As both a journalist and as governor, Tom McCall rallied the public to clean up the Willamette River and improve public access to it. What better way to honor that legacy than to encourage Tri-Met to name the new transit bridge over the Willamette the McCall Bridge? You can submit the idea at this website: http://www.trimet.org/namethebridge/ Register your support on line now! You can also send a letter: the mailing address is:

Name The Bridge 
c/o TriMet
1800 S.W. First Ave., Suite 300
Portland, OR 97201

Tom McCall is sworn in as Governor, January, 1967. He closed his first official message to the public and the Legislature with these words: "A few weeks ago I said, 'The overriding challenge --- the umbrella issue --- of the campaign and the decade is quality --- quality of life in Oregon.'

I respectfully suggest that the proposals this administration has submitted to you today will meet the challenge and further dramatize the significance of that issue.

Your oath of office and mine mark the moment of truth.

In these weeks and months as we labor together, as winter t urns to spring, hope and expectation abound throughout our state that we will devote ourselves imaginatively and selflessly to the tasks at hand.

To this end I here solemnly vow --- in the proudest hour of my life --- to join you fully and completely in assuring the people of Oregon we will work with all of the talents and good will at our command in their service."

From 1965 to 1967, Secretary of State Tom McCall, Governor Mark Hatfield and State Treasurer Bob Straub made up Oregon's Board of Control, which had oversight of several state programs and agencies. The three men led Oregon in the governor's chair from 1959 to 1975, a period of unprecedented progressive achievements in the state.

Tom McCall believed in making bold statements about issues, and the 1973-74 energy crisis was one of the prime examples where he put ideas into action. Many of them worked, like the ban on outdoor display lighting. Some of them didn't, like his short-lived effort to replace his state car, a Lincoln Continental, with a more gas-efficient Audi. Although he's shown behind the wheel of the Audi in this photo, McCall was usually driven to official events, and he quickly found the Audi's backseat too small for his six-foot-five frame.

I had the pleasure and honor of meeting former McCall aide Don Jarvi on Friday. Jarvi worked for McCall on energy policy during his second term, and was a member of the 1978 campaign team. Don’s greatest claim to fame is coming up with the odd-even license plate gas rationing system (for those too young to remember, you could buy gas on an odd-number day if the last number on your license plate was odd, and vice versa). Jarvi had the idea while driving home one evening. He presented it the next morning, and by that night, Governor McCall was on TV announcing it. It was an idea widely copied, and it was a quintessential McCall administration innovation: it was original; it solved a problem; it was done at no cost; and it was implemented quickly. Don shared lots of great stories with me. One that stands out involves his role in allocating gas, diesel and heating oil supplies that were put under state control by the federal government. The idea was to make sure that critical locations and businesses weren’t left without fuel.

 Jarvi reported to McCall that a few of his decisions may have skirted the rules.

“Did you help people?” McCall asked.

“Yes,” Jarvi answered.

“Then you have nothing to worry about.”

That was the genius of Tom McCall. That is the legacy we all must carry forward.--Bill Hall

From Lisa Nowak: I'm happy to announce that we officially have enough sponsorship signatures for Tom McCall Day to move on to the next step in the process. The petition will go to the Attorney General on Monday for drafting of the ballot title.

We're losing people with personal connections to Tom McCall's time every day, making the Tom McCall Legacy Project even more important. A recent obituary for Quentin G. Bowman noted: "In 1972, Quentin received a letter from Governor Tom McCall recognizing his efforts on the Water Resource Board. 'A review of the records indicates the substantial work you've done and the splendid effort you've put forth in coordinating the comments of agencies and in revolving conflicts. The total number of comments you've put together from the resource agencies approaches 20,000 and were contained in 1200 letters you've prepared for my signature. It's an excellent record and you have my commendation.'"