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Earl Blumenauer Takes His Talents to Portland State University

He will bring five decades of high-level connections to an often-neglected campus.

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (Mick Hangland-Skill)
By Nigel Jaquiss

Portland State University has long lagged behind its downstate rivals in the political connections crucial to success in funding higher education. But on Sept. 9, Portland State University president Ann Cudd scored a coup, announcing that starting in January, PSU will employ U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) on the campus at 1825 SW Broadway.

Earlier this year, Blumenauer capped a 52-year political career (with the past 28 in Congress) by landing a $450 million federal grant (by far the largest of its type) to build a cover over Interstate 5 in Albina.

He will bring five decades of high-level connections in federal, state and local government to a campus that’s often a neglected stepsibling to the University of Oregon and Oregon State University.

“I have always been clear that I intend to come home and help the city I love,” Blumenauer says. “There is no better place for me to do that than at Portland State, where I can work with engaged students, committed faculty and the university’s many regional partners.”

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