Frank Ivancie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frank Ivancie
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 47th Mayor of Portland, Oregon | |
| In office November 24, 1980 – January 2, 1985 |
|
| Preceded by | Connie McCready |
| Succeeded by | Bud Clark |
| Portland City Commissioner | |
| In office 1967–1980 |
|
| Preceded by | Ormond R. Bean |
| Succeeded by | Margaret Strachan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Francis James Ivancie
July 19, 1924 Marble, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | May 2, 2019 (aged 94) California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Profession | Politician, businessman |
Francis James Ivancie (born July 19, 1924 – died May 2, 2019) was an American businessman and politician. He is best known for serving as the mayor of Portland, Oregon, from 1980 to 1985. Before becoming mayor, Ivancie spent fourteen years on the Portland City Council. After leaving elected office, he continued to be involved in community activities and sometimes supported political causes. Throughout his career, Ivancie was known as a conservative member of the Democratic Party. This meant he was a Democrat, but often held more traditional or business-friendly views.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Frank Ivancie was born in Marble, Minnesota. His father was an immigrant from Ljubljana, Slovenia. Frank went to the University of Minnesota and earned a degree in sociology. He then moved to Oregon and got a master's degree in education from the University of Oregon.
During World War II, he served in the United States Army Air Forces. After the war, Ivancie started his career as a teacher in Burns, Oregon. There, he met his future wife, Eileen O'Toole. They had ten children together.
From Teacher to City Leader
Ivancie later moved to Washington County, near Portland. He became the principal of Orenco School in Orenco, Oregon. In the 1950s, he worked in England as a principal for an American school run by the United States Department of Defense.
After returning to Oregon, Ivancie taught for Portland Public Schools. In 1956, he left teaching to become an executive assistant for the new mayor, Terry Schrunk. This was his first step into city government.
Starting in Politics
Frank Ivancie was first elected to the Portland City Council in 1966. He took office on January 4, 1967. He was re-elected to the Council several times, serving until 1980.
In 1976, Ivancie ran for mayor for the first time. He ran against the current mayor, Neil Goldschmidt. A big topic in that election was the Mount Hood Freeway. This was a plan for a new highway that most people in Portland did not want. The City Council had voted against it in 1974, but Ivancie was the only one who voted to keep the project. He and his supporters wanted to bring it back.
Signs were put up saying, "If Ivancie were mayor, you'd be home now." However, many people who would have used the freeway lived outside Portland and could not vote for Portland's mayor. Most Portland residents were against the freeway. Goldschmidt won the election easily.
Becoming Mayor of Portland
In 1979, Mayor Goldschmidt left his job to work for the U.S. government. Another city commissioner, Connie McCready, became mayor for a short time. Ivancie decided to run for mayor again in 1980, this time against McCready. He won the election and became mayor on November 24, 1980.
Usually, Portland's mayor also oversees the police department. When Ivancie became mayor, he first kept Charles Jordan in charge of the police. Later, Ivancie took over that role himself.
Key Projects as Mayor
During his time as mayor, Ivancie's leadership was generally seen as honest. However, his conservative ideas and support for businesses often caused debate in Portland, a city known for its progressive views.
Some of the important projects during his term included:
- Pioneer Courthouse Square: Ivancie was against building this popular public square. He worried it would attract homeless people.
- Portland Building: He oversaw the construction of the Portland Building, a famous city office building.
- Water Supply: He supported building wells to help protect the city's main drinking water source, the Bull Run Watershed.
- MAX Light Rail: Much of the first MAX Light Rail line, Portland's public transit system, was built while he was mayor.
Re-election Campaign and Retirement
In 1984, Ivancie ran for re-election. Early polls showed him far ahead of his opponent, Bud Clark. However, Clark's campaign had many volunteers who talked to people all over the city.
As the election got closer, a poll showed the race was tied. Ivancie's campaign then ran negative ads that questioned Clark's religious beliefs. These ads upset many Portland voters. On May 15, Bud Clark won the election by a significant margin.
After losing the election, Ivancie briefly worked in national politics. He led a group called "Democrats for Reagan" in Oregon, supporting Ronald Reagan's re-election. After Reagan won, Ivancie was appointed to the Federal Maritime Commission.
Later, he retired from politics and moved to California. He mostly stayed out of the public eye in Portland until 2007. At that time, then-mayor Tom Potter wanted to change Portland's government system. Ivancie, along with Bud Clark, spoke out against this change, and the proposal was defeated.
