160 Students Compete In Annual Oregon History Day Contest; 54 Advance To National Contest (Photo) - 04/30/26

Portland, OR — On April 11, 160 middle and high school students gathered at Willamette University in Salem for the 2026 Oregon History Day competition. Students traveled from Albany, Corvallis, Philomath, Beaverton, Portland, Mt. Angel, Aloha, Bend, Hood River, St. Helens, Scappoose, Medford, Creswell, and Cottage Grove to present their documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances and websites inspired by the annual theme, Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History. 

The statewide affiliate of the National History Day® program, Oregon History Day is a student-directed, project-based interdisciplinary learning program. Creating projects inspired by an annual theme, young historians in grades 6–12 choose topics to explore, conduct historical research, practice critical thinking skills, and analyze primary and secondary sources while considering diverse viewpoints. 

“Getting to see all the amazing candidates for Oregon History Day and seeing their peers who are so young cheering each other on in pursuit of research, knowledge, and truth was heartwarming,” said volunteer judge Grace H. 

After having their projects evaluated by volunteer judges, 54 students qualified for the National Contest, which will take place June 14–18 at the University of Maryland. These students will proudly wear shirts and trade buttons featuring a design by Sunset High School’s Anuva S., winner of the 2026 Oregon History Day Design Contest for her creative interpretation of the theme. They join 3,000 competitors from across the nation at this annual celebration of student scholarship.

During this trip, Oregon students will have the opportunity to explore museums and historic sites around Washington, D.C., including a special tour of George Washington’s Mount Vernon, hosted by Mary Lang Bishop. They will also meet with Oregon senator Jeff Merkley and take a tour of the U.S. Capitol building with Senator Ron Wyden’s staff.

Five projects were also awarded special prizes at Oregon History Day for their outstanding research on overlooked histories across Oregon. Award-winning projects include:

Black History in Oregon Award
Oregon’s Black Exclusion Laws: The Drive for a White Utopia (Junior Group Documentary)

Mia D., Isla W., Ryla R., ACCESS Academy, Portland

Indigenous History in Oregon Award

The Twisted Legacy of the Cayuse War (Senior Group Documentary)

Emma S., Maggie M., Westview High School, Beaverton 

LGBTQ+ History in Oregon Award

Measure 9: Oregon’s Hate and Oregon’s Pride (Senior Group Documentary)

Naail A., Nathan C., Byron L., Ryan L., Westview High School, Beaverton 

Women’s History in Oregon Award

The Petticoat Revolution: How Seven Women Changed History (Junior Group Performance)

Livia H-B., Savanna W., Clara W., ACCESS Academy, Portland 

Maritime History Award

Sponsored by the Northwest Commandery of the Naval Order of the United States

Pearl Harbor: A Date Which Will Live in Infamy (Junior Group Documentary)

Dionisis F-K., Vaughn K-S., Guani R., ACCESS Academy, Portland 

Beyond the competition, Oregon History Day leaves a lasting impression on students, equipping them with skills in critical thinking, research, and communication that endure far beyond the classroom.

“It has all been such a blast,” said volunteer judge Siddharth S. “I am so reinvigorated by the passion that some students put into their historical exhibits, and I believe they will represent Oregon well.”

Oregon History Day’s success was made possible thanks to passionate educators, staff and dedicated volunteer judges who provided invaluable feedback and support.

Congratulations to all who participated — and best of luck to Oregon’s national finalists!

About the Oregon Historical Society

For more than 125 years, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of objects, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all. We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and complex as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view.

Oregon Historical Society Receives Oregon Heritage Excellence Award For The Yasui Family: An American Story Exhibition, Programming, And Educational Resources (Photo) - 04/27/26

Portland, OR — The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) is among 12 recipients of an Oregon Heritage Excellence Award. Presented to individuals, organizations, and projects that have made outstanding contributions to preserving Oregon’s heritage, the 2026 honorees will be recognized at an Awards Presentation and Dinner on April 29 in Mt. Angel, Oregon, hosted in conjunction with the 2026 Oregon Heritage Conference.

OHS received the award for its work preserving and sharing the story of the Yasui family through digitization efforts, scholarship, curricula, and an original exhibition, The Yasui Family: An American Story.

What started with a donation of objects and business records from Homer Yasui in 1991 has led to a decades-long relationship with the family. Thanks to crucial grant funding, OHS has been able to translate and digitize many of the materials held in its research library collection and make them accessible through OHS Digital Collections.

Additionally, the Museum Collection Portal includes hundreds of records relating to the Yasui family, including recollections by Homer. It is due to the meticulous preservation efforts and thoughtful stewardship of the Yasui family that OHS has had the opportunity to offer a window into the lives of Japanese immigrants and their families in the decades before and after mass incarceration during World War II.

“The history of the Yasui family is both unique and similar to the experiences of other immigrants to the United States, and it truly reflects the complexity of the American story. All of us at OHS are very grateful that the Yasui family has entrusted us with their compelling collection of family history, thereby allowing us to share an incredibly timely story of the rights and responsibilities of American citizenship,” said OHS Boyle Family Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk.

“The Award recipients are representative of efforts and activities that are exemplary and go above and beyond for an individual, organization, and project, serving as a model for heritage preservation work in Oregon,” said Katie Henry, Coordinator for the Oregon Heritage Commission. “This year we had several nominations focused on the work of documenting, preserving, and sharing a more complete story of Oregon’s history.”

The Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards are a program of Oregon Heritage. Oregon Heritage is a division of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department that includes the State Historic Preservation Office and four State Commission/Committees: Oregon Heritage Commission, State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation, Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries, and Historic Advisory Review Committee. 

The Yasui Family: An American Story is on view at the Oregon Historical Society’s museum in downtown Portland through September 6, 2026. Museum hours are 10am to 5pm Monday through Saturday and 12pm to 5pm on Sunday. Admission is free every day for youth 17 and under, OHS members, and Multnomah County residents, who provide crucial operational support through the Oregon Historical Society levy. Learn more and plan your visit at ohs.org/visit.

About the Oregon Historical Society

For more than 125 years, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of objects, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all. We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and complex as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view.

America 250 Oregon Commission Announces State Submission To National America250 Time Capsule (Photo) - 04/21/26

Portland, OR — On July 4, 2026, America250 will bury the Semiquincentennial Time Capsule within Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, PA. The stainless-steel cylinder, designed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, is designed to safely store commemorative objects for 250 years until the capsule’s opening in 2276.

Each state was asked to contribute a submission that represents its people, stories, and values at this historic moment. In February, the America 250 Oregon Commission invited the public to share their ideas for what Oregon should submit to the time capsule, with suggestions ranging from creative works, written reflections, and symbolic objects. Each state’s submission must fit within a 6" x 5" x 2" archival storage box or consist of a single page of archival paper no larger than 8.5" x 11".

The Commission is pleased to announce that Oregon’s chosen submission is a pin handcrafted by acclaimed Native American artist Lillian Pitt (Warm Springs, Wasco, and Yakama). She is widely known for her sculpting and mixed media artistry, which focuses on 12,000 years of Native American history and traditions of the Columbia River region. Her works have been exhibited globally and can be found in Oregon at the Oregon Convention Center, Portland State University, and the Museum at Warm Springs.

The pin that was selected is She Who Watches, Pitt’s depiction of a famous petroglyph and pictograph that is perched high on a mountain visible from her ancestral village. Under the oral traditions of tribes of the Columbia River region, She Who Watches represents Tsagaglalal, a wise and powerful chief who was transformed to stone, where she continues to keep vigil over her people and the Columbia River.

“The inclusion of this pin from one of Oregon’s most celebrated Indigenous artists reminds us that Oregon’s history and America’s history is much longer than 250 or 500 years,” said America 250 Oregon Commission Chair Kerry Tymchuk. 

“I am honored that my work will be included in this time capsule and am heartened to know that when it is opened in 250 years, people will be reminded of those who have made this land their home since time immemorial,” said Lillian Pitt.

Lillian Pitt was born on the Warm Springs Reservation in 1944 and moved to Portland in the early 1960s, where she resides today. She has received many honors, including the Oregon History Makers Award from the Oregon Historical Society. The Ford Family Foundation recently named Pitt as the inaugural recipient of the 1905 Legacy Award, which will be presented every five years to an active Oregon artist who has been producing art for at least 20 years.

About the America 250 Oregon Commission

The America 250 Oregon Commission was created through Senate Bill 1531, which was signed into law by Governor Tina Kotek on March 27, 2024. Chaired by the Oregon Historical Society’s executive director, Kerry Tymchuk, the mission of the America 250 Oregon Commission is to coordinate, provide guidance, and ensure that Oregon’s official observance of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States is inclusive and shares the histories of Oregon’s diverse populations, including the histories of the Indigenous peoples who have resided here since time immemorial. Learn more at oregon250.org.