Senator Richard Neuberger: A Consequential but Forgotten Figure in Oregon History
Senator Richard Neuberger: A Consequential but Forgotten Figure in Oregon History In-Person
Richard Neuberger changed Oregon's politics in 1954, becoming the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate in 40 years. When he died at the age of 47, he was one of America's most prolific freelance writers, with 750 magazine articles and six books to his credit. He was the second Jew elected to the U.S. Senate, following enactment of the 17th Amendment.
Fascinated with this man and his story, Steve Forrester made his first visit to the University of Oregon’s Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA), which contain the Neuberger papers, around 1979. After retirement from a career in daily journalism, Forrester returned to the SCUA and began writing the book Ahead of His Time: Richard Neuberger and the Decade That Changed Oregon.
In this presentation, Forrester will tell Neuberger's story while describing his own research at SCUA and in other archives. The talk will be illustrated with photographs drawn from the SCUA, the Oregon Historical Society and a family collection. Neuberger's voice will be heard in a 1954 radio campaign commercial, also drawn from SCUA.
- Date:
- Friday, March 22, 2024
- Time:
- 3:00pm - 4:30pm
- Time Zone:
- Pacific Time - US & Canada (change)
- Location:
- Kesey Classroom 201
- Campus:
- Knight Library
- Categories:
- Public Program
Steve Forrester is a fourth generation Oregon journalist. He grew up in Pendleton, attended Williams College, joined the Marine Corps and did a tour in Vietnam. Upon discharge, he finished his higher education at Portland State University
He and four others started the Portland newspaper Willamette Week in 1974. Following the newspaper’s sale, he began research on Richard Neuberger prior to becoming a Washington correspondent in 1978. In 1987, he and his family moved to Astoria, where he succeeded his father as editor of The Daily Astorian. After 33 years as editor and publisher, he retired and returned to research and the writing of Neuberger’s biography.