Avel Gordly
| Avel Gordly | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Oregon Senate from the 23rd district |
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| In office 1997–2009 |
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| Succeeded by | Jackie Dingfelder |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 13, 1947 Portland, Oregon |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | widowed |
| Residence | Portland, Oregon |
| Alma mater | Portland State University |
| Occupation | Activist, community organizer, educator |
Avel Louise Gordly (born February 13, 1947) is an activist, community organizer, and former politician who in 1996 became the first African-American woman to be elected to the Oregon State Senate.
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[edit] Early years
Gordly was born in Portland, Oregon to a mother active in local leadership within the Order of the Eastern Star and a father who worked for the railroad.[1] She graduated from Girls Polytechnic High School in 1965[1] (which later merged with Benson Polytechnic). After five years at Pacific Northwest Bell, she enrolled at Portland State University, earning a degree in the administration of justice.[1]
[edit] Political office
Gordly was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1991,[2] where she served three terms, representing parts of north and northeast Portland. In 1996 she was elected to the Oregon State Senate, the first African-American woman to do so; she served in the Senate from 1997 to 2009. In 2008, while serving as senator, OHSU opened the Avel Gordly Center for Healing, which provides mental health and psychiatric services.
[edit] Recent work
Gordly is an adjunct professor at her alma mater,[3] and with Patricia A. Schecter, is the author of Remembering the Power of Words (2001, ISBN 0870716042), her memoirs, published by Oregon State University Press.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Avel Gordly (1947-) | Oregon Encyclopedia - Oregon History and Culture". Oregon Encyclopedia. http://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/entry/view/gordly_avel_1947_/. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
- ^ "Portland State Black Studies | Avel Gordly Curriculum Vitae". Portland State University. http://www.pdx.edu/blackstudies/avel-gordly-curriculum-vitae. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
- ^ "Portland State Black Studies | Black Studies Department Faculty & Staff". Portland State University. http://www.pdx.edu/blackstudies/black-studies-department-faculty-staff. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
- ^ "Remembering the Power of Words". Publishers Weekly. http://announcements.publishersweekly.com/PW/PW_ProductDetail.aspx?pg=8726&sku=0870716042. Retrieved 2011-03-23.
[edit] External links
- Biography and Curriculum Vitae at Portland State University
- Biography from The Oregon Encyclopedia
- Follow the Money - Avel Gordly (1992 1994 1996 2000 2004 2006)
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