PSU Memories: A Legacy of Friendship “You had this feeling, ‘What am I going to do with the rest of my life?’” -Joan Johnson As a Political Science major at PSU, Joan managed her friend Nancy Ryles’ run for the Beaverton School Board (1972) and later her run for the Oregon Legislature. Beginning in 1979, Nancy served two terms in the Oregon House and then was twice elected to the Oregon Senate. In 1987, Nancy resigned her senate seat to become the first woman appointed to the Oregon Public Utility Commission. In 1990, Nancy Ryles passed away from brain cancer. Together Joan, Jean Morton and Leslie Emery, all friends of Nancy’s, co-founded the Nancy Ryles Scholarship in her honor. It was Nancy’s idea that it be established at Portland State University to assist women whose education had been interrupted and who wanted the chance to go back to school. These three women led the drive to fund the endowment which twenty years later has raised more than $700,000. The Nancy Ryles Scholarship Fund, founded to support women returning to or entering PSU for the first time, now pays $7,500 to exceptional recipients. Together, Joan, Jean and Leslie were able to honor the legacy of their friend Nancy Ryles with a scholarship that continues to impact students today. Nancy Ryles during one of her campaigns.
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