Chapter 39: Oregon

Oregon’s commitment to public education began in the 1830s when New England pioneer John Ball opened the first ‘public’ school for children of fur trappers who frequented Fort Vancouver. By 1849 the Reverend George Atkinson had authored Oregon Territory’s first body of school law, which included the following principles: (1) education should be free; (2) control should be decentralized and local; (3) a permanent school fund should be established; (4) professional standards should be established to provide for the certification of teachers; (5) schools should be tax supported; and (6) educational institutions should practice religious freedom.¹ In February 1859 Oregon became a state, and its constitution included provisions for the establishment of: