Jason Douglas Boe (March 10, 1929 – March 20, 1990) was an American

optometrist Optometry is a specialized health care profession that involves examining the eyes and related structures for defects or abnormalities. Optometrists are health care professionals who typically provide comprehensive primary eye care. In the Uni ...

from

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. A native of

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, he served as the 47th president of the

Oregon State Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the state Sena ...

. Prior to serving in the Senate he was a member of the

Oregon House of Representatives The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 65,000. The House meets in the west wing of the ...

Early life

Jason Boe was born in 1929 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California. When he turned 24 in 1953,Hunt, Ann (March 4, 1990). "Life After Politics: Accent on Maturity". ''

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 185 ...

'' Living, p.106. he made his way north to Oregon to attend school at

Pacific University Pacific University is a private university in Forest Grove, Oregon. Founded in 1849 as the Tualatin Academy, the original Forest Grove campus is west of Portland. The university maintains three other campuses in Eugene, Hillsboro, and Wood ...

, where he earned a doctorate in optometry. It was during his time at Pacific that he met his future wife, Kathryn. They both shared a common interest in classical music and quickly fell in love and married. After Boe earned his doctorate, he and Kathryn moved to

Reedsport, Oregon Reedsport is a city in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,310. History Reedsport was established on the estuary of the Umpqua River on January 7, 1852. It was named for a local settler, Alfred ...

, where he began his optometry practice. In 1958, Boe successfully sought a seat on the Reedsport City Council.Mapes, Jeff (March 22, 1990). "Jason Boe, Noted Oregon Lawmaker, Dies". ''The Oregonian''. Local Stories, p. A1.

Legislative career

Boe sought a seat in the

Oregon State Legislature The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the H ...

, and in 1964 he was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives. He served for three consecutive terms, from 1964 to 1970. He was elected to the Oregon State Senate in 1970 and served there until 1980. In 1973 (the

57th Oregon Legislative Assembly The 57th Oregon Legislative Assembly convened for its regular session from January 8 to July 6, 1973. There was also a special session from January 24 to February 24, 1974. Both houses were controlled by the Democratic Party of Oregon. The House s ...

), he broke up a coalition of conservative Democrats and Republicans to be elected Senate President. In the 1975 session, he was challenged by fellow Democrat

Betty Roberts Betty Cantrell Roberts (February 5, 1923 – June 25, 2011) was an American politician and judge from the U.S. state of Oregon. She was the 83rd justice of the Oregon Supreme Court. She was the first woman to serve on the Oregon Supreme Co ...

for the position, but prevailed, in part due to the decision of

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

Charles Hanlon Charles J. Hanlon (September 15, 1918 – September 9, 1990) was the first independent member of the U.S. state of Oregon's legislature elected in 50 years, and the fifth in Oregon history. He served three terms in the Oregon Senate, from 197 ...

to join the Democratic Party and support Boe. Boe remained Senate President for four consecutive terms. President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

appointed Boe to the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations on October 11, 1979.

Later years

Jason Boe retired from elective office after his 1980 failed bid for

Oregon State Treasurer The Oregon State Treasurer is a constitutional officer within the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon, elected by statewide vote to serve a four-year term. As chief financial officer for the state, the office holder head ...

. He later owned Jason Boe & Associates, Inc., an international consulting firm that had offices in both

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

and

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

Legacy

The Senate wing of the

Oregon State Capitol The Oregon State Capitol is the building housing the state legislature and the offices of the governor, secretary of state, and treasurer of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the state capitol, Salem. Constructed from 1936 to 1938 ...

is named in Boe's honor. In 1997, a stretch of

Oregon Route 38 Oregon Route 38 is an Oregon state highway that runs between the city of Reedsport, on the Oregon Coast, and an interchange with Interstate 5 near the communities of Curtin and Anlauf. It is also known as most of the Umpqua Highway No. 45 (see ...

that lies between the communities of

Drain Drain may refer to: Objects and processes * Drain (plumbing), a fixture that provides an exit-point for waste water or for water that is to be re-circulated on the side of a road * Drain (surgery), a tube used to remove pus or other fluids from ...

and Reedsport was designated the "Jason Boe Corridor".

Electoral history

References

External links

Boe speech from 1977 Wings Dedication
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boe, Jason Presidents of the Oregon State Senate 1929 births 1990 deaths Politicians from Los Angeles Politicians from Portland, Oregon Members of the Oregon House of Representatives Oregon city council members Pacific University alumni American optometrists 20th-century American politicians People from Reedsport, Oregon