Norma Paulus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Norma Paulus
Norma Paulus
Oregon Secretary of State
In office
1977 – 1985
Preceded by	Clay Myers
Succeeded by	Barbara Roberts
Born	1933 Nebraska
Residence	Oregon
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
In office
1990 – 1999
Political party	Republican
Occupation	Retired
Spouse	William G. Paulus (d. 1999)
Children	Elizabeth & William

Norma Paulus (born Norma Jean Petersen in 1933 in Belgrade, Nebraska)^[1] is a Republican politician from the state of Oregon, United States. Raised as one of seven children in Eastern Oregon, Paulus started her working career as the secretary for the district attorney for Harney County in Burns, Oregon. Then after recovering from polio she moved to Salem, Oregon and worked as a legal secretary, including working for Oregon Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl C. Latourette.^[2] At this time Latourette recommended Paulus to attend law school, which she did without a college degree enrolling in 1956. While in law school she met her future husband William G. Paulus.^[3] Following law school Paulus worked in private practice until entering politics.

Contents 1 Political Career 2 Personal 3 Other 4 References

[edit] Political Career

Norma Paulus began her political career by winning election to the Oregon House of Representatives where she served from 1971 to 1977. Following her time in the legislature, Paulus was then the elected as secretary of state. She was the first woman elected to the office and served two terms (1977-1985). This was the first time a woman was elected to a statewide office in Oregon.^[2]

After her terms as SOS she ran for governor, losing to Democrat Neil Goldschmidt in the 1986 election. Goldschmidt later appointed her to the position as superintendent of public instruction (1990-1999) where she was then elected to two terms.^[4] Paulus then ran for the United States Senate in the December 5, 1995 special primary election. The election was for the nominations to replace Bob Packwood who resigned. Paulus finished second to Gordon Smith in the Republican primary. Smith then lost to Ron Wyden in the general election before he was elected later in 1996 to fill the vacancy left when Mark Hatfield retired.^[5]

As state superintendent, Paulus helped introduce statewide assessment testing for grades 3, 5, 8, and 11 in 1991. Then in 1996 introduced the Certificate of Initial Mastery and Certificate of Advanced Mastery that were designed to replace the high school diploma in Oregon.^[6]

[edit] Personal

• Education: Graduated from Burns Union High School in Burns, Oregon, then Willamette University College of Law in 1962.^[2] Has been conferred with honorary degrees by Willamette University in 1999, Whitman College, Lewis & Clark College, and Linfield College.^[5]
• Family: Married to husband Bill with two children, Elizabeth and Fritz.^[5]

[edit] Other

• Norma Paulus also has worked at the Oregon Historical Society.
• Named to National Assessment Governing Board in 1996 by US Secretary of Education Richard Riley.
• Paulus was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to oversee the 1986 Filipino presidential elections.
• Paulus keeps a small statue of a lion on a desk in her downtown Portland home that was given to her in October 1981 by the northeast Portland Lions Club when she was inducted as their first female member. The next day, Paulus, who was Oregon’s secretary of state at the time, was visited in her office at the Oregon Capitol by the president of the statewide Oregon Lions Club. He had come to ask Paulus to return the Portland club’s gift. He did not think the statue – or membership into the club – should have been given to a woman.^[2]

[edit] References

1. ^ Turnbaugh, Roy (September 2001). Secretary of State: Administrative Overview (PDF). Oregon State Archives Division (official website). Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on 2006-12-06.
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Compton, Jocelyn West. Alumni Close Up. Willamette University College of Law. Retrieved on 2006-11-03.
3. ^ Green, Virginia. Norma Paulus. Salem Online History. Salem Public Library. Retrieved on 2006-11-15.
4. ^ Robbins, William G. (2002). People, Politics, and the Environment Since 1945: Women in Oregon Politics. The Oregon History Project. Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved on 2006-11-03.
5. ^ ^{a b c} December 5, 1995 Special Election. Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on 2006-11-03.
6. ^ Department of Education - Agency History. Oregon Blue Book. Oregon Secretary of State. Retrieved on 2006-12-07.

Preceded by John Erickson	Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction 1990-1999	Succeeded by Stan Bunn
Preceded by Clay Myers	Secretary of State of Oregon 1977-1985	Succeeded by Barbara Roberts