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.
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.
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.
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.
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

2019 History Makers

2019 History Makers Gala

2018 History Makers

2018 History Makers Gala

2018 History Makers Gala

2016 History Makers

2015 History Makers
George Puentes, Ann Curry, Peggy Fowler, Les Schwab Tire Centers

2014 History Makers
Thomas
Lauderdale

2014 History Makers
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
Not shown: Gov. Barbara Roberts, Walter J. Urba, M.D., Ph.D.

2013 History Makers
Bernie & Bobbie Foster
Not shown: Melvin "Pete" Mark, Alberto Salazar, Pendleton Woolen Mills

2012 History Makers
Gerry Frank

2012 History Makers
Kathryn Jones Harrison

2012 History Makers
Norma Paulus
Not shown: Harry
Glickman

2011 History Makers
Ken
& Joan Austin

2011 History Makers
Allyn Ford

2011 History Makers
Gus Van Sant

2011 History Makers
Albert
Starr, M.D.

2010 History Makers
Jean Auel

2010 History Makers
David Adelshiem

2010 History Makers
Medical Teams International

2010 History Makers
Mercy Corps

2009 History Makers
Gert Boyle
Not shown: Brian
Druker, M.D., Michael
Powell
2022 Oregon History Makers Awards & Dinner Generously Sponsored by:
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.