Oregon Historical Society

Congratulations to all the students who represented Oregon at National History Day (NHD) this week! NHD is a year-long academic program that challenges students to conduct original historical research and present their findings through documentaries, exhibits, performances, papers, and websites.

We are especially proud to celebrate two Oregon teams who earned special prizes at the National Contest:

🏆Equality in History Award (Senior Division)

Westview High School students Naail Ahmad, Nathan Chandra, Byron Lau, and Ryan Lee received national recognition for their documentary, Measure 9: Oregon’s Hate and Oregon’s Pride. Their project examined Oregon’s 1992 Measure 9 and how the response to the proposed anti-LGBTQ+ measure helped strengthen the movement for q***r rights in Oregon.

“Winning an award in such a broad category over all entries on a national and international stage is still hard to believe,” said Ahmad. “Some of our team members are q***r, and all of us are proud Oregonians, making it truly an honor to represent Oregon at National History Day.”

🏆Latino American History Award (Senior Division)

Portland students and siblings Nia Vasquez and Zanna Vasquez earned the award for Low and Slow: How Lowriders Shaped America's Chicano Culture, a website exploring how lowrider culture challenged discrimination while celebrating Mexican American identity and community. The siblings shared that participating in History Day helped increase visibility for a topic they felt was underrepresented in historical research. Judges praised the project’s extensive research and compelling presentation of how lowrider culture became a source of mutual aid, connection, and resistance.

These outstanding students demonstrate the power of historical research to deepen our understanding of the past and its impact on communities today. Congratulations to all of Oregon’s NHD participants, teachers, families, and supporters on an incredible year!

Image: Students at the 2026 National History Day® contest. Photo by Emily Rao.

How do you preserve a 165-year-old flag that once flew over Portland? In our latest blog post, Museum Collection Manager Helen Fedchak shares the story of the “Bills” flag — believed to be the first American flag raised in Portland — and the careful conservation work that stabilized it ahead of its America 250 Oregon display. Read more about this remarkable piece of Oregon history and the conservation process on Dear Oregon!

https://www.ohs.org/blog/threads-of-history.cfm

OHS member presale is now open for "An Evening with Jon Meacham" on September 22!

One of America’s most acclaimed presidential historians, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jon Meacham will discuss his new book, "American Struggle," and the enduring questions that continue to shape our nation.

Public ticket sales begin June 25, but OHS members get early access and exclusive ticket discounts. Join today to secure your seats before tickets go on sale to the public.

Learn more and become a member today at ohs.org/join!

While 101 at 100: The History of Oregon's Most Iconic Highway will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday, June 10) for brief gallery maintenance, you can still experience the exhibition from home through our free digital guide on Bloomberg Connects. Explore curator audio clips on the significance of ODOT green, beloved roadside attractions, memorable highway publicity stunts, and, of course, the infamous exploding whale.

Explore the guide: https://guides.bloombergconnects.org/en-US/guide/oregonHistoricalSociety/exhibition/1c5f7982-b140-4f54-ae7c-e59a5fd9ec07

Eighty-two years ago on June 6, 1944, Oregon artist Ashley Robert Russell landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. Raised in Portland and trained at the Museum Art School and the University of Oregon, Russell was killed in action just weeks later.

Today, his letters, photographs, and artworks preserved in the Oregon Historical Society's collections offer an intimate glimpse into the life of one of the 2,835 Oregonians who died serving in the Army during World War II.

Image: Last photo of Ashley Robert Russell taken in France on D-Day. OHS Research Library, Org Lot 654, CN 021798.

OHS’s museum recently received a donation of an anniversary jersey from the Pink Phoenix Dragon Boat Team (OHS Museum, 2026-16). Stop by the museum to see the jersey on display in our permanent exhibition, Rivers, Roses, and Rip City: The Remarkable History of Portland!

Pink Phoenix is the first U.S. dragon boat team for breast cancer survivors. This jersey celebrates their 30th season, weaving Portland’s skyline, bridges, and river into its design. The roses on the sleeve are a nod to the team’s ceremony honoring those affected by cancer. The phoenix rising over the city is a celebratory symbol of survivors reclaiming their strength.

The Pink Phoenix Dragon Boat Team will race in the Portland Rose Festival June 6 and 7 on the Willamette River near the Hawthorne Bridge. Best of luck, Pink Phoenix Breast Cancer Survivor Dragon Boating Team!

https://museumcollection.ohs.org/argus/ohs/Portal/portal.aspx?component=AAAI&record=bebde384-36de-4628-ba1d-1e9eadd3779d

Calling Oregon educators: help shape social studies education statewide by joining the Oregon Historical Society’s Teacher Advisory Council. OHS is recruiting educators from across the state to help guide curriculum development and outreach efforts and ensure resources align with Oregon Social Science Standards.

Council members collaborate with OHS staff, share OHS resources in their school communities, and take on growing leadership roles over time. Eligible educators must teach at least one section of social studies in a public or private elementary, middle, or high school.

Members commit to a two-year term, with an optional third year, including a mandatory in-person kickoff at OHS in August and five virtual meetings during the school year. Participants receive a $500 stipend and 9 PDUs each year.

Applications are due June 22, 2026. Apply today!

https://www.ohs.org/education/teacher-advisory-council.cfm

Our virtual Oregon Connections series concludes Thursday (June 4 at 12pm) with panelists Diane Hess, Kimberly Jensen, and Carmen Thompson sharing stories of grassroots activism and organizing in Oregon and reflecting on what those histories can teach us today.

In a recent interview in Oregon ArtsWatch, Jensen shares how the conversation will highlight ways ordinary people have shaped their communities and advanced generational change. “People are looking for hope. With rights under attack, it is important to look back and learn the lessons and strategies of community organizing.”

https://www.orartswatch.org/focus-on-america-250-the-people-who-make-a-difference-in-community-organizing-yesterday-and-today/

This free online series has invited audiences to listen, learn, and consider how Oregonians have defined and defended freedom over time. If you missed earlier conversations on incarceration, immigration and deportation, tribal sovereignty and civil rights, or race, citizenship, and labor, recordings are available anytime on our Past Programs page at ohs.org/pastprograms

Image: Black United Front march against racist violence in 1992, with Margaret Carter leading chant of U-N-I-T-Y. Photo by Julie Keefe. OHS Research Library, The Skanner Photographs Collection, Org Lot 1286, box 33, folder 22

Since its founding in 1907 — inspired in part by Mayor Harry Lane’s call for an annual “festival of roses” — the Rose Festival has brought Portlanders together through parades, pageantry, and shared civic traditions that have helped shape the city’s identity for more than a century.

With this year’s festivities underway, it’s a fitting time to reflect on how Portland earned its nickname as the Rose City and on the many stories that have made Portland the vibrant, ever-evolving place we know today. At the Oregon Historical Society, our permanent exhibition Rivers, Roses, and Rip City: The Remarkable History of Portland explores the people, places, and events that have shaped the city and the communities and traditions that continue to define Portland.

Kids 17 and under and Multnomah County residents get free admission to our museum every day! Plan your visit: https://www.ohs.org/museum/exhibits/rivers-roses-and-rip-city.cfm

Image: Beatrice Morrow Cannady’s son, George, sits on a bicycle decorated with roses that he rode in the 1921 Rose Festival Parade. OHS Research Library, Beatrice Morrow Cannady family papers, Coll 702, folder 31, item 15.