Oregon Historical Society Announces 2025 History Makers: Awards & Dinner Set For October 5 (Photo) -03/13/25

Portland, OR — The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) is delighted to announce the 2025 Oregon History Maker honorees. First celebrated in 2009, the annual Oregon History Makers Awards & Dinner recognizes contemporary individuals and organizations that are positively shaping the history, culture, and landscape of Oregon. The event also supports the Oregon Historical Society’s important work to collect, preserve, and interpret Oregon’s past.

 

The 2025 Oregon History Makers are:

 

Mike and Sue Hollern

 

Few have contributed more energy and talent to making Central Oregon thrive than Mike and Sue Hollern. As chair of Brooks Resources, Mike Hollern was instrumental in developing Black Butte Ranch, Awbrey Butte, Mt. Bachelor Village Resort, the OSU Cascades Campus, and even the famous Bend roundabouts. Sue Hollern has dedicated her time to growing Central Oregon arts, culture, and social services, co-founding the nonprofit Art in Public Places and lending her leadership and expertise to causes and organizations such as Cascade Child & Family Center, SMART, Family Access Network, and the Oregon Community Foundation.

 

Tony Hopson, Sr.

 

Tony Hopson, Sr. founded Self Enhancement Inc. (SEI) in 1981, and over the course of four decades, grew it from a youth summer program to one of the most respected human service organizations in Oregon. SEI now supports over 17,000 youth and families per year with “wraparound” services, which improve every aspect of a student’s life, from their home environment, family support, school experience, and opportunities outside of school. Hopson is part of the founding board of the 1803 Fund and was instrumental in securing its initial $400 million investment with the purpose of rebuilding and strengthening the historic Black community in north and northeast Portland.

 

Patricia “Pat” Reser

 

A lifelong learner and teacher, Patricia “Pat” Reser has always found ways to make a difference, whether teaching students with special needs, training humanitarian workers, or leading boards and initiatives. Reser oversees one of the state’s most respected companies, Reser’s Fine Foods, as board chair, as well as the Reser Family Foundation, which she created to support Oregon nonprofits. Reser’s philanthropy and leadership at Oregon State University (OSU) was instrumental to the university’s growth and success, and her passion for the transformative power of the arts led to the creation of flourishing performing arts centers in downtown Beaverton and OSU’s campus in Corvallis.

 

Jordan Schnitzer

 

As the owner of one of the world’s most notable art collections, Jordan Schnitzer was dubbed “The People’s Collector” by Artnet for his passion for sharing art with audiences across the globe. As the president and CEO of Schnitzer Properties, Schnitzer grew his family commercial real estate company into one of the Top 10 private real estate owners in the Western United States. A local business leader who still lives and works in his hometown, Schnitzer demonstrates his dedication to Portland every day through his business, civic, and philanthropic endeavors.

 

“For 16 years, the Oregon Historical Society has celebrated Oregon’s living leaders, highlighting individuals and businesses who work tirelessly to make our state, and our world, a better place,” said OHS Boyle Family Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk. “This year’s honorees all exemplify the best of what our state has to offer, and the OHS Board of Trustees will be delighted to present Mike and Sue Hollern, Tony Hopson, Sr., Pat Reser, and Jordan Schnitzer with the Oregon History Makers Award this year.”

 

The Oregon Historical Society will celebrate the 2025 Oregon History Makers Awards & Dinner on Sunday, October 5, 2025, at the Portland Art Museum. Table sponsorships and individual tickets are available. For more information, please visit ohs.org/historymakers. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Ally Huffman at 503.306.5226 or ally.huffman@ohs.org.

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About the Oregon Historical Society

 

For more than 125 years, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of objects, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all. We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and complex as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view.

She Flies With Her Own Wings: Oregon’s Golden Age Of Aviation Opens March 7 At The Oregon Historical Society (Photo) -03/05/25

Portland, OR — March 5, 2025 — Soar through the history of aviation in the Oregon Historical Society’s newest exhibition, She Flies with Her Own Wings: Oregon’s Golden Age of Aviation. Opening Friday, March 7 in downtown Portland, visitors will discover how the wonder of flight sparked innovation, inspired new aviators, and connected communities during a transformative period in American history.

While the 1930s in the United States was a decade shaped by economic depression, it was also a time of opportunity and advancement, especially in the world of aviation. New technology led to the creation of faster, more efficient, and affordable aircraft, testing the limits of what was possible. Flight schools sprang up in the region and commercial passenger service lifted off, presenting fresh career opportunities in the industry.

 

Oregon has a long history of aviation. Milton Wright, the father of aviation pioneers Wilbur Wright and Orville Wright, was a missionary in Sublimity, Oregon, from 1857 to 1859. Many years later, William C. Crawford and John C. Burkhart constructed a plane using the Wright brothers’ drawings. Their plane was one of the first to fly in Oregon, taking off from Albany in 1910.

 

In 1921, Oregon Governor Ben Olcott signed into law the first governmental agency in the United States with authority to regulate aircraft and pilots — the Oregon State Board of Aeronautics. While Oregon was not the first state to regulate aviation, it was the

first to do so with a division of government specifically designated for aeronautics and aircraft.

 

Within the exhibition, visitors will discover how aviation inspired hope and promise during a period of uncertainty, connecting communities quite literally through the building of new airports and the popularity and excitement of airshows. Featuring video interviews, flight suits, and even a restored plane, She Flies with Her Own Wings also profiles noted aviators from the era, including:

 

Hazel Ying Lee, who in 1933 traveled to China for volunteer service in the Chinese Air Force yet was not allowed to fly for the military because she was a woman. In 1938 she returned to the U.S. and joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program during the WWII, one of only two Chinese American WASPs.

 

Dorothy Hester, who held the women’s world record for consecutive outside loops from 1930 to 1989, as well as several other aerobatic records. Hester performed in traveling airshows across Oregon and was a regular performer in Portland’s Rose Festival Airshow, and in 1930 went on a national tour becoming the first woman to be a featured performer at the National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio.

 

John Gilbert “Tex” Rankin, who for 16 years operated one of the most notable flight schools in the country. The Rankin School of Flying was one of the first to provide standardized curriculum that would be used nationally by pilots, navigators, and mechanics.

 

Leah Hing, a Portland-born Chinese American woman pilot who was a frequent participant in local airshows and flying events. Hing was trained in aircraft instrument repair and during WWII volunteered for the Civil Air Patrol.

 

She Flies with Her Own Wings is on view at the Oregon Historical Society from March 7 through November 30, 2025. The Oregon Historical Society’s museum is open daily in downtown Portland, from 10am to 5pm Monday through Saturday and 12pm to 5pm on Sunday. Admission is free every day for youth 17 and under, OHS members, and residents of Multnomah County.

 

Learn more and plan your visit by accessing our free digital museum guide.

 

Press kit with high-resolution images: https://bit.ly/aviationpr 

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About the Oregon Historical Society

 

For more than 125 years, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of objects, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all. We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and complex as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view.

New Exhibition Photographically Documents The Effects Of Climate Change On Oregon’s Landscape (Photo) -03/04/25

A Changing Landscape is on view now at the Oregon Historical Society through November 23, 2025.

 

Portland, OR -- See how climate change has altered Oregon's geography in A Changing Landscape, on view at the Oregon Historical Society in downtown Portland now through November 23, 2025. This dramatic installation uses modern and historical photographs to visually compare 100 years of environmental change across some of Oregon's most recognized mountains, lakes, and glaciers.

 

In the summer of 1920, the U.S. Forest Service launched a three-month expedition to lay the groundwork for a scenic road between Crater Lake and the Columbia River Highway. Led by recreational planner Frederick Cleator, the "Skyline Party" traversed north along the high country of the Cascade Range, with Cleator taking 700 photographs documenting the terrain and scenery. 

 

While the scenic highway never came to be, a recreational trail known as the Oregon Skyline Trail opened to travelers in the summer of 1921. Highlighting the beauty of the Cascades, the Oregon Skyline Trail includes dramatic peaks, glacial lakes, and alpine meadows, connecting Oregonians and tourists to the natural wonders of the state.

 

One hundred years later, geologist Jim O'Connor followed Cleator's footsteps and recreated 75 of his Skyline Trail photographs -- many taken on the same day and at the same time as the original photographs. A Changing Landscape features a selection of Cleator and O'Connor's photographs, showing this picturesque stretch of geography, and the ways climate change has altered the mountains, lakes, and terrain throughout the past century. 

 

As explained by O'Connor:

 

I've been motivated by the century of change revealed in these matched pairs, and the photographs tell these stories much more vividly than words. Plus, I revel in the challenge of finding the exact places that previous photographers like Cleator have set up their cameras, in some instances probably places that have known few footsteps since his. In this quest, I have been revisiting the central Oregon Cascades for the last 30 years with family, friends, and colleagues, photographing and rephotographing scenes first recorded in the early 1900s, at first to document changes in the glaciers in the Three Sisters area, but also becoming increasingly intrigued by other landscape changes -- vegetation, lakes and streams as well as human uses of the high country. But it's more than just two-dimensional images; the project is enriched by stories behind the photos, especially the interactions among the landscape and people, which I try to bring out with the accompanying descriptions. 

 

O'Connor's documentation of Oregon's glaciers is profiled in the Winter 2013 issue of the Oregon Historical Quarterly in the article, "'Our Vanishing Glaciers': One Hundred Years of Glacier Retreat in the Three Sisters Area, Oregon Cascade Range." In the essay, O'Connor asserts that "glaciers exist by the grace of climate," and through a close examination of the history of the region's glaciers, he provides an intriguing glimpse into the history of geological surveys and glacial studies in the Pacific Northwest, including their connection to significant scientific advances of the nineteenth century.

 

For those unable to visit in person, the exhibition is accessible as both an audio tour and transcript (with built in translations) through OHS's free digital guide available through Bloomberg Connects.

 

To learn more about Oregon's changing climate, The Oregon Encyclopedia has curated a digital exhibit on Climate Change in Oregon that features entries by regional experts who have spent their careers researching and sharing their work on the effects of a warming planet.

 

The Oregon Historical Society's museum is open daily in downtown Portland, from 10am to 5pm Monday through Saturday and 12pm to 5pm on Sunday. Admission is free every day for youth 17 and under, OHS members, and residents of Multnomah County. Learn more and plan your visit at ohs.org/visit.

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About the Oregon Historical Society

 

For more than 125 years, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state's collective memory, preserving a vast collection of objects, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon's history open and accessible to all. We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and complex as Oregon's cannot be contained within a single story or point of view.

Oregon Launches Official Website To Commemorate America's 250th Anniversary -02/27/25

Portland, OR -- The America 250 Oregon Commission is excited to announce the launch of Oregon's official U.S. Semiquincentennial website, oregon250.org. In this digital space, the public can browse a community events calendar, explore online exhibitions, and access resources for getting involved in this nationwide commemoration. The site also includes links to all nine of Oregon's federally recognized tribes.

 

 

The America 250 Oregon Commission was created by Senate Bill 1531, signed into law on March 27, 2024, by Governor Tina Kotek. Chaired by the Oregon Historical Society's executive director, Kerry Tymchuk, the 27-member commission has been tasked to coordinate and provide guidance for Oregon's official observance of the United States Semiquincentennial. To date, the commission has met three times and has developed its mission and guideposts.

 

The mission of the America 250 Oregon Commission is "to coordinate, provide guidance, and ensure that Oregon's official observance of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States is inclusive and shares the histories of Oregon's diverse populations, including the histories of the Indigenous peoples who have resided here since time immemorial."

 

The commission's official guideposts are:

• To inspire Oregonians to participate in the work of forming a more perfect union.
• To highlight the importance of civics and history education in building a better future.
• To highlight the work of Oregon's many history and heritage organizations.
• To encourage a robust, thorough, and honest examination of our collective history.
• To celebrate the unique traditions, arts, and cultures of communities throughout Oregon.
• To honor the service and sacrifice made by Oregon's veterans.
• To celebrate the power of place through Oregon's remarkable landscapes and scenic beauty.

"As we commemorate our nation's history at a time when Americans seem deeply divided, I believe that by celebrating our successes and honestly reckoning with our setbacks, we can improve and deepen public understanding of our history, increase public appreciation of service to our state and country, and inspire Oregonians to participate in and shape the ongoing American experiment," said Kerry Tymchuk, chair of the America 250 Oregon Commission.

 

While guidelines for community event submissions are currently in development, the America 250 Oregon Commission encourages the public to explore two online exhibitions created in honor of the U.S. Semiquincentennial.

 

Oregon's beauty and spirit are as diverse as its landscape and its people, and to celebrate the state's bounty, the commission contracted with photographer Peter Marbach on two digital photographic exhibitions that showcase the essence of Oregon and its vibrant communities. The Power of Place highlights Oregon's awe-inspiring landscapes, from its rugged coastline to its tranquil valleys and majestic peaks, many of which have remained unchanged for centuries. The Pursuit of Happiness shifts the focus to the people and communities of Oregon and the way we gather to celebrate the diverse cultures that define our state. Both exhibitions are being made into physical traveling exhibitions, which will soon be available to organizations and heritage sites statewide.

 

If you or your organization is interested in getting involved with the America 250 Oregon commemoration, please contact oregon.250@ohs.org or sign up for the official America 250 Oregon email list.

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About the America 250 Oregon Commission
 

The mission of the America 250 Oregon Commission is to coordinate, provide guidance, and ensure that Oregon's official observance of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States is inclusive and shares the histories of Oregon's diverse populations, including the histories of the Indigenous peoples who have resided here since time immemorial. Learn more at oregon250.org.