Should Oregon swap its U.S. Capitol statues?

Oregonians now have an opportunity to voice their opinions on whether statues of Dr. John McLoughlin and Jason Lee should continue to represent Oregon in National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol, or whether those statues should be returned to Oregon, and replaced by statues of other historic Oregonians.

In 1864, the U.S. Congress passed legislation converting the former House of Representatives Chamber into a venue for displaying statues of citizens from each state “illustrious for their historic renown or for distinguished civic or military services.”

The National Statuary Hall collection now includes 100 statues contributed by the 50 states. Legislation enacted by Congress in 2000 provided procedures for states to reclaim a statue in the collection and replace it with a new statue. Seven states have since replaced statues.

Oregon pioneers McLoughlin and Lee were selected by the 1921 Oregon State Legislature to represent Oregon in the collection.

On August 20, 2014, Governor John Kitzhaber issued an Executive Order establishing a nine-member Statuary Hall Study Commission, and assigned them the task of reporting to the upcoming Oregon Legislative Assembly whether the statues of McLoughlin or Lee should be returned home, and, if so, who should be sent as a replacement statue.

The commission, chaired by former Willamette University President Dr. Jerry Hudson, has held two public meetings, and, as required by the Executive Order, is encouraging input from a wide range of Oregonians, including school children throughout Oregon.

At the request of the commission, the Oregon Historical Society has added a special section to its website http://www.ohs.org/get-involved/statuary-hall.cfm which will allow Oregonians to access biographies of McLoughlin and Lee, as well as biographies of historic Oregonians who historians and various historic organizations have recommended as worthy of consideration as possible replacements.

Those accessing the website will also be able to express their opinion on the question of the retention or replacement of the current statues, and the question of possible replacements.

“I invite all Oregonians to join in this fascinating conversation on our state’s history, heritage, and shared values,” said Dr. Hudson. “I especially encourage school teachers across Oregon to ensure that Oregon’s future–our youth–become involved in this conversation.”

Oregonians can also share their opinions by “snail mail” by writing to the “Statuary Hall Study Commission; c/o Oregon Historical Society; 1200 SW Park Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97205.