Victor G. Atiyeh
| Vic Atiyeh | |
|---|---|
 |
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| 32nd Governor of Oregon | |
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In office January 8, 1979 – January 12, 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Bob Straub |
| Succeeded by | Neil Goldschmidt |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Victor George Atiyeh February 20, 1923 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | July 20, 2014 (aged 91) Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Resting place | River View Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Dolores Hewitt (1944–2014) |
| Education | University of Oregon |
Victor George "Vic" Atiyeh /əˈtiːjə/ (February 20, 1923 – July 20, 2014) was an American politician and member of the Republican Party who served as the 32nd Governor of Oregon from 1979 to 1987. The first elected governor of Arab descent in the United States, Atiyeh was elected in 1978, defeating incumbent Democratic Governor Robert W. Straub. He was re-elected against future Governor Ted Kulongoski with 61.6% of the vote in 1982, the largest margin in 32 years. Prior to being elected Governor, Atiyeh had served continuously in the Oregon Legislature since 1959, initially in the House and later in the Senate. To date, Atiyeh is the last Republican to have served as the governor of Oregon.
The son of Syrian immigrants, Atiyeh grew up in Portland, attending Holladay Grade School and Washington High School. He spent two years at the University of Oregon in Eugene, where he played guard for the Oregon Ducks football program and became a regional leader in the Boy Scouts of America. When his father died Atiyeh dropped out of college and took over his family's rug and carpet business, Atiyeh Brothers.
Atiyeh served as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives from 1959 to 1964 and in the Oregon State Senate from 1965 to 1978. In 1974, he ran for governor and lost to Democrat Robert W. Straub. After defeating former governor Tom McCall in the primary Atiyeh ran against Straub again in the 1978 election, but won this time with 55 percent of the vote. In 1982, he won re-election to a second four-year term, winning by the largest margin in 32 years for a gubernatorial election in Oregon.
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