Vic Atiyeh | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Atiyeh in 1986 | |
| 32nd Governor of Oregon | |
| In office January 8, 1979 – January 12, 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Straub |
| Succeeded by | Neil Goldschmidt |
| Member of theOregon State Senate from the 9th district | |
| In office 1965–1978 | |
| Member of the Oregon House of Representatives fromWashington County | |
| In office 1959–1964 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Victor George Atiyeh (1923-02-20)February 20, 1923 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | July 20, 2014(2014-07-20) (aged 91) |
| Resting place | River View Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Oregon |
Victor George Atiyeh (/əˈtiːjə/; February 20, 1923 – July 20, 2014) was an American politician who served as the32nd governor of Oregon from 1979 to 1987. He was also the first elected governor ofMiddle Eastern descent and ofSyrian andLebanese descent in the United States.[1][2]
Atiyeh was electedin 1978, defeating incumbentDemocratic governorRobert W. Straub. He was re-elected against future governorTed Kulongoski with 61.6% of the votein 1982, the largest margin in 32 years.[1] Prior to being elected governor, Atiyeh had served continuously in theOregon legislature since 1959, initially in the House and later in the Senate.
As of 2025, Atiyeh is the most recent Republican to have held the office of Governor of Oregon to date.[3]
Atiyeh's parents, George Atiyeh and Linda Asly, immigrated to the United States fromAmar al-Husn, Syria, andBeirut, Lebanon, respectively.[4][5] Atiyeh's father came throughEllis Island in 1898 to join his brother Aziz's carpet business. Atiyeh's mother's family belonged to theAntiochian Orthodox Church though Atiyeh would join theEpiscopal Church later in life.[6]
Atiyeh grew up in Portland, Oregon, attending Holladay Grade School andWashington High School.[7] He spent two years at theUniversity of Oregon inEugene, where he played guard for theOregon Ducks football program and became a regional leader in theBoy Scouts of America.[8] When his father died, Atiyeh dropped out of college and took over his family's rug and carpet business, Atiyeh Brothers.[8][9]
Atiyeh served as a member of theOregon House of Representatives forWashington County from 1959 to 1964 and in theOregon State Senate for the 9th district from 1965 to 1978.[10][11]
In1974, Atiyeh ran for governor and lost to DemocratRobert W. Straub.[12] After defeating former governorTom McCall in the primary, Atiyeh ran against Straub again in the1978 election, but won this time with 55 percent of the vote.[12] He was the firstArab American to be elected as a U.S. governor.[7]
In1982, Atiyeh won re-election to a second four-year term, winning 61.4% of the vote over DemocratTed Kulongoski - the largest victory margin in 32 years for a gubernatorial election in Oregon.[10] Atiyeh carried all 36 counties in the state.
As governor, Atiyeh established new public safety programs for Oregon's traditional fishing and lumber trades.[12] He provided incentives to bring new industries to the state to diversify the economy, including the opening of a trade office inTokyo, Japan, Oregon's first overseas trade office.[12] He launched a worldwide tourism initiative and worked towards the designation of theColumbia River Gorge as a national scenic preservation area.[10] These efforts earned him the nickname "Trader Vic."[13] As a result, the international concourse atPortland International Airport is dedicated to him and contains a statue of him.[14]
Atiyeh helped establish a statewide food bank, which was the nation's first.[10] He also worked to raise awareness of the dangers of drunk driving and signed new laws against the practice.[8][12] He chaired theRepublican Governors Association and was theRepublican National Convention's floor leader for PresidentRonald Reagan in 1984.[15]
Atiyeh had a long relationship withForest Grove-basedPacific University, serving as a trustee and trustee emeritus and accepting an honorary doctorate from the university in 1996. He donated a trove of his memorabilia to the university library in 2011.[16]
After leaving office, Atiyeh became an international trade consultant.[8]
In 2006, Atiyeh co-chaired the "Yes on 49" campaign, supportingBallot Measure 49, along withDemocratic former governorBarbara Roberts, former and future governorJohn Kitzhaber, and then-governorTed Kulongoski. He solicited a $100,000 donation to the campaign fromPhil Knight, CEO ofNike.[17]
Atiyeh lived inPortland with his wife,Dolores (née Hewitt), whom he married on July 5, 1944.[8][18] They had two children, Tom and Suzanne.[19] Dolores Atiyeh died on August 29, 2016, in Portland at the age of 92.[20]
On August 31, 2005, Atiyeh underwentquadruple bypass surgery; he drove himself toSt. Vincent Medical Center after suffering chest pains. Atiyeh was noted for hisfiscal conservatism; his spokesman noted that he had stopped on his way to the hospital to fill his car with gas, having observed the sharply rising prices. In the weeks following the surgery, Atiyeh was readmitted to the hospital for several brief stays after suffering shortness of breath and pain in his arms.[7]
On July 5, 2014, Atiyeh fell at his home. He was admitted again to Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, where he was treated forinternal bleeding; while he was briefly released, he was re-hospitalized after incurring an adverse reaction to pain medication, and died fromkidney failure on July 20, at age 91.[7][21]
| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Republican nomineeGovernor of Oregon 1974,1978,1982 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theRepublican Governors Association 1983–1984 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Oregon 1979–1987 | Succeeded by |
Modernhistory of Oregon (1890–present) | ||
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