Victor G. Atiyeh

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Victor G. Atiyeh (1986)

Victor George Atiyeh (born February 20, 1923 in Portland , Oregon , † July 20, 2014 there ) was an American politician . He was the 32nd governor of the state of Oregon from 1979 to 1987 .

Early years and political advancement

Victor Atiyeh attended the University of Oregon after school . Professionally, he joined the family's carpet business, which was founded in 1900, and was to remain its president for 35 years. He was a member of the Republican Party . Between 1959 and 1964 he was an MP in the Oregon House of Representatives ; between 1965 and 1978 he was a member of the State Senate . There he was part of the Republican parliamentary group chairman. In 1968, 1972 and 1976 he was a delegate to the respective Republican National Conventions . In 1974 he lost to the Democrat Robert W. Straub in the gubernatorial elections . Four years later Atiyeh was again the top candidate of his party and was able to beat Straub this time. With that he was elected the new governor of his state.

Governor of Oregon

Victor Atiyeh took up his new office on January 8, 1979. After re-election in 1982, he was able to exercise it until January 12, 1987. He was the first elected governor of a US state of Arab origin. During his tenure, the labor protection laws were improved. The safety regulations in the timber and fishing industries have also been tightened. The governor ran a worldwide tourism promotion for Oregon and took national and international trips to promote trade. One of his best-known works was the introduction of food aid for the poor (roughly comparable to the food banks known in Germany). The governor has received numerous awards for his work in the humanitarian field. Atiyeh was also a member of several governors' associations. Atiyeh's four successors in office were all Democrats.

Another résumé

After his governorship ended, Atiyeh became an international trade advisor. In 2005 he had a heart operation that included a bypass . He had two children with his wife Dolores. He died on July 20, 2014 in Portland, the city of his birth, at the age of 91 of complications from kidney failure .

Web links

Commons : Victor Atiyeh  - Collection of Images

Individual evidence

  1. Associated Press : Victor G. Atiyeh, Governor Who Guided Oregon Through Recession, Dies at 91. Obituary in The New York Times, July 22, 2014 (accessed July 23, 2014).