History Makers Dinner

The 2009 History Makers Dinner is the first of a series of annual events celebrating Oregon’s living leaders who have made history in their own time.  Each year, the Oregon Historical Society will present this series of awards at a dinner and special ceremony.  This year guests will attend this exclusive event at the Oregon Historical Society on Thursday, October 1, 2009.

For more information about the event, sponsoring a table, or purchasing tickets, call the Oregon Historical Society Development Office at 503.306.5229.

To view photos of The 2009 History Makers Dinner click here

History Makers are contemporary individuals who have made a significant impact in their field of work or service during their lifetime.  These individuals, with ties to Oregon, are making history through scientific discovery and exploration, innovation in business, communications, or the arts, or service in their communities.  Whether they were born here, lived here, or work here, Oregon History Makers represent the best of what the state has to offer.

Join our 2009 History Makers, Mrs. Gert Boyle, Mr. Michael Powell, and Dr. Brian Druker as we celebrate their extraordinary lives and accomplishments as part of this very special evening.

Do you know a History Maker?  We’re accepting nominations for the 2010 History Makers now.  Nomination Form (pdf)

Ms. Gert Boyle

When Gert Boyle’s husband Neil suddenly passed away in 1970, the then 46 year old housewife and mother of three found herself at the helm of Columbia Sportswear, a small and financially struggling outerwear manufacturer in Portland, Oregon.  With no business experience whatsoever, Boyle was faced with the challenge of running Columbia, which had been founded in 1937 by her father--a Jewish immigrant who fled Hitler’s Germany to come to America.

Though many expected Boyle to fail, she and her son Tim persevered, and kept the business afloat through very challenging times.  In 1970, Columbia Sportswear boasted forty employees and $800,000 in annual sales.  Under Gert’s leadership, the company now has more than 2,000 employees, annual sales exceeding one billion dollars, and is the leading seller of skiwear in the United States.  And thanks to a creative advertising campaign that billed her as “one tough mother,” (which is also the title of her autobiography) Gert has become an icon in her industry and proclaimed by The Oregonian as “the patron saint of Oregon.”

Visionary businesswoman; generous philanthropist, one of Oregon’s most recognized and beloved public figures; Gert Boyle is truly one tough history maker.

Dr. Brian Druker

Oncologist Dr. Brian Druker has revolutionized the treatment of cancer through research to develop Gleevec, the first drug to target the genetic defects of a particular cancer while leaving healthy cells unharmed.  Based on his studies, Gleevec is now the treatment of choice for patients with CML, and its success has opened the door to developing targeted therapies for other cancers.

Dr. Brian Druker is Director of the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Knight Cancer Institute, JELD-WEN Chair of Leukemia Research at OHSU, and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

After completing his clinical training, Dr. Druker returned to the lab to begin his research career.  He studied the regulation of the growth of cancer cells and the practical application of this knowledge to cancer therapies.  His work was instrumental in the development of STI571, commonly known as Gleevec.  After completing a series of preclinical studies, Dr. Druker spearheaded the clinical trials of STI571 for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML).  Gleevec is currently FDA approved for CML and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).

Druker’s current research projects are aimed at learning why each year some 4 percent of newly diagnosed patients with CML develop resistance to Gleevec and why most patients on the drug have minute levels of cancer that linger even after treatment ends.  He is working in the laboratory to purify leukemia cells from patients to determine why these cells aren’t being killed so that a strategy can be developed to eradicate the cancer.

Mr. Michael Powell

Michael Powell purchased Powell’s Books from his father in 1981.  Since that time, Powell’s has grown into a “semantic superpower.”  Michael has been at the center of

Portland’s social, political and artistic growth over the last twenty years.  “When we started bringing authors to town, you couldn’t get a decent author to visit Portland.  Portland’s access to ideas, authors and books has grown because Powell’s has grown.  It’s not cause and effect, but it’s synergy.”

In the early 1980s, Powell’s was the first business to sponsor Portland Arts & Lectures, the city’s first serious author lecture series.  “We get people to come here because Powell’s is here,” says Julie Mancini, director of the Portland Arts & Lectures Series, adding, “if there’s a new edition of the Bible, people expect God to be at Powell’s to sign books.”

Over the years, Michael’s committed community interests have matched him with numerous civic organizations including the World Affairs Council, Port of Portland, Association for Portland Progress, Metropolitan Arts Commission, Multnomah County Library Board, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Board, American Booksellers Association Board, Portland Public Schools Foundation, Portland State University Library Advisory Committee and the SMART (Start Making a Reader Today) Program Advisory Committee, among others.

Special thanks to our Presenting Sponsor.