Neil Goldschmidt facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Neil Goldschmidt
Goldschmidt in 1986

33rd Governor of Oregon
In office January 12, 1987 – January 14, 1991
Preceded by	Victor Atiyeh
Succeeded by	Barbara Roberts
6th United States Secretary of Transportation
In office September 24, 1979 – January 20, 1981
President	Jimmy Carter
Preceded by	Brock Adams
Succeeded by	Drew Lewis
45th Mayor of Portland, Oregon
In office January 2, 1973 – August 15, 1979
Preceded by	Terry Schrunk
Succeeded by	Connie McCready

Personal details
Born	(1940-06-16)June 16, 1940 Eugene, Oregon, U.S.
Died	June 12, 2024(2024-06-12) (aged 83) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Margaret Wood (m. 1965; div. 1990) Diana Snowden (m. 1994)
Children	4
Education	University of Oregon (BA) University of California, Berkeley (JD)

Neil Edward Goldschmidt (June 16, 1940 – June 12, 2024) was an American leader and politician from the state of Oregon. He belonged to the Democratic Party and worked in public service for over thirty years. Goldschmidt served as the mayor of Portland, Oregon, the United States Secretary of Transportation, and the 33rd governor of Oregon. He became known for changing public transport, building parks, and supporting school reading programs across the state.

Who Was Neil Goldschmidt?

Neil Goldschmidt was an energetic leader who spent most of his life working in government and business. Many people considered him one of the most skilled organizers in Oregon history. He loved working on cities, making streets cleaner, and building trains and buses.

He was born in Eugene, Oregon, which sits in the green Willamette Valley. When he grew up, he wanted to help people solve big community problems. He went from being a student leader in college to running a major American city before he turned thirty-three.

During his long career, Goldschmidt helped stop large highways from cutting through quiet neighborhoods. Instead, he championed modern rail systems like the MAX Light Rail. Later, he served in the cabinet of President Jimmy Carter in Washington, D.C. In his later years, he became governor of Oregon and launched a statewide reading program for young students.

Early Life and Education

Neil Goldschmidt was born on June 16, 1940. His parents were Lester H. Goldschmidt and Annette Levin. As a boy, he attended local public schools and graduated from South Eugene High School.

College Years in Oregon

Goldschmidt decided to attend the University of Oregon in his hometown. He liked history, law, and government. He became very active on campus and was chosen as the student body president. In 1963, he earned his bachelor's degree in political science.

Standing Up for Civil Rights

In 1964, Goldschmidt went to Washington, D.C., to work as an intern for United States Senator Maurine Brown Neuberger. While working in the nation's capital, he met New York leader Allard K. Lowenstein.

Lowenstein invited Goldschmidt to travel south to take part in the civil rights movement. Goldschmidt went to Mississippi during the famous 1964 Freedom Summer. His job was to help register African-American citizens to vote so their voices could be heard in elections.

Becoming a Lawyer

After helping with voter registration, Goldschmidt decided to study law. He attended the University of California, Berkeley and earned a law degree called a Juris Doctor in 1967. He then moved back to Oregon and worked as a legal aid lawyer in Portland, Oregon. In this job, he provided legal help to families and people who could not afford expensive attorneys.

Leading the City of Portland

Goldschmidt quickly became interested in local city government. He wanted to make Portland a more lively place to live and work.

Youngest City Mayor

In 1970, Goldschmidt ran for an open seat on the Portland City Council and won. Two years later, in 1972, he ran for mayor of Portland and won again. When he took office in January 1973, he was just 32 years old. This made him the youngest mayor of any major city in the United States.

As mayor, Goldschmidt changed how City Hall operated. For many years, only a small circle of leaders had made decisions. Goldschmidt invited neighborhood groups, women, and African Americans into important city jobs. He also looked closely at the Portland Police Bureau and worked to spend city money on stopping crime before it started.

The Famous Freeway Revolt

During the 1970s, state planners wanted to build a huge highway called the Mount Hood Freeway. This highway would have cut straight through neighborhoods in southeast Portland, destroying many family homes. Goldschmidt joined local citizens in a movement called a freeway revolt to stop the highway.

Governor Tom McCall formed a special group to study regional transport. Goldschmidt worked with state leaders like Glenn Jackson, who led the Oregon Transportation Commission, and Gerard Drummond, who led the transit agency Tri-Met. The team decided to cancel the freeway plans.

Instead of building the freeway, Goldschmidt convinced the federal government to redirect money from the Federal Highway Administration. He used these funds to build better city streets and clean public transportation.

Building MAX Light Rail and Downtown

Goldschmidt helped create the Portland Transit Mall, which made downtown easier for buses and shoppers. At first, he preferred buses, but he soon realized that electric trains would be faster and carry more people.

His work led to the creation of the MAX Light Rail system. The first light rail line was approved with federal help and finished in 1986. Today, these trains carry millions of passengers across the Portland area. He also helped revitalize Downtown Portland by making it a walkable place with shops and open parks.

Service in the United States Cabinet

Because of his success in Portland, national leaders noticed Goldschmidt's skills with trains and roads.

Goldschmidt as Secretary of Transportation, c. 1980

Secretary of Transportation

In the summer of 1979, President Jimmy Carter asked Goldschmidt to join his presidential cabinet. Carter gave him a recess appointment on July 27, 1979. The United States Senate reviewed his qualifications and officially confirmed him on September 21. Goldschmidt became the sixth United States Secretary of Transportation.

Helping American Travel and Industry

As transportation secretary, Goldschmidt had a huge job managing roads, airports, and trains across the country. During this time, the U.S. auto industry was facing difficult financial troubles. Goldschmidt worked directly with car makers to help them build more efficient cars and stay in business.

He also worked on deregulation, which meant removing old government rules that made travel expensive. These changes affected airlines, large freight trucks, and national railroad networks.

His time in Washington was not without debate. Some lawmakers, such as presidential candidate John B. Anderson and leaders on the United States Senate Banking Committee, criticized him for using transportation money to help political allies. When President Carter lost his re-election bid in 1980, Goldschmidt prepared to leave public office. His service in Washington ended on January 20, 1981.

Working in Business with Nike

After leaving the cabinet, Goldschmidt entered the business world. He took a leadership position at Nike, the famous athletic shoe and clothing company based in Beaverton, Oregon.

During the 1980s, Goldschmidt served as an international vice president for Nike. Later, he served as the president of Nike Canada. Working in private business taught him how large global companies operated. Even while working in business, many leaders in the Democratic Party hoped he would return to politics.

Governor of Oregon

In June 1985, Goldschmidt announced that he wanted to run for the highest office in the state: governor of Oregon.

Winning the Election

In the spring of 1986, Goldschmidt won the Democratic primary election against State Senator Edward Fadeley. In the autumn general election, he ran against the Republican Oregon Secretary of State, Norma Paulus.

The 1986 Oregon gubernatorial election was close and exciting. Goldschmidt won with 52 percent of the vote. In January 1987, he succeeded Republican Governor Victor Atiyeh and became the 33rd governor of Oregon.

The Oregon Comeback

When Goldschmidt became governor, Oregon was recovering from a difficult economic recession. Many businesses had closed, and people needed jobs. Goldschmidt worked with both Democrats and Republicans to rebuild bridges, fix roads, and invite new technology companies to Oregon. People called this period "The Oregon Comeback."

At the same time, Oregon voters started an anti-tax movement. In 1990, voters approved Measure 5, a law that placed strict limits on property tax money collected for schools and local services. Goldschmidt had to find creative ways to pay for public needs while taxes were cut.

Modernizing State Systems

Governor Goldschmidt worked on updating several state systems:

State Prisons: In 1987, he hired corrections expert Michael Francke to modernize crowded state prisons run by the Oregon Department of Corrections. Sadly, Francke was killed outside his office in 1989.
Worker Insurance: Goldschmidt negotiated with business and union leaders to reform workers' compensation. He reorganized the State Accident Insurance Fund (SAIF) through new laws passed by the Oregon Legislative Assembly.

Supporting Children and Reading

One of Goldschmidt's favorite projects was his Children's Agenda. He believed that every young person deserved a fair chance to succeed in school.

In 1991, he helped launch the Start Making A Reader Today (SMART) program. This literacy initiative sends thousands of adult volunteers into elementary schools across Oregon. Volunteers sit down with children in kindergarten through third grade to read books together. Over the years, SMART has helped hundreds of thousands of Oregon students discover the joy of reading.

Goldschmidt decided not to seek a second term as governor in 1990, stepping down in January 1991. Barbara Roberts was elected as the next governor.

Later Projects in Oregon

After his term ended, Goldschmidt started a business consulting and lobbying firm named Neil Goldschmidt, Inc. He spent many years helping businesses and community planners work together.

Expanding Parks and Trains

Goldschmidt continued to share his ideas for his favorite city, Portland:

He supported extending the tree-lined South Park Blocks through downtown Portland.
He helped plan the Portland Aerial Tram, a cable tram that connects medical research towers at Oregon Health & Science University to waterfront neighborhoods.
He worked with local transit leaders to build the MAX Red Line, an electric rail train running directly to Portland International Airport.

Corporate Projects and Debates

Goldschmidt also worked on large commercial deals that created public debate. In 2002, he supported the paper company Weyerhaeuser when it purchased Willamette Industries, Inc., which had been a major Fortune 500 business in Portland. Later, he assisted an investment company called Texas Pacific Group when it tried to buy the electric utility Portland General Electric.

In 2003, Governor Ted Kulongoski appointed Goldschmidt to the Oregon Board of Higher Education. However, some leaders, including state senator Vicki Walker, questioned whether his business consulting created conflicts with state policies. Goldschmidt eventually stepped away from public boards.

Personal Life and Legacy

In 1965, Goldschmidt married Margaret Wood. They had two children, named Joshua and Rebecca, before divorcing in 1990. He later married Diana Snowden in 1994.

Goldschmidt passed away from heart failure at his home in Portland on June 12, 2024, at the age of 83. People across the state remembered his deep impact on Oregon's transportation, vibrant downtown spaces, and programs that put books into the hands of young readers.