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Portland, OR – The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) is pleased to announce the 2020 recipients of the Oregon History Makers Medal. First awarded in 2009, the History Makers Medal is one of Oregon’s most prestigious honors, and the Society presents the award annually to individuals and organizations that are positively shaping the history, culture, and landscape of Oregon.
The 2020 Oregon History Makers Medal recipients are:
Lillian Pitt: Acclaimed artist
Lillian Pitt has created a lifetime of works in a variety of media, including clay, bronze, wearable art, prints, glass, and jewelry. Born and raised on the Warm Springs reservation, with ancestors who have lived in and near the Columbia Gorge for over 10,000 years, Lillian’s emphasis is on creating contemporary fine art pieces that honor the history and legends of her people. Her works are regularly exhibited throughout the Pacific Northwest, as well as nationally and internationally.
Punit Renjen: Visionary business leader
Born and raised in India, Punit Renjen came to Oregon in 1984 on a Rotary Foundation Scholarship to Willamette University. After receiving a master’s degree in management, he began his career at Deloitte. In 2015, he became the company’s global CEO, and the first Asian born person to head one of the world’s largest professional services firms. In 2018, Punit launched WorldClass, Deloitte’s global initiative to advance education and skills for communities at risk, beginning with girls and women in India.
Dr. Geraldine Richmond: Renowned scientist and educator
Dr. Geraldine Richmond is the Presidential Chair in Science and a chemistry professor at the University of Oregon. She has served on the National Science Board since 2012, and was awarded a National Medal of Science for her fundamental research on the chemistry and physics of complex surfaces and interfaces, which is relevant to energy production and environmental remediation. Throughout her career, Dr. Richmond has worked to promote women in science around the globe.
The Greenbrier Companies: International leader in the transportation industry
What began in 1919 as a wire wheel manufacturer, founded by brothers Chester and Alvin Gunderson, has since grown into a group of companies that is one of the leading designers, manufacturers, and marketers of railroad car equipment in North America and Europe, and one of the world’s foremost manufacturers of ocean-going barges. As the fourth largest publicly traded company based in Oregon, Greenbrier also boasts over 1,100 employees in Oregon and more than 16,000 worldwide.
“For over a decade, the Oregon Historical Society has had the pleasure of highlighting the accomplishments of the business leaders, philanthropists, artists, and cutting-edge thinkers that have shaped our communities,” said OHS Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk. “Oregon would not be where it is today without the individuals and organizations that continue to innovate and push boundaries across every industry.”
The Oregon Historical Society will present the Oregon History Makers Medals at a gala celebration at the Portland Art Museum on Sunday, October 4, 2020. Table sponsorships and individual tickets are available; for more information, please contact Ally Huffman at 503.306.5226 or ally.huffman@ohs.org.
About the Oregon Historical Society
For more than a century, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of artifacts, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms & website (www.ohs.org), 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 rich as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view.