PSU Magazine Spring 2003

You could say that where politics are concerned, Ron and I have always been "at the table"-figuratively and literally My political life began as a child listening to discussions of World War Il around the family table and earning my first elected office as sixth-grade class president Ron came to elected office a bit later in life as president of the Young Democrats at Vanport Extension Center and then at Reed College. Our own family dining table began its political life in Alaska, where Ron taught political science at the University of Alaska and eventually went to work in the governor's office. lf he phoned asking, "What's for dinner?" I knew he wanted to bring a legislator home that night. I learned to make extra when I cooked dinner. In fact, the night of the 1964 Alaska earthquake, I was, of course, hosting legislators in our Juneau apartment, while Ron was away in Haines, Alaska. Our family and the table moved to Portland in 1966 when Ron joined the faculty at Portland State. We both became active in community efforts throughout the '60s and '70s in local government, land use, envi– ronment, transportation, and neighborhood planning issues. We were to work for nearly four decades with allies such as Tom McCall, Frank and Barbara Roberts , Neil Goldschmidt, Vera Katz, John Kitzhaber, and many, many others. Then came the state legislature. I lost my first two runs , but in 1978 won a seat as state representative. I was re-elected in 1980 and 1982. I ran for state senator and Ron ran for state representative in 1984. We both made it-Ron by a mere 23 votes. When I left the Senate in 1991 to head up the Oregon DMV, Ron was appointed to my seat. Ron ran for another senate term, then left to return full time to PSU's Public Administration program (which he had founded in 1976), feeling he could have more impact on the region's future there. Because scholarships were so important to us as students, we want to help others have a chance. That is why we created the Ron Cease Founder's Award through our gifts now and in our estate plans. PSU has clone so much for us and our community that we want to make sure others can be part of this exciting institution. Although neither Ron nor I hold office anymore, we can't leave politics too far behind. The day after every primary and general election we host potluck lunches for friends and colleagues to celebrate, commiserate, and rehash the results-gathered, of course, around our dining table. /J Jane Cease Professor Ron Cease and Jane Cease in their Portland home. (Photo by Steve Dipaola)