History Makers

The Oregon Historical Society’s annual Oregon History Makers Awards & Dinner recognizes contemporary individuals and organizations that are positively shaping the history, culture, and landscape of Oregon. Event sponsorships, ticket sales, and donations in honor of the History Makers support the Oregon Historical Society’s important work to collect, preserve, and interpret Oregon’s past.

Please join us in honoring our 2022 Oregon History Makers on Sunday, October 2, 2022. For more information about sponsorships or tickets, please see our sponsorship packet or contact Ally Huffman at 503.306.5226 or ally.huffman@ohs.org. 

Who Is An Oregon History Maker?

Each year, the Oregon Historical Society honors living leaders and organizations that are making history through scientific discovery and exploration; innovations in business, communications, and the arts; or service in their communities. Whether they were born here, lived here, or work here, these Oregon History Makers represent the best of what the state has to offer.

2022 Oregon History Makers

Margaret Carter

Trailblazing Public Servant

Margaret Carter moved from Louisiana to Portland, Oregon, in 1967 at the age of thirty-two, and began a remarkable journey that would lead USA Today and Salem’s Statesman Journal to name her as one of ten Oregon “Women of the Century.” While raising five daughters, she earned degrees from Portland State University and Oregon State University and began a long career as a counselor and faculty member at Portland Community College. Her interest in civic engagement led Carter to run for office, and she was elected to the Oregon State House of Representatives in 1984 — the first Black woman in Oregon to be elected to the state legislature. She went on to serve seven additional terms in the Oregon House of Representatives and eight years in the Oregon State Senate, where she became the first Black woman to serve as president pro tem in 2005. Throughout her legislative service, Carter earned a bipartisan reputation as a tireless and eloquent advocate for the economically disadvantaged. Carter also served as president and CEO of the Urban League of Portland from 1999–2002 and as Deputy Director for Human Services Programs at the Oregon Department of Human Services from 2009–2014. 

Margaret Carter

Sid DeBoer

Visionary Business Leader and Philanthropist

Growing up in a large family in Ashland, where he and his siblings worked at their father’s Lithia Motors dealership, Sid DeBoer learned the automobile sales business from the ground up. When he took over the business after his father’s death in 1968, DeBoer created his own legacy by making Lithia Motors a symbol of hard work, honor, and family — with nearly 300 locations, it is now the second largest automotive retailer in the United States. Believing that greatness is determined not by what you have, but by what you give, DeBoer is the founder and president of the Sid and Karen DeBoer Foundation, which supports youth-mentoring programs, hospitals, the arts, cancer research, and universities, among other worthy causes. DeBoer is also the founder of Lithia4Kids, an initiative dedicated to teaching, inspiring, strengthening, and empowering today’s youth through more than $5 million in donations to organizations and programs that enrich the lives of children and their families.

Sid DeBoer

William B. Long, M.D.

Trauma Care Pioneer

A graduate of the University of Maryland Medical School, William Long became the Trauma Medical Director for Emanuel Hospital in Portland in 1983. During the 35 years he served in that position, Long transformed trauma care on the West Coast, saving countless lives in the process. Under his leadership, Emanuel’s trauma program became the second Level 1 Trauma Center in the Pacific Northwest. Long formed coalitions with police, first responders, EMTs, nurses, and medical and surgical specialists to create the first statewide trauma system in the United States, leading the Journal of the American Medical Association to cite Oregon as having the most complete trauma system in the country. Long’s extensive bibliography includes over 140 publications, including a book, Shock Trauma Manual. In addition, Long helped develop the Legacy Biomechanical Laboratory, which has produced multiple patents and emergency and trauma products that are still in use today. 

Dr. William B. Long

Oregon Symphony

Beloved Cultural Icon

Founded in 1896, the Oregon Symphony is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States and the oldest in the western United States. Uniting exceptional musicians, a world-class conducting staff, an unrelenting focus on excellence, and a compelling vision, the Oregon Symphony is central to the thriving cultural atmosphere in Oregon and Southwest Washington. Propelled by the desire to bring the transformative power of music to inspire people in new ways, the Oregon Symphony is renowned for its many innovative community partnerships, where musicians leave the concert hall and perform in classrooms, retirement homes, and community centers. Through its many programs, the Oregon Symphony inspires youth, fosters lifelong learning, and brings joyous music to more than 250,000 people annually and reaches millions through broadcast and digital offerings. 

Oregon Symphony

Past History Makers

2009

Gert Boyle  visionary business leader
Brian Druker, M.D.  innovative oncologist
Michael Powell  iconic bookseller 

2010

David Adelsheim  father of the Oregon wine industry
Jean Auel  best-selling author
Mercy Corps  international charitable organization
Medical Teams International  global human services organization

2011

Ken & Joan Austin  innovative entrepreneurs
Allyn Ford  timber industry leader
Albert Starr, M.D.  pioneering cardiovascular surgeon
Gus Van Sant  award-winning film director

2012

Gerry Frank  entrepreneur & public servant
Harry Glickman  father of the Portland Trail Blazers
Kathryn Jones Harrison  influential tribal leader
Norma Paulus  ground-breaking legislator

2013

Bernie & Bobbie Foster  trailblazing publishers
Melvin "Pete" Mark  business leader and philanthropist
Pendleton Woolen Mills  iconic Oregon business
Alberto Salazar  legendary distance runner & coach

2014

Thomas Lauderdale  Oregon's musical ambassador to the world
Gov. Barbara Roberts  pioneering public servant
Walter J. Urba, M.D. Ph.D.  cancer warrior
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort  golf as it was meant to be

 

2015

Ann Curry  broadcast journalist
Peggy Fowler  glass ceiling breaker
George Puentes  business executive & philanthropist
Les Schwab Tire Centers  iconic Oregon business

2016

David Hume Kennerly  photojournalist
Hoffman Construction largest general contractor in the Pacific Northwest
Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D.  environmental scientist & marine ecologist
Phil Knight  visionary business executive & philanthropist

2017

Nathalie Johnson, M.D., FACS  surgical oncologist
Nicholas Kristof  Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
Bill Schonely  voice of the Portland Trail Blazers
Reser's Fine Foods  iconic Oregon business

2018

Stacy Allison adventurer, author, and business leader
Edward “Ed” Ray, Ph.D. transformational higher education leader
Bill Stoller visionary business leader and philanthropist
Bob’s Red Mill revolutionizing the food industry

2019

Andy Bryant tech industry visionary
Gale Castillo pathbreaking business and community leader
Colin O’Brady athlete, adventurer, educator
Oregon Shakespeare Festival world-renowned theatre

2021

Lillian Pitt acclaimed artist
Punit Renjen visionary business leader
Geraldine Richmond, Ph.D. renowned scientist and educator
The Greenbrier Companies international leader in transportation industry

2022 Oregon History Makers Awards & Dinner Generously Sponsored by:

Lead Sponsor

Join Lead Sponsor Jordan Schnitzer and the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation in supporting the 2022 Oregon History Makers Awards & Dinner! Table sponsorships and individual tickets are available. For more information, see our sponsorship packet or contact Ally Huffman at 503.306.5226 or ally.huffman@ohs.org.