Bill Bradbury memorabilia, circa 1955-2023
Table of Contents
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Bradbury, Bill (William C.)
- Title
- Bill Bradbury memorabilia
- Dates
- circa 1955-2023 (inclusive)19552023
- Quantity
- 0.4 cubic feet, (1 slim legal document case; 2 oversize folders (16x20) in shared flat box; 1 oversize folder (20x24) in shared flat box)
- Collection Number
- Coll 984
- Summary
- Memorabilia of Bill Bradbury (1949-2023), including materials relating to his childhood; materials relating to his career in television during the 1970s; photographs of him as an Oregon legislator; and posters, newsletters, leaflets, and itineraries relating to his political campaigns. Bradbury was an Oregon state representative and state senator from 1981 to 1995, and Oregon secretary of state from 1999 to 2009. He was known for his activism on environmental issues.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
Collection is open for research.
- Languages
- English
Biographical Note
William Chapman "Bill" Bradbury III was born in 1949 in Chicago, Illinois. When he was 9 years old, both of his parents died in a car accident, after which he lived with his aunt and uncle in Pennsylvania. He attended the University of Chicago and Antioch College. From 1969 to 1995, he worked as a television reporter, director, anchor, and producer.
Bradbury was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1980, and to the Oregon Senate in 1984, representing the state's southern coastal districts. He was Senate majority leader in 1986, and Senate president in 1993. He retired from the Senate in 1995 to direct the organization For the Sake of the Salmon. In 1999, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber appointed Bradbury as secretary of state, a position he held until 2009. As secretary of state, Bradbury implemented Oregon's vote-by-mail system. Bradbury ran for U.S. Senate in 2002 and for Oregon governor in 2010, both times unsuccessfully.
Bradbury was known for his activism on environmental issues, and his concern for fish conservation earned him the nickname "Mr. Fish." Early in his political career, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Bradbury died in April 2023, while on a cruise with his wife of 36 years, Katy Eymann.
Sources: Articles in the Oregonian, 1984-2023; article in the Eugene Register-Guard, November 7, 1999.
Content Description
The collection consists of memorabilia relating to the life and career of Oregon legislator and secretary of state Bill Bradbury. Materials relating to Bradley's childhood include personal and family photographs, an article and memorial service program relating to his parents' deaths, an interview he did for his high school newspaper, and an article about an alternative newspaper he helped to produce in high school. Materials relating to Bradbury's political career include photographs; posters, flyers, newsletters, and a pamphlet from election campaigns; itineraries and an event invitation from his 2002 campaign for the U.S. Senate; and a poster for a 2010 talk he gave about climate change. Other materials in the collection include photographs of Bradbury and Betsy Harrison at a restaurant they owned in the early 1970s; materials relating to Bradbury's work in television in the 1970s; a publication about an Oregon Peace Officers Association conference where Bradbury gave the keynote speech; photographs of Bradbury and his family with Bill Clinton; a sketch of Bradbury speaking in the Oregon Legislature; a cartoon of Bradbury with inscriptions for his birthday; a photo flipbook; and his memorial service program.
Use of the Collection
Preferred Citation
Bill Bradbury memorabilia, Coll 984, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.
Administrative Information
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Journalists--Oregon
- Legislators--Oregon
- Political campaigns--Oregon
- Politicians--Oregon
- Secretaries of State (State governments)--Oregon
Personal Names
- Bradbury, Bill (William C.)
Form or Genre Terms
- memorabilia
- photographs
