Pacific University Mourns Passing Of Russ Dondero
Pacific University mourns the passing of Professor Emeritus of Politics & Government Russ Dondero, who died in Portland on Nov. 14, 2024, at age 82.
An expert on Oregon and Northwest politics and the presidency, Dondero served on the Pacific faculty from 1974 to 2005 and mentored many students to successful careers in politics, government and public policy work. A firm believer in the power of experiential learning, Dondero arranged hundreds of internships for students over the decades, ranging from work on campaigns to the halls of Congress. He was also deeply engaged and impactful in the lives of his students well beyond the classroom and politics.
In 1982, with the help of Pacific’s student Politics & Law Forum, Dondero brought Cal Thomas and Sam Brown to the Forest Grove Campus to debate on the Moral Majority. That debate grew into the annual Tom McCall Forum, which brought national political leaders to Pacific and was one of the top political events in the Portland area for 25 years. The last Tom McCall Forum was presented in 2007.
Over the years, the Tom McCall Forum brought to Pacific such political figures as William F. Buckley, Jr.; James Watt, Geraldine Ferraro, Jesse Jackson, Mary Matalin, James Carville, former Vice President Dan Quayle, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.; Ralph Nader, Newt Gingrich, Bill Bradley and more.
Outside of the classroom, Dondero was active in local politics and advocated for the homeless and unhoused. He served for nearly 20 years on the Washington County Housing Authority Advisory Council. During the 1990s, he chaired both Washington County’s Housing Task Force and Citizen Participation Task Force. As part of a sabbatical in 1991, Dondero was a lobbyist for the Housing Lobby Coalition during that year’s Oregon legislative session.
Dondero frequently commented on politics in the media and was a regular presence in the Oregon State Capital, both advising legislators and testifying on proposed legislation.
Dondero received Pacific’s Honor of Merit Award in 1997. Thanks to a donation from an anonymous donor in 2002, the university created the Story-Dondero Fund for the Study of Politics & The Economy, presented to faculty members in the Departments of Politics & Government and Economics. The prize honors Dondero and Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Economics Joe Story.
Dondero’s legacy at Pacific also continues in the form of the Dondero Internship Fellowship, which provides undergraduate funding for students pursuing internships in government and public policy.
Dondero enjoyed playing golf and S-scale model trains. He was a lifelong sports fan, cheering on the University of Washington Huskies and the Seattle Mariners and was a fixture at Pacific University football games.
Born and raised in Seattle, Dondero earned his undergraduate degree in political science from Whitman College in 1964. He received his master’s degree in 1968 and his doctorate in 1973, both from the University of Minnesota. Prior to his arrival at Pacific, Dondero taught from 1969 to 1974 at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Dondero is survived by his wife of 58 years, Ann; sons Anthony (Tu-Ha Nguyen) and Jason; granddaughter Lavanya Sophia Ramanathan Dondero; sister-in-law Judy Furukawa and her husband, Richard King; niece Sarah King; and many others. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Dondero and Lois Jacobs; stepmother Edith Dondero; and stepsister Nancy Joiner.
A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2 p.m., at the Forest Grove United Church of Christ, 2032 College Way. The family requests that donations in his name be made to the Russell A. Dondero Endowed Fellowship Fund at Pacific University.