Robert W. Straub

Infobox Governor
name= Robert W. "Bob" Straub


caption=
order=31^st
office= Governor of Oregon
term_start= January 12, 1975
term_end= January 9, 1979
lieutenant=
predecessor= Tom McCall
successor= Victor G. Atiyeh
party= Democrat
birth_date= birth date|1920|5|6|mf=y
birth_place= San Francisco, California
death_date= death date and age|2002|11|27|1920|5|6|mf=y
death_place= Springfield, Oregon
spouse= Pat Straub
profession= Politician
footnotes=

Robert William "Bob" Straub (May 6, 1920 - November 27, 2002), was a Democratic politician who served as Governor of Oregon from 1975 to 1979. Like his perennial opponent for governor, Tom McCall, he was a noted environmentalist.

Early life

Straub was born in San Francisco, California, and was the son of Thomas J. and Mary Tulley Straub. His educational background includes B.A. and M.S. degrees in business administration from Dartmouth College. In 1944, he married his wife, Pat and had six children. Moving to Eugene, Oregon in 1946, he established a construction firm.

Early Political life

He began his political career in 1954 as a member of the Lane County Board of Commissioners. He represented Lane County in the Oregon State Senate from 1959 to 1963. During his time in the senate, Straub established his reputation as an advocate for natural resource management and conservation. He was one of the state's first leaders to voice concern about air and water pollution. Straub served two terms as Oregon's State Treasurer from 1965 to 1973. He lost races for governor against McCall in 1966 and 1970, but with McCall barred by the state constitution from seeking a third consecutive term, Straub was finally able to win the state's top job in 1974, defeating then-State Senator Victor G. Atiyeh, winning the largest margin in an Oregon gubernatorial race since 1950.

Governor of Oregon

His tenure as governor saw the state's energy and land use laws strengthened. He also worked to increase property tax relief and to provide utility rate relief for senior citizens. He appointed more women, minorities and disabled people to head state agencies than any previous Oregon governor. Straub was defeated in his re-election bid in 1978 in a rematch with Atiyeh.

Retirement

Following his reelection defeat, he owned and operated farms in Salem, Springfield, Curtin, and Willamina. In addition, he also operated a ranch in Wheeler County. In 1987, Nestucca Spit State Park near Pacific City was renamed Bob Straub State Park in his honor. In 1999, he announced that he was suffering from Alzheimer's disease, and died three years later of complications from the disease in a Springfield, Oregon nursing home at the age of 82.

References

* [http://www.osl.state.or.us/home/lib/governors/rws.htm Oregon State Archives Biography]
* [http://www.wou.edu/provost/library/archives/straub Robert W. Straub Archives]
* [http://dgmweb.net/genealogy/FGS/Stra/StraubRobertWilliam-Pat_.shtml Genealogy of Robert William Straub]

External links

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