A video featuring footage of Les AuCoin hosting a small, televised press conference in Washington D.C. to discuss the 1993 federal budget, "America's first post-Cold War budget for our nation and for our people," that was to be debated the next day. AuCoin advocates for a federal budget that invests in the economy, infrastructure, and education. AuCoin is joined by Ginny Markell of the Oregon Parent Teacher Association and Cindy Weeldreyer of Lane Community College's Board of Education. For a portion of the, AuCoin took questions from Oregonians (likely reporters) who called in over the phone.
An audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin on 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry's August visit to Medford, Oregon. Kerry visited the Republican Jackson county in order to persuade undecided voters. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode aired in August 2004.
An audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin on the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003, which claimed to improve forests and reduce wildfires by thinning out trees. AuCoin says the act instead allows logging companies to profit. Doctor Jerry Franklin of the Univeristy of Washington gave Congress data on how intact forests in fact increase wildlife diversity. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode aired in 2003 or 2004.
An audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin on toxic nuclear waste management at Hanford Site, Washington; Aiken, South Carolina; and Idaho Falls, Idaho. He describes how Senator Lindsey Graham proposed the idea of allowing the Energy Department to reclassify radioactive waste, despite the known risk of contamination in the environment. Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith supported Washington Senator Maria Cantwell's attempt to remove the revision, but the vote was tied. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode aired in 2004.
An audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin clarifying and apologizing for factual errors on his part in a former radio episode on Columbia River dredging. AuCoin states that he still stands by his original comment on how sometimes even good people have negatively impacted the climate for reasons of monetary gain. However, he apologizes for using out of date information, including details about the motives of the Port of Portland and a comment on how dredge spoils were to be placed in sensitive aquatic locations, as this was the original proposal of the Army Corps of Engineers, though it was vetoed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Washington State of Ecology. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode likely aired in 2002.
An audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin on a then recent Oregon forest report. Douglas County requested and paid for the report, led by researcher of Oregon State University School of Forestry, John Sessions. AuCoin points out how Sessions is a civil and forest engineer, not a wildfire scientist, and was seemingly unqualified to author the report. AuCoin states that the best approach to generating healthy forests is by natural recovery. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode aired in 2003.
An audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin on Washington DC-based group called the “Citizens for a Sound Economy,'' an anti-tax organization dedicated to defeating a temporary tax surcharge in Oregon. Three likely Oregon businessmen involved with the organization include Aaron Jones, Wes Lematta, and Dick Wendt. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode aired between 2002-2003.
An audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin condemning a proposal to ship large amounts of nuclear waste to the Hanford Nuclear Site. Weeks prior to the proposal, the U.S. Department of Energy won the right to designate Nevada's Yucca Mountain as the national nuclear repository. AuCoin states the Hanford Site is amongst one the most polluted sites in the world, and while some radioactive materials had already seeped through into the ground and the Columbia River, the Department of Energy was planning to expand the site. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events or personal life updates, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode aired in 2002.
An audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin on a new addition to his family, a year-old dog named Rascal from the Jackson County Animal Shelter. AuCoin recalls taking Rascal, his new fishing companion, to Dailey (or Daley) Creek with him. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode aired between 2001-2003.
An audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin on a conservative bill that plans to stimulate the economy through tax breaks for wealthy corporations and individuals. AuCoin asserts that this bill would do nothing to increase demand in the economy, and would only enrich Americans at the top economic tier at expense of middle class and unemployed Americans, who he argues should be the ones to receive potential tax cuts. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode aired from December 2001-2003.
An audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin on the dangers of water transfers. He describes a scheme by an Alaskan company named World Water SA, which was planning to collect water from rivers in Mendocino County, California in giant "water bladders." The bladders would be towed south down to the coast to San Diego, where taxpayers would be charged for the water. AuCoin says that this scheme likely will not happen, but that ideas like this in the past have occured and caused great environmetal harm, benefitting only a few people. AuCoin says that taxpayers should not subsidize these sorts of projects, but that the free market cost of natural water should be passed on to consumers. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode aired in 2002.
An audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin on water rights policy in the Klamath Basin. In his recording, AuCoin describes how President George W. Bush's Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton and Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman were "opening the water tap" in Klamath Falls, an action AuCoin dubs as "political theater trumping substance." AuCoin argues that while the opening of irrigation is beneficial to farmers, it is often harmful to the endangered fish that reside in the water. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode aired in 2002.
An audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin on spending the day in Washington, D.C. with his actor son, Kelly AuCoin. In the recording, AuCoin discusses the difficulties of seeing his son while living on different sides of the country, reflects on watching his son getting older, and shares how he and his son always find the time to crack jokes with one another. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode aired in 2002.
An audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin regarding Multnomah County Ballot Measure 26-48 of 2003. AuCoin shares how Multnomah County voters voted to increase taxes on the county-level to alleviate the school funding crisis. Moreover, he criticizes the hypocrisy of the conservatives in the Oregon legislature who condemn Ballot Measure 26-48 for keeping tax revenue within Multnomah County schools and out of rural Oregon counties, while simultaneously arguing against raising taxes in general. AuCoin specifically calls out Republican Oregon State Senator Ted Ferrioli. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode aired in 2003.
An audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin, in which he discusses campaign financing in Oregon. He describes his first campaign in Washington County, Oregon and the importance that volunteers once had in elections; contrasting this with the influence of money and negative advertisements in the early 2000s. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode probably aired in fall 2002.
An audio recording by Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin, in which he criticizes the granting of mining claims to amateur miners on government land. He notes that streambeds in the Siskiyou Wilderness and other places in Oregon were being degraded by gold mining operations, which provided little public benefit and great environmental harm. This is one episode from AuCoin's biweekly radio show on Jefferson Public Radio (JPR), which ran after he had retired from office. The majority of episodes feature his commentary on current political events, often focusing on issues important to southern Oregon where JPR is based. This episode aired on Dec. 5, 2001. The title is from a transcript.
A transcription of a 1841 diary in which Alvin Thompson Smith writes about topics such as his daily life at the Spaldings Mission in modern-day Washington; his religious life; working the wheel, loom, and at the lumbermill; his interactions with "Indians;" his traveling company that included Peter B. Littlejohn and Congregational Minister Harvey L. Clark (or Clarke); traveling to Waiilatpu, Walla Walla, and Vancouver; visiting physician Marcus Whitman; some farming; and moving West from the Spalding mission through John Day River and the Willamette River before arriving in an area on the Tualatin Plains that is now modern-day Forest Grove. In the last part of 1841, Smith described how he started working on building a new house for himself and his wife.
A transcription of a 1840 diary in which Alvin Thompson Smith writes about topics such as pondering crossing the Rocky Mountains; living in Quincy, Illinois; the tasks and chores of daily life; his marriage to Abigail Raymond; traveling to Independence, Missouri; repairing his wagon and purchasing mules; interacting with "Indians;" his troubles traveling on the Great Plains with a company that included Congregational Minister Harvey L. Clark (or Clarke); his interactions with buffalo hunters; his passing through of the Black Hills region, Independence Rock, the Columbia River region, and Snake River; prayer and his religious life, and staying at Henry Spalding's Presbyterian mission in modern-day Washington for the winter of 1840-1841.
A black and white photograph by Allan J. de Lay featuring a man -- most likely local journalist and writer Ellis Lucia -- in a buggy at the Gay Nineties parade in the 1950s or 1960s. Lucia is holding a Washington County News-Times newspaper which headline reads: "Ballad Town U.S.A. Beset by Song."
A black and white photograph by Allan J. de Lay featuring the Quaring Nursing Home's county fair food judging parade float at the 1961 Gay Nineties parade.
A photograph featuring the Northwest High Flyers of Seattle, Washington, who were the 1957 women's champions of the All-Northwest Barbershop Ballad Contest. On the left side of the photograph is Charles Kaufman, who is seemingly congratulating the group on their win. The photographer is unknown, but it may have been Allan J. de Lay, a staff photographer for The Oregonian who took numerous photographs of the event over the years.
A photograph by Allan J. de Lay featuring the Kord Kings Quartet from Everett, Washington, performing at the 1954 All-Northwest Barbershop Ballad Contest. Based on a handwritten description on the back of the print, pictured from left to right in the photograph are Jerry DuChene, John Howell, Bob Erickson, and Doug Evans. They won second place in the contest that year.
A statement by U.S. Congressman Les AuCoin regarding the Virginia Garcia Center dated October 25, 1985. In his statement, Congressman AuCoin recalled his visit to the Virginia Garcia Center in Washington County, which primarily serves the local Hispanic community and farm and migrant workers. He described how the doctor introduced him to a three month old patient who suffered from malnutrition induced permanent brain damage as a result of a medically uninformed mother. Congressman AuCoin explained how the story demonstrated "the kind of additional work that is required in the field of health care for a population in desperate need of medical information and medical care." This is one of a collection of digitized objects from the Les AuCoin Papers (MS.147) at the Pacific University Archives. AuCoin served in the Oregon House of Representatives (1971-1975) and in the United States House of Representatives from Oregon's 1st District (1975-1993).
A speech by U.S. Congressman Les AuCoin delivered to the Washington County Democratic Party's Maurine Neuberger Dinner. In his speech, Congressman AuCoin celebrated the political careers of Maurine and Richard Neuberger. He also described the "Reagan phenomenon" in the world of politics, some of the weaknesses of the Democratic Party, and how the Democratic Party could make a comeback. This is one of a collection of digitized objects from the Les AuCoin Papers (MS.147) at the Pacific University Archives. AuCoin served in the Oregon House of Representatives (1971-1975) and in the United States House of Representatives from Oregon's 1st District (1975-1993).
