Verne Duncan
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| Verne Duncan | |
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Oregon State Senator (12th District)
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| In office 1997 – 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Bill Kenemer |
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| Succeeded by | Kurt Schrader |
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| In office 1975 – 1989 |
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| Preceded by | Jesse Fassold |
| Succeeded by | John Erickson |
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Idaho State Representative
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| In office 1962 – 1965 |
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| Born | April 6, 1934 McMinnville, Oregon U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Donna Nichols Duncan |
| Residence | Milwaukie, Oregon |
| Occupation | Educator, Politician |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
Verne Duncan (born April 6, 1934) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Oregon. As an educator and moderate Republican, he has become outspoken in protest of policies of his own party he views as extreme. [1] A former classroom teacher, principal, district superintendent and professor, he has served in the legislatures of two states, Idaho and Oregon, held the office of Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction, and served as a college dean.
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[edit] Early life
Born and raised in McMinnville, Duncan is a member of a pioneer Oregon family. His grandfather, S.S. Duncan had been a teacher and one time superintendent of schools for Yamhill County. His uncle was Leland Duncan, long-time district attorney of Harney County, Oregon.
As a schoolboy, Duncan had occasion to visit the state Department of Education on a class trip. When he needed a workspace on which to take down some notes, then current occupant of the Superintendent's office, fabled Rex Putnam, rose from his desk and offered it to the young Duncan. Neither of them had an inkling the boy would grow up to occupy that very desk for fifteen years as Superintendent himself.
After completing a public school education including graduation from McMinnville High School, Duncan served in the United States Army, remaining active in the reserves, ultimately attaining the rank of Colonel. Duncan graduated Idaho State College, earning a B.A. in 1960, and began a long career in education. He would ultimately earn several graduate degrees, including a M.Ed. in Education Administration from University of Idaho, a Ph.D. in Public School Administration from University of Oregon and an M.B.A. in Labor Management from University of Portland.
[edit] Career in education and politics
While still engaging in graduate studies in Idaho, he was elected to the state legislature, serving from 1962 to 1965. After his long tenure as Oregon's superintendent of public instruction, Duncan returned to teaching in 1990, serving as dean of the University of Portland’s School of Education until 1996 when he took emeritus professor status. He was appointed the following year by Governor Kitzhaber to fill a vacancy in the State Senate, and was elected to serve a full four-year term in 1998.
As a politician, Duncan took positions which placed him in the progressive or moderate wing of the Oregon Republican Party, as were many of his immediate predecessors and contemporaries, including the likes of Tom McCall, Clay Myers, Bob Packwood and Mark Hatfield. He supported the creation of Metro, voted for Governor Kitzhaber's transportation package, and was on record as pro-choice and in favor of nondiscrimination laws for gays, prompting the Willamette Week to characterize him as "a moderate's moderate," in their 1998 editorial endorsement. [2] In a 2000 interview with The Oregonian, he admitted to having voted personally for both Republican and Democratic presidential candidates, refusing to give particulars, but indicating that he was an enthusiastic supporter of George H. W. Bush but not his son. He also told the reporter that the Republicans must become more inclusive and less extreme. "Sometimes it doesn't hurt to lose," he is reported as saying. "It keeps you humble." [1]
[edit] References
[edit] General sources
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This article or section includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. You can improve this article by introducing more precise citations. |
- "Verne Duncan." Carroll's State Directory. Carroll Publishing, 2006. Reproduced Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2006. [1] (Subscription required). Retrieved on 2006-12-20.
- Bell, George (November 9, 2001). OSCF Board of Directors… Who’s Who? (PDF). Oregon State Capitol Foundation Newsletter. Salem, Oregon: Oregon State Capitol Foundation. Retrieved on 2006-12-20.
- Superintendents - Past and Present (HTML). Department of Education (Official website). Salem, Oregon: Oregon Department of Education (2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-20.
- Salem, Oregon: Office of the Governor of Oregon (February 14, 1997). "Governor appoints Verne Duncan to Senate District 12 seat". Press release. Retrieved on 2006-12-20.
[edit] Citations
- ^ a b Parker, Andy. "Politics was a draw early in their lives", The Oregonian, Portland, Oregon: Oregonian Publishing, November 1, 2004, pp. B1.
- ^ WW's Political Picks: Endorsements for the May 1998 Election (HTML). Willamette Week (Online). Portland, Oregon: City of Roses Newspaper Company (May 6, 1998). Retrieved on 2006-12-20.
