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October 22, 2020
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TROUBLING LEGACY
Committee report supports removing Pierce from EOU libary name
By Sabrina Thompson
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Eastern Oregon Uni-
versity’s library could be getting a new
name.
The Eastern Oregon University Board of
Trustees will take the fi nal report from the
Pierce Library Naming Committee under
consideration during its Nov. 12 meeting.
The library’s name has been contro-
versial for years. Its namesakes, former
Oregon Gov. Walter Pierce and his wife,
Cornelia Pierce, held a number of public
leadership roles in Oregon during the fi rst
half of the 20th century. But Walter Pierce
also received political support from the Ku
Klux Klan, and the couple advocated for
eugenics and racist policies. As governor,
Walter Pierce upheld and created discrimi-
natory and anti-immigration policies.
The 14-page report, which the com-
mittee submitted Aug. 27 to EOU Presi-
dent Tom Insko, contains research and tes-
timony in support of changing the name of
the library.
“We must never be complacent in priori-
tizing the values of justice and equity in the
work we do every day at EOU, and we must
intentionally carry these values into every
conversation we have in this community
and every decision we make as leaders of
the university,” Insko said in a press release
about the report and upcoming meeting.
“The name of the library is one of those
conversations that continues within, and
outside of, the EOU community.”
The committee consists of EOU Vice
President for University Advancement
Tim Seydel, students Andrea Camacho
and Joel Chin, associate history professor
Rebecca Hartman and library faculty Katie
Townsend. The committee set up criteria
for determining the naming of the library
and answered several questions in an anal-
ysis in the report, including whether the
values of actions of the Pierces confl ict
with EOU’s mission statement, values and
principles, and whether they demonstrate
discriminatory views that actively pro-
moted systemic oppression.
According to the report, the committee
found the Pierces’ legacy does confl ict
with Eastern Oregon University’s values.
“In applying this set of criteria we were
most troubled by the enduring nature of the
Pierces’ commitment to exclusionary and
nativist values and we identifi ed a clear
confl ict between this commitment and
EOU’s values of inclusiveness, embracing
diversity and valuing multiple perspec-
tives,” according to the report.
The committee detailed the former gov-
ernor’s discriminatory history, including
involvement with the KKK, limiting immi-
grants’ ability to own property, and par-
ticularly his discrimination against immi-
grants from Asian countries.
“In the context of our criteria, we con-
clude that regardless of the question of his
Klan membership, (Walter) Pierce’s sup-
port of the Compulsory School bill, his and
Cornelia’s successful campaign for forced
sterilization, his vote against a federal anti-
Position 2 LG
City Council
candidates
discuss issues
Both agree that the city
needs to help businesses
By Dick Mason
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Nicole
Howard wants to help La Grande
businesses continue expanding
their presence downtown.
This is one reason Howard is
running for reelection to a second
term on the La Grande City
Council. But challenger Denise
Wheeler contends the city has not
done enough to help businesses,
and she is running to defeat
Howard and change that.
Howard is a strong supporter
of the city’s Urban Renewal
Agency and said she believes
its funds are a substantial ben-
efi t for helping downtown busi-
nesses expand their operations.
Howard noted several businesses,
including Raul’s Taqueria and
Direct Music Source, are using
URA funds to help them expand.
See, Council/Page 5A
Sabrina Thompson/The Observer
The Eastern Oregon University Board of Trustees consider changing the name of the Pierce
Library at its Nov. 12 meeting. The library is named after former Oregon Gov. Walter Pierce
and his wife, Cornelia Pierce. Walter Pierce received support from the Ku Klux Klan, and the
couple supported eugenics and advocated for racists policies.
lynching law and his sustained assault
upon the civil liberties of Japanese-Ameri-
cans are clear evidences of the Pierces’ dis-
criminatory actions and values,” the report
said.
The committee found the Pierces never
attempted redemption or refl ected on their
ideologies, but there is no evidence either
promoted physical violence against people.
What is their public legacy?
According to the committee, Walter and
Cornelia Pierce’s legacy is ambiguous. The
couple helped the state and rural commu-
nities through their work, including Cor-
nelia Pierce’s role as state librarian and
Walter Pierce’s work in the development of
Columbia River hydroelectricity, enacting
the fi rst graduated income tax and his
advancement of popular government.
However, the committee said in its report,
when viewed through the lens of a racially
exclusionary progressivism, their achieve-
ments become problematic.
“For at the core of (Walter) Pierce’s
populist and progressive politics was an
enduring commitment to racial inequality
and the values of white supremacy,” the
report said. “While there is no argument
that Walter Pierce made contributions to
Oregon in his years as a public servant, the
committee concludes his principle legacy
is at best tarnished by, and at worst, singu-
larly defi ned by a consistent and enduring
commitment to racist ideologies and
values.”
The committee’s report concluded with
a recommendation to change the library’s
name. The board will take this report and
additional testimony under advisement
before voting to keep or change the name
of the library.
Early voting
turnout fi lling
ballot boxes
Union County elections
has received more than
2,000 ballots
By Sabrina Thompson
The Observer
UNION COUNTY — Voters
are turning out early in Union
County. According to the Union
County Clerk’s offi ce 2,021
people have cast their ballot as of
Monday, Oct. 19, 15 days before
election night.
“I think people are voting
early this year because of all of
the hype regarding ‘early voting’
that is on the news, social media,
etc.,” Union County Clerk Robin
Church said.
During the 2016 general elec-
tion, 10 days before election night
Nov. 8, Union County voters had
submitted 921 ballots, a 5.5%
See, Library/Page 5A
See, Voting/Page 5A
Boise Cascade could close Elgin plant
Company files lawsuit
against DEQ
ONLINE
• To read a copy of the lawsuit, see
this story at lagrandeobserver.com
By Sabrina Thompson
The Observer
ELGIN — The Boise Cascade
Company announced it might shut
down its plywood plant in Elgin in
early 2021.
The wood products giant noti-
fi ed the 230 employees at the Elgin
facility it may reduce their hours or
close the plant temporarily begin-
ning Jan. 1. Boise Cascade spokes-
woman Lisa Chapman said the
potential reduction in hours and
closure is due to a lack of logs
because of wildfi res as well as an
order from the Oregon Department
of Environmental Quality regarding
the use of wastewater at the Elgin
facility.
“We were notifi ed by the DEQ
in April and after lengthy discus-
sions we fi led a lawsuit at the end of
August,” Chapman said. “The DEQ
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Dear Abby .... 6B
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Letters ........... 4A
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WEATHER
said to limit our water use due to
the presence of dioxins.”
Dioxins are a group of toxic
chemical compounds that are
harmful to health.
The DEQ granted a permit in
2018 for use of water at the Elgin
plant. Chapman said there is no evi-
dence that use of the water, as the
permit allows, has caused or con-
tributed to an environmental or
human health hazard. She said sam-
ples from the water contain low
levels of dioxins.
Boise Cascade fi led a petition
for reconsideration with DEQ on
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SHERLOCK HOLMES ON STAGE
May 4, arguing the environmental
regulation agency was “attempting
to modify the permit without fol-
lowing its required procedural pro-
cess.” DEQ denied the request on
multiple grounds, including the
company’s amendments to the
water use plan were inconsistent
with either the permit or Environ-
mental Quality Commission rules.
The company, fi ling as Boise
Cascade Wood Products LLC,
responded on Aug. 31 in Union
County with the lawsuit seeking a
See, Boise/Page 5A
CONTACT US
541-963-3161
Issue 126
3 sections, 24 pages
La Grande, Oregon
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