Richard L. Neuberger

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Richard Lewis Neuberger (December 26, 1912 – March 9, 1960) was a U.S. journalist, author, and politician during the middle of the 20th century.

Neuberger was born in the rural part of Multnomah County, Oregon, and grew up in nearby Portland, Oregon. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 1935, and served as editor of the student newspaper, the Oregon Daily Emerald. Neuberger began writing for the New York Times as a college senior, and became the newspaper's Northwest correspondent in 1939. He also began writing books during these years.

In 1941, Neuberger was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives. His political career was interrupted by World War II, during which Neuberger served in the U.S. Army as an officer from 1942 to 1945.

Back in civilian life, Neuberger continued to work for the Times and write books, and was elected to the Oregon State Senate in 1949.

In 1954, Neuberger was elected as a Democrat to one of Oregon's United States Senate seats. A vigorous and outspoken liberal, he served in the Senate until his untimely death at the age of 47. Neuberger died at home of a stroke while back in Oregon campaigning for re-election.

One lasting mark Neuberger left as a Senator was the creation of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area on the Pacific Coast of Oregon. He initially introduced a bill for its creation in 1959. After being defeated 12 years in a row, the bill was finally signed into law in 1972. He was also responsible for sponsoring the initial version of the Alaska Mental Health Enabling Act of 1956.

Neuberger was married in 1945 to the former Maurine Brown, who was elected to Neuberger's U.S. Senate seat for a six-year term after his death. They had no children.

[edit] Writings

An Army of the Aged. Caldwell : Caxton Press, 1936. (Co-written by Kelley Loe.)
Our Promised Land. New York : Macmillan, 1938.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition. New York : Random House, 1951.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police. New York : Random House, 1953.
Adventures in Politics: We Go to the Legislature. New York : Oxford University, 1954.