Robert William Sawyer
Encyclopedia
Robert William Sawyer was an American
politician who was a prominent figure and a respected conservationist
in Oregon
.
He was born in Bangor, Maine
on May 12, 1880. He studied law at Harvard. In 1912 he moved to Bend, Oregon
where he started working at the Bend Co. sawmill. Here he met George P. Putnam
, the publisher of the Bend Bulletin. From this friendship, he soon became a news writer for the Bend Bulletin.
, and in 1919 assumed the role of editor. During his years in this post, Sawyer became one of the state’s leading newspapermen. From 1927 to 1929 he served as president of the Oregon State Editorial Association. He remained editor until 1953 when the Bend Bulletin was sold to Robert W. Chandler.
from Crook County
in 1917.
and on the Pacific Northwest Regional Forestry Advisory Council. During the 1950s he was a member of the Hoover Commission Task Force on Water Resources and Power. Sawyer died of a heart attack on October 13, 1959. A former Oregon state park (now a city park) near Bend is named for him.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician who was a prominent figure and a respected conservationist
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
.
He was born in Bangor, Maine
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
on May 12, 1880. He studied law at Harvard. In 1912 he moved to Bend, Oregon
Bend, Oregon
Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population...
where he started working at the Bend Co. sawmill. Here he met George P. Putnam
George P. Putnam
George Palmer Putnam was an American publisher, author and explorer. Known for his marriage to and being the widower of Amelia Earhart, he had also achieved fame as one of the most successful promoters in the United States during the 1930s.-Early life:Born in Rye, New York, he was the son of John...
, the publisher of the Bend Bulletin. From this friendship, he soon became a news writer for the Bend Bulletin.
Publishing
Sawyer purchased Putnam’s interest in the Bend Bulletin after Putnam became secretary to Governor James WithycombeJames Withycombe
James Withycombe was a British-born American politician, a Republican, and the 15th Governor of Oregon. Prior to entering politics he was farmer and sheep rancher in the Tualatin Valley, leading to appointment as the state's veterinarian and then as head of what became the Oregon State University...
, and in 1919 assumed the role of editor. During his years in this post, Sawyer became one of the state’s leading newspapermen. From 1927 to 1929 he served as president of the Oregon State Editorial Association. He remained editor until 1953 when the Bend Bulletin was sold to Robert W. Chandler.
Politics
Sawyer was involved in the split of Deschutes CountyDeschutes County, Oregon
-National protected areas:* Deschutes National Forest * Newberry National Volcanic Monument-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 115,367 people, 45,595 households, and 31,962 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 54,583...
from Crook County
Crook County, Oregon
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 19,182 people, 7,354 households, and 5,427 families residing in the county. The population density was 6 people per square mile . There were 8,264 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile...
in 1917.
- 1920 – 1927, Deschutes County judge
- 1927 – 1930, member of the Oregon State Highway Commission.
- 1931 – 1937, President of the Oregon Reclamation Congress
- 1935, elected Oregon Director of the National Reclamation Association
- 1935 – 1939, advisory board for reconstruction of the Oregon State CapitolOregon State CapitolThe Oregon State Capitol is the building housing the state legislature and the offices of the governor, secretary of state, and treasurer of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the state capital, Salem. The current building, constructed from 1936 to 1938, and expanded in 1977, is the third...
- 1939 – , chairman of the Capitol Planning Commission.
- 1945 – 1948 Oregon Director of the National Rifle AssociationNational Rifle AssociationThe National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
(NRA) - 1946 – 1947 President of the NRA
- 1945 – 1951, vice-chairman of the Oregon Statuary Hall commission.
Conservation
Always an avid outdoorsman, he served as a director of the American Forestry AssociationAmerican Forestry Association
The American Forestry Association was formed in Chicago, Illinois in September 1875 by John Aston Warder. The current headquarters are in Washington, D.C.. The organization acts as a clearinghouse for environmental organizations working to preserve world tree growth. The "National Register of...
and on the Pacific Northwest Regional Forestry Advisory Council. During the 1950s he was a member of the Hoover Commission Task Force on Water Resources and Power. Sawyer died of a heart attack on October 13, 1959. A former Oregon state park (now a city park) near Bend is named for him.