Terry Schrunk

Terry Schrunk
44th Mayor of Portland, Oregon
In office
January 1, 1957 – January 1, 1973
Preceded byFred L. Peterson
Succeeded byNeil Goldschmidt
26th President of the United States Conference of Mayors
In office
1968–1969
Preceded byJoseph M. Barr
Succeeded byJack D. Maltester
Sheriff of Multnomah County, Oregon
In office
1949–1957
Preceded byM. L. Elliott
Personal details
Born(1913-03-10)March 10, 1913
Stayton, Oregon, U.S.
DiedMarch 4, 1975(1975-03-04) (aged 61)
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
ProfessionPolitician

Terrence Doyle Schrunk (March 10, 1913 – March 4, 1975)[1] was an American politician who served as the mayor for the city of Portland, Oregon, 1957–1973, a length tying with George Luis Baker, who also served 16 years (1917–1933).[2][3]

Schrunk was appointed sheriff of Multnomah County in 1949 by the county commissioners, succeeding M. L. Elliott, who was removed from office in a recall election. Schrunk was subsequently outright elected to the office,[4][1][5]

In his 1956 campaign for mayor, Schrunk advocated for urban renewal.[6] Schrunk beat incumbent Fred L. Peterson by 17,000 votes in a nine-person primary, but did not get an absolute majority, and then beat Peterson in the fall run-off election. He took office at midnight on January 1, 1957.[7]

In 1968 and 1969, he served as president of the United States Conference of Mayors.[8]

Terry's son, Mike Schrunk, was elected district attorney of Multnomah County in 1981, and is thought to be the longest-serving district attorney in Oregon history.

Schrunk when serving as sheriff in 1956
  1. ^ a b Cogswell, Philip (2008). "Terry Schrunk (1913–1975)". The Oregon Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2014-05-17.
  2. ^ "Multnomah County, Oregon Government | Portland Oregon Mayors". genealogytrails.com. Archived from the original on 2008-07-20. Retrieved 2015-06-04.
  3. ^ "Office of the mayor". freepages.history.rootsweb.com. Retrieved 2015-06-04.
  4. ^ "Electorate Disregards Party Affiliations in Elliott Recall Issue: Five Appear to Lead Field As Successor to M. L. Elliott". The Oregonian. October 23, 1949.
  5. ^ Boone, June. Portland of years past: 25 years ago: 1978 a Julia Child she isn't. The Oregonian, July 10, 2003.
  6. ^ Frank, Ryan. Urban renewal fact check. The Oregonian, May 30, 2006.
  7. ^ "Schrunk Sworn In As Mayor" (January 1, 1957). The Oregonian, p. 1.
  8. ^ "Leadership". The United States Conference of Mayors. November 23, 2016. Archived from the original on February 15, 2019. Retrieved July 24, 2020.