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Tom MccallThomas Lawson McCall (March 22, 1913 - January 8, 1983) was an American politician, a Republican, and the thirtieth governor of the state of Oregon, USA, from 1967 to 1975. McCall's two terms as Oregon's governor were notable for many achievements in the environmental sphere, including the country's first "bottle bill" (requiring a deposit on soft drink containers), the cleanup of the Willamette River, passage of a law to maintain public ownership of Oregon's beaches, and the first statewide land-use planning system. While his activity on behalf of Oregon's environmental conditions brought nation-wide -- if not world-wide -- attention to his state, McCall brought a measure of both common sense and imagination to his office. 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." Prior to his term as governor, he was a newspaper reporter and radio commentator. He was a political commentator for Portland television station KGW prior to his election as Oregon secretary of state in 1964. He was elected governor in 1966 and re-elected in 1970. Oregon'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 unsucessful 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. The Establishment holds a rock concert In 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 been ended with excessive police violence. The American Legion scheduled a convention in Portland the summer of that year; 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 McIvor state park near Estacada, Oregon called "Vortex I: A Biodegradeable 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. According to Matt Love, The Far Out Story of Vortex I (Nestucca Spit Press, Pacific City Oregon: 2004), Vortex was the first -- and only -- state sponsered 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. Tributes His 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, 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. External links Maccall, Tom Maccall, Tom Maccall, Tom
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