Chester Lloyd "Chet" Orloff (born February 22, 1949) is a historian, writer and professor in Portland, Oregon, called "one of [Oregon's] favorite history teachers" by The Oregonian.[1]
Early life
Orloff was born in Bellingham, Washington to business financier Monford Orloff and Janice Diamond Orloff, and raised in Washington and Portland, Oregon. His brother is physicist Jon Orloff. Orloff attended Lincoln High School,[2] went to Boston University to prepare for law school,[3] then transferred to the University of Oregon where he ran under legendary track coach Bill Bowerman. Orloff studied anthropology at University of Oregon,[4] graduating in 1972 with a degree in archaeology.[5] Orloff later received a masters degree in history and historical agency administration from Portland State University.[5]
Career
Orloff enlisted in the Peace Corps and lived and taught in Afghanistan with his wife until 1975. They returned to Portland where he interned at the Oregon Historical Society (OHS), then became assistant director from 1982 to 1986.[6] In 1987 he left OHS and founded the Ninth Judicial Circuit Historical SocietyinPasadena, California.[7] In 1991, he returned to OHS as executive director, replacing Bill Tramposch who, upon arrival, confronted a near-mutinous staff and a one million dollar deficit left by the previous
administration(Oregonian, July 24, 1990). [6][8][9][10] He held this position for ten years, retiring at the end of 2000.[1][9] Orloff was the founder and editor of the journal Western Legal History and was the Senior Editor of the Oregon Historical Quarterly.
If Zealously Promoted by All: The Push and Pull of Portland Parks History, in The Portland Edge: Challenges and Successes In Growing Communities, 2008, Connie Ozawa, editor, ISBN 1-55963-695-5
^ abcMershon, Helen L. (September 17, 1997). "Chet Orloff, Executive Director, Oregon Historical Society, on his book-lined library". The Oregonian. p. 2.
^ abcRubenstein, Sura (November 11, 1991). "Historical Society praises new executive director". The Oregonian. p. B5.
^Pintarich, Paul (January 23, 1990). "Role of far-reaching Ninth Judicial Circuit Court spawns publications". The Oregonian. p. D6.
^Tomlinson, Stuart (November 7, 1991). "Former assistant to head Historical Society". The Oregonian. p. B3.
^ abLeeson, Fred (November 8, 2000). "Orloff will leave job at Historical Society". The Oregonian. p. C9.
