Tom McCall

Who was Tom McCall?

Thomas Lawson McCall was an American politician and journalist in the state of Oregon. A Republican, he was the 30th Governor of Oregon from 1967 to 1975. A native of Massachusetts, he grew up there and in Central Oregon before attending the University of Oregon. After college he worked as a journalist including time at Portland's The Oregonian during World War II.

Later he worked in radio and then in television as a newscaster and political commentator. He made an unsuccessful bid for Congress in 1954, losing in the general election to Edith Green. While working for TV station KGW, he produced a documentary on pollution in Oregon, which helped to spur environmental cleanup of the air and the Willamette River. In 1964, McCall won his first political office, Oregon Secretary of State, followed by two terms as Governor of Oregon. As governor he worked towards environmental cleanup, the Oregon Bottle Bill, and public ownership of beaches on the Oregon Coast among others. Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland is one of several items named in his honor.