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

optometrist Optometry is the healthcare practice concerned with examining the eyes for visual defects, prescribing corrective lenses, and detecting eye abnormalities. In the United States and Canada, optometrists are those that hold a post-baccalaureate f ...

from

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

. A native of

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, he served as the 47th president of the

Oregon State Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the State legislature (United States), statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. Ther ...

. 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, the upper house being the Oregon State Senate. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of ...

Early life

Jason Boe was born in 1929 in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, 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 West Coast of the United States, U.S. West Coast, founded as a weekly by Tho ...

'' 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, United States. Founded in 1849 as the Tualatin Academy, the original Forest Grove campus is west of Portland. Affiliated with the United Church of Christ, the school mainta ...

, 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 coastal town in northwest Douglas County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,310. It is located about 73 miles northwest of Roseburg, the county seat. History Reedsport was established on the e ...

, 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 (United States), state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper house, upper and lower chamber: the Oregon State Senate, Sena ...

, 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), 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 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 Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

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

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...

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. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

and

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

Legacy

The Senate wing of the

Oregon State Capitol The Oregon State Capitol is the building housing the Oregon Legislative Assembly, state legislature and the offices of the Governor of Oregon, governor, Oregon Secretary of State, secretary of state, and Oregon State Treasurer, treasurer of t ...

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, Oregon, Reedsport, on the Oregon Coast, and an interchange with Interstate 5 (Oregon), Interstate 5 near the communities of Curtin, Oregon, Curtin and Anlauf, O ...

that lies between the communities of Drain 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 People from Reedsport, Oregon 20th-century members of the Oregon Legislative Assembly