2019 HALL OF ACHIEVEMENT INDUCTEES
Mildred Schwab, ‘33 was one of the first women to study law graduating in 1939 from Northwestern College of Law (Lewis & Clark). She organized a successful sit-in at a restaurant in the old Lipman Wolfe department store that was open to men only, and was part of a group of women who opened the City Club to women. She was appointed to Portland City Council in 1972 and reelected three times. Schwab died in 1999.
Ed Washington, ‘56 moved to the Irvington area after his family lost everything in the Vanport flood. While at Grant, Washington was Freshman boys league president, sophomore class president, played freshman and JV basketball, on the JV track team, and participated in Dramateurs.
After graduating from Grant, he worked for OHSU before attending and graduating from PSU in ’74. In 1956 he joined the NAACP serving to end discriminatory hiring in local grocery stores. He was the Metro Council’s first African-American Councilor. In 2018, PSU named Washington the recipient of the Nohad Toulan Urban Pioneer Award for Public Service.
After graduating from Grant, he worked for OHSU before attending and graduating from PSU in ’74. In 1956 he joined the NAACP serving to end discriminatory hiring in local grocery stores. He was the Metro Council’s first African-American Councilor. In 2018, PSU named Washington the recipient of the Nohad Toulan Urban Pioneer Award for Public Service.
Deborah Kafoury ‘85 was elected in 2008 to the Multnomah County Commission focusing on helping families in crisis find housing; replacing the Sellwood Bridge,and the Central Courthouse; and working with the city, state and federal officials to address homelessness, early education, and child abuse prevention. She was elected in 2013 as the Metro chair where she established a Joint Office of Homeless Services to work in partnership with the city on the housing crisis.
Mark Owen ’77 was an honor student and award winning gymnast. After graduating from OSU he worked at Tektronix as a design engineer. He taught engineering at the University of Limerick while completing his master’s degree in advanced manufacturing technology. After working for the Irish Dept. of Science and Technology he returned to Oregon working for Electro Scientific Industries. Wanting to solve the world water crisis, he founded Puralytics. Among other products, the company makes SolarBag, a solar water purifier. Owen was inducted into the OSU Engineering Hall of Fame in 2015.