Donna Sinclair to speak at McMenamins May 18 — 

here’s the press release: 


Monday, May 18
HISTORY PUB MONDAYS
In May: Swept Away: Vanport and the Memorial Day Flood of 1948
Featuring speaker Donna Sinclair
7 p.m. | Free; bring canned goods to donate to Oregon Food Bank | All ages welcome

***Please Note: This month’s event will be held on the 2nd to last Monday (5/18), due to Memorial Day Weekend! Thank you.*** 

Join us for beer and history, sponsored by the Oregon Historical Society, Holy Names Heritage Center and McMenamins, in which you’ll hear lively local or regional history while you enjoy a frosty pint or two of handcrafted ale. Gather in the theater at Kennedy School every last Monday of the month. 

In May: “Swept Away: Vanport and the Memorial Day Flood of 1948,” a discussion by Donna Sinclair 

As massive numbers of shipyard workers poured into Portland and Vancouver during WWII, a serious housing shortage emerged. In 1942, Vanport, a hastily built city of public housing units was constructed between the Portland boundary and the Columbia River. Some 40,000 people lived in Vanport, including large numbers of African Americans, who had migrated from the South. On May 30, 1948, a massive flood destroyed the city, killing untold numbers and leaving thousands homeless. Donna Sinclair examines the history of the Vanport flood, including the racial tensions that existed before and afterward. Former Vanport residents will also be on hand to share their memories. 

Speaker Bio: 
Donna Sinclair is program manager at the Center for Columbia River History (CCRH). She formerly directed the oral history programs for the Oregon Historical Society, Reed College and the U.S. District Court of Oregon. She has an M.A. in History from Portland State University and is in the PSU Urban Studies Ph.D. program, focusing on Women and Minorities in the U.S. Forest Service. She wrote about Vanport for the CCRH website (www.ccrh.org) and continues to explore the impact of the Vanport flood on regional communities.

Morgen Young, Director, Northwest History Network
Morgen Young

Professional Credentials

  • M.A., Public History, University of South Carolina
  • B.A., History, Furman University

Personal Statement

I am a consulting historian who works with individuals and organizations alike to document, preserve, and interpret public history. My work focuses on exhibit development, oral history, digital history, and historic preservation.

Areas of Specialization:

  • Pacific Northwest history
  • Oral history
  • Digital history
  • Community history
  • Company history
  • Architectural history
  • Genealogy
  • Historic preservation
  • Workshops and lectures
  • Museum exhibits
  • Walking tours

Professional Associations

  • National Council on Public History
  • Architectural Heritage Center, Business Member
  • Northwest Oral History Association
  • Northwest Independent Scholars Association
  • Oregon Museums Association

Selected Positions, Projects, and Publications

  • Consulting historian and owner of Alder since 2009. Clients have included Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon Historical Society, Port of Portland, New Seasons Market, Architectural Heritage Center, and the Center for Women’s Leadership at Portland State University
  • Project Manager. Oral History Program. Oregon Health & Science University. Portland, OR. February 2014 to present.
  • “Oregon Voices.” Oregon History Museum. Permanent exhibit debuted November 2015. Portland, OR. Curator.
  • “Entrepreneurial Spirit: Latinos in Oregon/El Espiritu del Emprendedor: Latinos en Oregon.” Portland Mercado. October 15–December 31, 2015. Portland, OR. Curator.
  • “PDX 75th.” Portland International Airport. October 1–November 30, 2015. Portland, OR. Curator.
  • “World War II: A World at War, A State Transformed.” Oregon History Museum. June 26–December 7, 2015. Portland, OR. Assistant Curator.
  • “The History of Starr-Edwards Heart Valves.” Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University. Permanent exhibit debuted June 2015. Portland, OR. Curator.
  • “Farming in Historic Tualatin.” New Seasons Market, Tualatin-Nyberg Rivers. Permanent exhibit debuted September 2014. Portland, OR. Curator.
  • “Made in Milwaukie.” Milwaukie Historical Society. Permanent exhibit debuted September 2014. Milwaukie, OR. Curator.
  • “Uprooted: Japanese American Farm Labor Camps During World War II.” Traveling exhibit, debuted September 12, 2014 at the Four Rivers Cultural Center, Ontario, OR. Curator. http://www.uprootedexhibit.com
  • “A Sea Change in Oregon Politics: The 1973 Oregon Legislative Session.” Center for Women’s Leadership at Portland State University. Digital exhibit debuted April 2014. Portland, OR. Curator. http://cwppdigitalexhibits.com

Contact Information:
503.333.4914
morgen@alder-llc.com
www.alder-llc.com

Professional Credentials

  • Ph.D. Candidate, University of Michigan
  • MA, University of Michigan
  • BA, Lewis & Clark College

Personal Statement

I serve as volunteer co-director of the Northwest History Network because it is an an opportunity and context for independent historians to support each other’s work and to advocate for history. I’ve conducted research in a wide-variety of topical areas to help inform projects including exhibit and media design, environmental cleanup, litigation, public programs, and public policy.

Areas of Specialization

  • Research
  • Evaluations
  • Program and project management
  • Grant writing
  • 20th century U.S. political culture
  • Oral history
  • Education
  • Gender studies

Selected Positions, Projects, and Publications

  • Content Director, Night & Day Studios
  • Program Manager, Center for Columbia River History
  • Program Manager and Grant Director, Educational Service District 112

Contact Information:
503-240-3344
mary.wheeler@gmail.com