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Superintendents of Public Instruction of Oregon
Name/Party |
Term |
Authority/Remarks |
Simpson, Sylvester C.-D |
Jan. 29, 1873-Sept. 14, 1874 |
Appointed by Governor Grover |
Rowland, L.L.-R |
Sept. 14, 1874-Sept. 9, 1878 |
Elected 1874 |
Powell, J.L.-R |
Sept. 9, 1878-Sept. 11, 1882 |
Elected 1878 |
McElroy, E.B.-R |
Sept. 11, 1882-Jan. 14, 1895 |
Elected 1882; reelected 1886, 1890 |
Irwin, G.M.-R |
Jan. 14, 1895-Jan. 9, 1899 |
Elected 1894 |
Ackerman, J.H.-R |
Jan. 9, 1899-Jan. 3, 1911 |
Elected 1898; reelected 1902, 1906 |
Alderman, L.R.-R |
Jan. 4, 1911-Jan. 28, 1913 |
Elected 1910; resigned |
Churchill, J.A.-R |
July 1, 1913-June 1, 1926 |
Appointed by Governor West; elected 914; reelected 1918, 1922; resigned |
Turner, R.R.-D |
June 1, 1926-Jan. 3, 1927 |
Appointed by Governor Pierce |
Howard, Charles A.-R |
Jan. 3, 1927-Sept. 1, 1937 |
Elected 1926; reelected 1930, 1934; resigned |
Putnam, Rex-D |
Sept. 1, 1937-Jan. 31, 1961 |
Appointed by Governor Martin; elected 1938; reelected 1942, 1946, 1950, 1954, 1958; resigned |
Minear, Leon P. |
Feb. 1, 1961-Mar. 31, 1968 |
Appointed by Governor Hatfield; elected 1966; resigned |
Fasold, Jesse V. |
Apr. 8, 1968-June 30, 1968 |
Appointed by Governor McCall; resigned |
Parnell, Dale |
July 1, 1968-Mar. 31, 1974 |
Appointed by Governor McCall; elected 1968; reelected 1970; resigned |
Fasold, Jesse V. |
Apr. 1, 1974-Jan. 6, 1975 |
Appointed by Governor McCall |
Duncan, Verne A. |
Jan. 6, 1975-Nov. 15, 1989 |
Elected 1974; reelected 1978, 1982, 1986; resigned 1989 |
Erickson, John |
Dec. 18, 1989-Sept. 30, 1990 |
Appointed by Governor Goldschmidt; resigned |
Paulus, Norma |
Oct. 1, 1990-Jan. 4, 1999 |
Elected 1990; appointed by Governor Goldschmidt (before elective term began); reelected 1994 |
Bunn, Stan |
Jan. 4, 1999-Jan. 6, 2003 |
Elected 1998 |
Castillo, Susan2 |
Jan. 6, 2003-June 29, 2012 |
Elected 2002; reelected 2006, 2010; resigned 2012 |
1From 1942 to 1961, this office was filled by election on nonpartisan ballot. In 1961, the state legislature passed a statute making the office appointive by the State Board of Education. The Supreme Court declared this unconstitutional in 1965, and a constitutional amendment to place the method of selection in the hands of the state legislature was defeated in 1966. Another attempt to repeal the constitutional provision requiring election was defeated in 1980.
2In 2011, Senate Bill 552 created a new statutory provision naming the governor as Superintendent of
Public Instruction. Susan Castillo served until her 2012 resignation as the last elected superintendent.