Digital Commons@WOU

The Bob Straub Oral History Project began in 2003 with the purpose to gather and make available recorded interviews of legislators, associates and family knowledgeable about the life and career of Governor Bob Straub. Western Oregon University partnered with oral historian Michael O'Rourke to record Governor Straub's colleagues and family members describing his extraordinary career and examining the role he played in Oregon politics.

This collection includes a few video excerpts of Janet McLennan and Ken Johnson, both longtime friends and colleagues of Governor Straub. These clips relate to Straub's role with Oregon beach policies, including the proposed highway change to U.S. 101 along the Nestucca spit outside Pacific City and his work with the organization Beaches Forever. Janet McLennan served as the organization's Executive Director and later served as Straub's Deputy State Treasurer and his Natural Resources Assistant.