Tom McCall
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McCall's two terms as Oregon's governor were notable for many achievements in the environmental sphere, including the country's first "bottle bill", the cleanup of the Willamette River, passage of a law to maintain Oswald West's legacy of public ownership of the state's beaches, and the first statewide land-use planning system, which introduced the urban growth boundary around the state's cities.
McCall is best known for a comment that he made in 1971 in a speech before the Junior Chamber of Commerce Convention, in which he said:
- We want you to visit our State of Excitement often. Come again and again. But for heaven's sake, don't move here to live. Or if you do have to move in to live, don't tell any of your neighbors where you are going.
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Early life and career
McCall was born in Massachusetts, and as a child divided his time between his grandfather’s home there and his father’s ranch near Prineville. When he was nine when he settled permanently on the ranch. McCall attended the University of Oregon and graduated with a degree in journalism in 1936.
Prior to entering politics, McCall worked for years as a newspaper reporter and radio commentator. He made an unsuccessful bid for the U.S. House in 1954. He was a television reporter and commentator for most of the next decade. A 1962 documentary he produced and hosted ("Pollution in Paradise") graphically portrayed the poor condition of the Willamette and helped focus public attention on the problem.
Political career
| Preceded by: Mark Hatfield | Governor of Oregon 1967-1975 | Succeeded by: Robert W. Straub Template:End box McCall was elected Oregon's secretary of state in 1964. He was elected governor in 1966 and re-elected in 1970. While his activity on behalf of Oregon's environment brought nationwide attention to his state, McCall brought a measure of both common sense and imagination to his office. Vortex IIn 1970, McCall was faced with a potential riot in Portland. In May of that year, a week-long student protest at Portland State University over the Kent State shootings had ended with charges of excessive police violence. The American Legion had scheduled a convention in Portland later that summer; local antiwar groups were organizing a series of demonstrations at the same time under the name of the "People's Army Jamboree", and expected to draw 50,000 protesters. After vain attempts to convince the People's Army Jamboree to either not carry out their plans or to move the date, McCall decided to hold a rock festival at Milo McIver State Park near Estacada, Oregon called "Vortex I: A Biodegradable Festival of Life", in imitation of the famous Woodstock Festival held the previous year. "I think I just committed political suicide," McCall is reported to have remarked immediately after approving the event. Vortex was the first and so-far only state-sponsored rock festival in US history. The festival was a success, attracting between 50,000 and 100,000 people. The feared violent clash between the antiwar groups and the conservative American Legion was avoided, and the city of Portland passed the summer relatively uneventfully. And in the general election that November, McCall was returned to office with 56% of the vote. Back to journalismOregon's constitution prevented McCall from seeking a third consecutive term as governor in 1974. He returned to journalism, writing a newspaper column and serving as commentator for Portland television station KATU. He made an unsuccessful bid to return to the governorship in 1978, losing in the Republican primary to State Senator Victor G. Atiyeh, who went on to defeat incumbent Robert W. Straub. McCall lost a lengthy battle with prostate cancer in 1983. TributesHis term as governor was honored after his death by the dedication of Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park, a 37-acre (150,000 m²) park which runs along the Willamette River for the length of downtown Portland. It was built in 1974 by removing Harbor Drive, a freeway which previously ran alongside the river. The annual Tom McCall Forum, which pairs prominent speakers with opposing political viewpoints, is presented by Pacific University. The Nature Conservancy named a nature preserve in Wasco County, Oregon after him. External links and references
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