News & Press

On August 19, 2010, Multnomah County Commissioners voted unanimously to add a modest tax levy to the November ballot to keep the Oregon Historical Society from closing its doors in 2011 due to a lack of public funding.  The five-year levy would tax an average property owner 5 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. This amounts to approximately $10 a year for the average home owner in Multnomah County.  In return, the Oregon Historical Society will provide free admission to all Multnomah County residents (admission is now $32 for a family of four to visit once a year) and free admission to all Oregon school groups.  To read the ballot measure language click here.

Click here to view the Society's recent press releases.

The OHS is proud to announce the election of our new board officers: President Jerry Hudson, Vice President Bill Failing, Treasurer Marc Berg and Secretary Lesley Hallick.

From left to right, Marc Berg, Jerry Hudson, Lesley Hallick and Bill Failing.

The Oregon Historical Society is also proud to announce the addition of three new members to its governing board.

Jackson Lewis

Jackson is a partner with the Portland, Oregon law firm of Tonkon Torp LLP. His practice includes Estate Planning and Nonprofit Administration.  He currently serves on the board of the Broadway Rose Theatre Company. Jackson hails from the Midwest and followed his own Oregon Trail to Portland in 2000. He received a B.A. from Harvard College and his J.D. from the University of Michigan.

Jin Park

Jin Park is the founding owner of The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club. He received both his undergraduate and masters degrees from the University of London. Mr. Park also serves on the board of Medical Teams International and YMCA of Columbia-Willamette. Jin has lived in Seoul, Korea; London, England; and Sydney, Australia. He has been a resident of Portland since 1996.

Stuart (John) Shelk, Jr.

John Shelk is the Managing Director of Ochoco Lumber Company. He has served on the board of directors for a number of companies, as well as several non-profit boards including Oregon High Desert Museum and Willamette University. He is currently Chairman of the Executive Committee for the World Forestry Center. John grew up in Prineville, OR and completed a B.A. at Willamette University and post graduate work at Lewis & Clark College.

On March 30th, KOIN Local 6 featured our award-winning, permanent exhibit Oregon My Oregon as well as Tall in the Saddle: 100 Years of the Pendleton Round-Up in their Keep It Local segment. Take a look.

On March 8th, OHS held a press conference to unveil the new Pacific Wonderland license plates. Board member Marc Berg emceed the event to thank Senators Rick Metsger and Betsy Johnson for introducing and supporting the bill. In addition, Senator Metsger unveiled the very first plate off of the assembly line.

This year, we have so much in store at the Oregon Historical Society, from new exhibits, to new programming, and a rerelease of a vintage license plate!  Read about what is coming up in our online version of The Historian.

To view the Winter Historian Newsletter click here (PDF 2MB)

Past Historians

Fall 2009 Historian click here (PDF 2MB)

OHS funded at lower - level

Among the last bills passed by the House before adjournment was SB 961, which authorizes a “Pacific Wonderland” license plate and divides the net revenue after expenses between the Oregon State Capitol Foundation and the Oregon Historical Society.  License plate revenue should be about $633,000 in 2009-11 and a little more than that in 2011-13.  Because of startup time for plate design, recovery of initial costs, etc., we are unlikely to see plate revenue before 2010. 

Earlier, both houses passed the “Christmas Bush” bill, which contained a biennial appropriation of $625,000 for OHS.  Our 2007-09 biennial appropriation (before rescissions) was $2.8 million.  The Governor recommended $1.25 million, and the Co-chairs of Ways and Means recommended zero.  Most of the CHAMP participants received half of the Governor’s recommendation at session’s end.  OHS did considerably better.  For this we need to thank the CHAMP group, and particularly First Lady Mary Oberst, who lobbied hard for the full package; Sen. Betsy Johnson, who championed the license plate revenue; our lobbyists, Mark Nelson and Erica Hagedorn, who were very strategic and effective; and all of our friends and members who took time to write or call legislators.

Beginning Thursday, April 2nd, the Oregon Historical Society’s Research Library will be open to the public each week according to the following schedule:

Thursday: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Friday: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Saturday: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

"We are glad to be able to establish these new hours and appreciate the patience of our members and the public while board and staff planned operations under our new economic realities.  Veteran OHS library staff and volunteers will be ready to serve the public,” says Dr. George Vogt, Executive Director of the Oregon Historical Society.

George Vogt was recently profiled in the March 28th edition of the Portland Tribune.

"George Vogt moved to Oregon 15 months ago with his standard poodle, Poster, and he isn’t one to look backward. Well, maybe a little bit. Well, maybe a lot.  Vogt is, after all, executive director of the Oregon Historical Society.

Poster mostly stays in Vogt’s office but also roams the halls around Vogt’s office.  Come to think of it, Vogt does pretty much the same.

Vogt has held similar posts at museums in Wisconsin and Delaware, and he’s had just enough time to take stock of the Oregon museum.  Mind you, we didn’t mean taking stock in a bad way, as in taking a museum’s stock to another location. Although that can happen at museums. Let Vogt explain…"

To see the full article, click here .