Barbara Roberts

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21^st Oregon Secretary of State
Barbara Roberts
Former Governor Roberts speaking at womens' leadership conference in 2006. Andie Petkus photo.
34^th Governor of Oregon
In office January 14, 1991 – January 9, 1995
Preceded by	Neil Goldschmidt
Succeeded by	John Kitzhaber
In office January 7, 1985 – January 14, 1991
Preceded by	Norma Paulus
Succeeded by	Phil Keisling

Born	December 21, 1936 Oregon
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Frank Roberts
Profession	Politician

Barbara K. Roberts (born on December 21, 1936 in Corvallis, Oregon) is a Democratic politician. She served as Governor of Oregon from 1991 to 1995, the first and, to date, only woman to be elected to that office. Roberts is a fourth generation Oregonian and grew up in Sheridan, Oregon, where she graduated from Sheridan High School. She attended Portland State University from 1961 to 1964 and, later, the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and Marylhurst University.

Roberts has two sons, Mark and Mike. She was married to Oregon State Senator Frank Roberts from 1974 until his death in 1993 from prostate cancer. After the death of her husband, Roberts wrote the book Death Without Denial Grief Without Apology: A Guide for Facing Death and Loss.^[1] The character of adult Gertude Lang in the 1995 film "Mr. Holland's Opus" may have been based on Roberts due to the movie being filmed in Oregon.^{[citation needed]}

1 Career
- 1.1 Politics
- 1.2 Educator
2 See also
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Career

[edit] Politics

[edit] Early career

Roberts became involved in public service as an advocate for handicapped children. She became an unpaid lobbyist in 1969, spurred by concerns for her autistic son, Mike. Roberts served on the Parkrose School Board and the Mount Hood Community College Board. After she married Senator Frank Roberts, who became her political mentor, she was appointed to finish the term of a Multnomah County Commissioner.

[edit] State Representative

Barbara Roberts was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1981. She was Oregon's first female House Majority Leader from 1983 to 1984.

[edit] Secretary of State

In 1984, Roberts was elected as Oregon Secretary of State, the first Democrat elected to that post in over one hundred years. She was re-elected in 1988. Her significant achievements as Secretary of State include election reform legislation, the construction of a new state archives building, and broader audit powers for the Secretary of State.

[edit] Governor

Roberts ran unopposed in the Democratic Gubernatorial primary in 1990. She defeated Republican Attorney General David B. Frohnmayer and Independent Al Mobley in the November 1990 General Election, succeeding Neil Goldschmidt as Governor of Oregon. During that same election, voters passed Ballot Measure 5, which established constitutional limits on property tax rates.

During her term as Governor, Roberts worked with the Clinton administration to secure federal waivers and funding for the Oregon Health Plan. She also helped to increase the number of children in the Head Start program, secured financing for additional units of affordable housing, and developed programs to help move Oregonians from welfare to the workplace. The Roberts administration was known for its strong support of gay rights and appointed women to positions in state government.

There were two factors that were responsible for Roberts decision not to seek re-election in 1994. The first factor was her low approval rating with the voters. A refusal by voters to pass a measure to enact a sales tax which would have funded the Oregon Health Plan was the second factor. As a result of the failed sales tax measure, Roberts was forced to break her campaign promise not to cut spending.

[edit] Educator

Soon after she left office, Roberts accepted a position at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University as director of the Harvard Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government and later as a senior fellow to the Women and Public Policy Program. In 1998, Roberts joined Portland State University's Hatfield School of Government's Executive Leadership Institute as Associate Director of Leadership Development.

Roberts has continued community service, sitting on the board of trustees for several major nonprofit organizations, including the Oregon Hospice Association, the Human Rights Campaign, and the advisory council of Oregon’s Compassion in Dying. She has also maintained an active public speaking career, addressing issues of death and grieving, leadership, women in politics, and environmental stewardship.^[2]

Barbara Roberts High School in Salem, Oregon is named after her.

[edit] See also

List of Governors of Oregon

[edit] References

^ Barbara K. Roberts (February 25, 2002). Death Without Denial Grief Without Apology: A Guide for Facing Death and Loss. New Sage Press. ISBN 0-939165-43-0. Retrieved on December 11, 2006.
^ Death Without Denial Grief Without Apology (HTML). New Sage Press (Official website). New Sage Press (2002). Retrieved on December 11, 2006.

[edit] External links

Preceded by Neil Goldschmidt	Governor of Oregon 1991-1995	Succeeded by John Kitzhaber
Preceded by Norma Paulus	Oregon Secretary of State 1985-1991	Succeeded by Phil Keisling