PAGE A10, KEIZERTIMES, MARCH 18, 2022
Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter
Gerry Frank, speaks at the dedication for the Gerry Frank | Salem Rotary Amphitheater on July 23, 2021, as Gov. Kate Brown
and Sen. Betsy Johnson look on.
Gerry Frank, a fixture in Oregon
politics and philanthropy, dead at 98
nearly a century long, Gerry Frank has
departed. He gifted us with a legacy
of matchless deeds and memories. He
leaves a loving family, an extended fam-
ily of countless friendships and an ador-
ing public,” according to a statement
released Sunday on behalf of the family
by Stephen (Skip)
Frank, a nephew.
"Gerry was a
massive presence
to everyone who
knew him or knew
of him. You always
knew if he was in
the same room. His
reach and touch
extended far, but the
prosperity and wel-
fare of the citizens
of Oregon was his
highest priority,” the
statement said.
"He shared freely
his advice and coun-
sel, sought by many,
from the well-known
and not so well
known. His door was
always open and
he answered every
call. And who could
PHOTO/Oregon Historical Society
ever forget that firm
Gerry Frank judges chocolate cakes at the Oregon State Fair in 1960.
handshake and eye
He judged the contest for 60 years.
contact that came
with every greet-
lic and in private to advance the state ing. He was the real deal,” the statement
he loved. And his love for chocolate was concluded.
He was born in Portland in 1923,
unmatched. Frank was proud of being a
fourth-generation Oregonian, and part attended Stanford University and joined
of the namesake family that founded the the U.S. Army in 1943. He served in the
European theater during World War II
department store chain Meier & Frank.
"Following a long and fruitful life and subsequently attended Cambridge
By SALEM REPORTER
Gerry Frank, a lifelong Oregonian
who made imprints in business, poli-
tics and philanthropy, died in Salem on
Sunday, March 13. He was 98.
Frank’s fingerprints are left on all
parts of Oregon. He was a force in pub-
University, earning a bachelor’s degree
in economics and then a master’s degree
in politics .He returned to Oregon and
joined the family department store busi-
ness, opening its Salem store in 1955.
The business, founded in 1857, was sold
in 1966.
Frank started a long association with
Mark Hatfield, helping the Republican
win one term and then another as gover-
nor. While Hatfield was governor, Frank
served as chair of the Oregon Economic
Development Commission from 1959 to
1966.
After Hatfield was elected U.S. sen-
ator in 1966, Frank became his chief of
staff, serving in that role from 1973 to
1992.
"The respect in which Gerry was held
in Oregon and in Washington, D.C., can
be seen in the fact that he was often
referred to as ‘Oregon’s Third Senator,’”
according to a biography prepared
ahead of his death.
He served on corporate and non-
profit boards through most of his life,
including U.S. Bancorp and Standard
Insurance.
It was in his nonprofit role that Frank
made a significant mark in Oregon,
proving an effective fundraiser that
helped push major civic projects to
done. At one point, it was estimated he
had personally raised a half billion dol-
lars for nonprofits.
He was active in Salem life, from
the Salem Rotary Club to the Salem
Chamber of Commerce. With a partner,
he opened Gerry Frank’s Konditorei
in 1982 on South Commercial Street,
which quickly became popular for what
is described as “extravagant” cakes.
That included one named “Gerry’s
Chocolate.” He remained involved until
selling the business in 2017.
And he was an authority on chocolate
cake. For 60 years, he was the sole judge
at the Oregon State Fair for the Gerry
Frank Chocolate Layer Cake Contest.
Frank was also a prolific writer,
penning a column for The Oregonian,
“Frankly Speaking,” and later a travel
column, “Gerry Frank’s picks.” He also
wrote a guide to New York City, Where
to Find It, Buy It, Eat It in New York. He
updated the book, which sold more than
1 million copies in 16 printings. Frank
also produced Gerry Frank’s Oregon, a
guide to every nook of the state that is in
its fourth printing.
He collected honor after honor
through his life, and his biography said
he was particularly proud of being grand
marshal of the Portland Rose Parade, the
first recipient of Willamette University’s
Glenn Jackson Leadership Award,
and being declared by then-Gov. John
Kitzhaber as “Oregon’s Premier Citizen.”
In 2015, the Oregon Legislature hon-
ored Frank with a resolution for his “ven-
erable civic, political, entrepreneurial,
literary and culinary contributions to
the people of Oregon and for service to
community, state and country."
To honor him, the Rotary Club of
Salem last year dedicated The Gerry
Frank | Salem Rotary Amphitheater at
the Riverfront Park. The amphitheater
celebrated the club’s centennial. Frank
Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter
Gerry Frank shares a moment with Gov. Kate Brown on Friday, July 23, at the dedi-
cation of the Gerry Frank | Salem Rotary Amphitheater in Riverfront Park in River-
front Park.