30th Oregon Governor. Born in Egypt, Massachusetts, his parents moved to Eastern Oregon in 1919, where his parents ranched near Prineville. His early career was in journalism, where he worked for "The Oregonian" newspaper and as a news announcer for KGW radio. During World War II he served as a war correspondent for the United States Navy. Becoming active in politics after the war, in 1964 he ran for Secretary of State and in 1966 he ran for Governor on a "livability" campaign, and won his first term of office. Major political victories cam in the form of the "Beach Bill", which granted the state government the power to zone Oregon's beaches (protecting them from private development) and the "Bottle Bill", the nation's first mandatory bottle-deposit law designed to decrease litter. In 1970 McCall fought the Nixon Administration's attempts to store deadly nerve gas at Oregon's Umatilla Depot. Even as a noted environmentalist, he supported the timber industry and nuclear power. On a national level, McCall supported the war in Vietnam but called for President Richard Nixon's resignation during Watergate. He encouraged conservation as an energy plan, including innovative gas rationing during the oil crisis. Tom McCall served as Oregon's Governor from 1967 to 1975. Oregonians' honored his legacy of cleaning up the Willamette River by naming their downtown, waterfront park after him. East of Portland one can find the Tom McCall preserve, managed by the Nature Conservancy that he supported.
30th Oregon Governor. Born in Egypt, Massachusetts, his parents moved to Eastern Oregon in 1919, where his parents ranched near Prineville. His early career was in journalism, where he worked for "The Oregonian" newspaper and as a news announcer for KGW radio. During World War II he served as a war correspondent for the United States Navy. Becoming active in politics after the war, in 1964 he ran for Secretary of State and in 1966 he ran for Governor on a "livability" campaign, and won his first term of office. Major political victories cam in the form of the "Beach Bill", which granted the state government the power to zone Oregon's beaches (protecting them from private development) and the "Bottle Bill", the nation's first mandatory bottle-deposit law designed to decrease litter. In 1970 McCall fought the Nixon Administration's attempts to store deadly nerve gas at Oregon's Umatilla Depot. Even as a noted environmentalist, he supported the timber industry and nuclear power. On a national level, McCall supported the war in Vietnam but called for President Richard Nixon's resignation during Watergate. He encouraged conservation as an energy plan, including innovative gas rationing during the oil crisis. Tom McCall served as Oregon's Governor from 1967 to 1975. Oregonians' honored his legacy of cleaning up the Willamette River by naming their downtown, waterfront park after him. East of Portland one can find the Tom McCall preserve, managed by the Nature Conservancy that he supported.
Bio by: RB
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GOVERNOR OF OREGON
1967-1975
HE CARED
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