11:06 PM PDT on Thursday, May 6, 2004

Compiled by kgw.com Staff

Background biographical information on Neil Goldschmidt, as provided by his office on Thursday:

Goldschmidt has served as U.S. Cabinet Secretary, Governor of Oregon, Mayor of Portland and executive officer of a Fortune 500 corporation.

Former Oregon governor Neil Goldschmidt. (KGW photo)

Currently he has a small law practice focused primarily on strategic planning and problem solving for national and international businesses. Goldschmidt serves a limited number of clients on a continuing basis. In addition, he served on the boards of five private corporations, chairs Drug Strategies, Inc. and the Oregon Children’s Foundation. He is also a member of the Board of Oregon Health Sciences University.

Oregon governor -- January 1987 until January 1991, Goldschmidt led what has been called "The Oregon Comeback," the revival of a state suffering from nearly eight years of recession. During his term, the 56-year-old Democrat redesigned and reinvigorated the state’s economic development efforts; improved the business climate through a series of regulatory reforms, including a major overhaul of the workers’ compensation system; and initiated an investment strategy to repair the state’s deteriorating infrastructure.

NIKE -- Prior to his 1986 gubernatorial campaign, Goldschmidt was an executive of NIKE, Inc., serving as international Vice President from 1981 to 1985 and as President of NIKE Canada from 1986 to 1987.

President Carter Cabinet member -- Goldschmidt served as Secretary of Transportation for President Jimmy Carter from 1979 until January 1981, and was known for his work to revive the ailing automobile industry. He also spearheaded efforts to deregulate the airline, trucking and railroad industries.

Mayor of Portland -- Elected in 1972 at the age of 32, he was the nation’s youngest big-city mayor. During Goldschmidt’s years as Mayor, Portland became a national model for mass transit, building both a light rail system and a downtown transit mall. His administration made a strong commitment to preserving Portland neighborhoods, creating new downtown housing and revitalizing an aging city business core.

University of Oregon graduate -- Goldschmidt is a graduate of the University of Oregon, where he was president of the student body. He earned a law degree from the University of California’s Boalt Law School in 1967 and was a legal aid lawyer in Portland from 1967 until his election the Portland City Council in 1970

Personal information -- Goldschmidt was born June 16, 1940, in Eugene Oregon, where his parents still reside. He is married to Diana Snowden. They have four children.