellow in Law and Economics at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington DC. He is the author of a two-volume narrative history of Ronald Reagan and his effect on American political life: The Age of Reagan: The Fall of the Old Liberal Order, 1964–1980, and The Age of Reagan: The Conservative Counter-Revolution, 1980–1989.

rex Ziak“John Jacob Astor: The Rise and Fall of his Fur Trade”March 15, 2011Rex Ziak is an artist, conservationist, and historian who is highly accomplished in all three fields. As a historian, he researched and discovered unknown historical sites relating to the Corps of Discovery and of such importance the U.S. Department of the Interior purchased the land and created a new National Park to commemorate these discoveries.

David hackett Fischer “Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt: Inventors of an American Tradition”April 19, 2011David Hackett Fischer holds a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University and is a professor of history at Brandeis University. Fischer is a noted scholar in early American history and has written many books, including Albion’s Seed, Paul Revere’s Ride, Washington’s Crossing, and Liberty and Freedom.

edith Gelles “Abigail and John Adams: Portrait of a Marriage”May 17, 2011Edith Gelles is a senior scholar at Stanford’s Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research. Her recent double biography, Abigail and John: Portrait of a Marriage, was a finalist for the George Washington Prize.

Tickets are on sale now. All sales are handled through boxofficetickets.com. Members get a 10% discount on all Hatfield Lecture Series tickets!

THE MARK O. HATFIELD

DISTINGUISHEDHISTORIANS

FORUM

1200 sw Park AvenuePortland, or 97205

503-222-1741w w w. o h s . o r g