Gov. Atiyeh’s Biographer Brings Book Tour to Portland
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Author Scott Jorgensen
Author Scott Jorgensen recently published "Conversations with Atiyeh," a biography on the late Oregon governor and is now conducting a statewide book tour.
After 20 years in the state house and senate, Atiyeh served two terms as Oregon's 32nd governor, before retiring from public office in 1987. Atiyeh was both the state’s first middle-eastern American to serve as governor and it’s last Republican to hold the office.
Joregensen, a staffer at the Oregon Senate, is a former newspaper reporter and radio station news director. He conducted a series of interview with Atiyeh earlier this year, prior to the former governor’s death in July.
“I’ve been reading a lot of Oregon history throughout the past couple of years, and recognized the need for more books on our former governors,” Jorgensen said. “There are multiple works about Tom McCall and Mark Hatfield, but I felt that I had a unique opportunity to learn what I could from Governor Atiyeh.”
The book covers Atiyeh’s lifelong involvement with the boy scouts, his time playing football for the Oregon Ducks, encounters with presidents Ford, Bush, and Reagan and lessons from his life in public service.
“This is not a typical historical biography,” Jorgensen said. “Instead, it’s the story of how wisdom is passed down from one generation to the next. You get to hear about Governor Atiyeh in his own words, and his stories and anecdotes are absolutely priceless.”
Joregensen is scheduled to speak on Thursday, Oct. 30, at the Oregon League of Minority Voters 5th State of Civil Rights Forum at 6 p.m. at Benson Hotel, 309 SW Broadway, Portland and on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at the Executive Club at 7 p.m. at Shilo Inn, 11707 NE Airport Way, Portland. More information on the book's Facebook page.
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