Victor Atiyeh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vic Atiyeh
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Atiyeh in 2012
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| 32nd Governor of Oregon | |
| In office January 8, 1979 – January 12, 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Bob Straub |
| Succeeded by | Neil Goldschmidt |
| Member of the Oregon State Senate from the 9th district |
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| In office 1965–1978 |
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| Member of the Oregon House of Representatives from Washington County |
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| In office 1959–1964 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Victor George Atiyeh
February 20, 1923 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | July 20, 2014 (aged 91) West Haven-Sylvan, Oregon, U.S. |
| Resting place | River View Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Dolores Hewitt
(m. 1944) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Oregon |
Victor George Atiyeh (born February 20, 1923 – died July 20, 2014) was an American politician. He served as the 32nd Governor of Oregon. He was governor from 1979 to 1987. He was the first U.S. governor elected who had a Middle Eastern background. His family came from Syria.
Atiyeh won the election for governor in 1978. He beat the current governor, Robert W. Straub. He was elected again in 1982. He won by a large amount against Ted Kulongoski. Before becoming governor, Atiyeh worked in the Oregon Legislature. He served there from 1959. He was first in the House, then in the Senate. As of today, Atiyeh is the last Republican to be elected governor of Oregon.
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Early Life and Family Background
Victor Atiyeh's parents were George Atiyeh and Linda Asly. They came to the United States from other countries. His father was from Al Husn, Syria. His mother was from Beirut, Lebanon. Atiyeh's father came through Ellis Island in 1898. He joined his brother's carpet business. Atiyeh's mother's family belonged to a church called the Antiochian Orthodox Church. Victor Atiyeh later joined the Episcopal Church.
Atiyeh grew up in Portland, Oregon. He went to Holladay Grade School. Then he attended Washington High School. He studied for two years at the University of Oregon. This university is in Eugene. While there, he played football for the Oregon Ducks football team. He also became a leader in the Boy Scouts of America. When his father passed away, Atiyeh left college. He took over his family's rug and carpet business, Atiyeh Brothers.
Political Career
Atiyeh served as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives. He represented Washington County. He was in the House from 1959 to 1964. After that, he served in the Oregon State Senate. He was a senator for the 9th district from 1965 to 1978.
Serving as Governor of Oregon
In 1974, Atiyeh ran for governor. He lost that election to Democrat Robert W. Straub. After winning against former governor Tom McCall in the primary election, Atiyeh ran against Straub again. This was in the 1978 election. This time, Atiyeh won with 55 percent of the votes. He was the first Arab American to be elected as a U.S. governor.
In 1982, Atiyeh won re-election. He served a second four-year term. He won with 61.4% of the votes. He beat Democrat Ted Kulongoski. This was the largest victory for a governor in Oregon in 32 years. Atiyeh won in all 36 counties in the state.
As governor, Atiyeh started new safety programs. These were for Oregon's fishing and lumber industries. He also encouraged new businesses to come to the state. This helped make the economy more diverse. He opened a trade office in Tokyo, Japan. This was Oregon's first office in another country. He also started a worldwide tourism plan. He worked to make the Columbia River Gorge a national scenic area. Because of these efforts, people called him "Trader Vic."
Atiyeh helped create a statewide food bank. This was the first of its kind in the nation. He led the Republican Governors Association. He was also a key leader for President Ronald Reagan at the Republican National Convention in 1984.
Volunteer Work and Later Career
Atiyeh had a long connection with Pacific University. This university is in Forest Grove. He was a trustee and later a trustee emeritus. He received an honorary degree from the university in 1996. In 2011, he gave many of his important items to the university library.
After leaving office, Atiyeh became an international trade consultant. This means he advised businesses on trade with other countries. In 2006, Atiyeh helped lead the "Yes on 49" campaign. This campaign supported Ballot Measure 49. He worked with other former governors. He also got a large donation for the campaign from Phil Knight. Knight is the CEO of Nike.
Personal Life
Atiyeh lived in Portland with his wife, Dolores (née Hewitt). They were married on July 5, 1944. They had two children, Tom and Suzanne. Dolores Atiyeh passed away on August 29, 2016. She was 92 years old.
Health and Passing
On August 31, 2005, Atiyeh had heart surgery. He drove himself to the hospital after feeling chest pains. Atiyeh was known for being careful with money. His spokesman said he stopped to fill his car with gas on the way to the hospital. He noticed the gas prices were rising. In the weeks after the surgery, Atiyeh went back to the hospital a few times. He had trouble breathing and pain in his arms.
On July 5, 2014, Atiyeh fell at his home. He was taken to the hospital. He was treated for internal bleeding. He was briefly released, but went back to the hospital. He had a bad reaction to pain medicine. Victor Atiyeh passed away from kidney failure on July 20, 2014. He was 91 years old.
