Paul Bragdon, who led Portland’s Reed College for 17 years and came out of retirement to rescue neighboring Lewis & Clark College from dire financial straits a decade and half later, has died, current President Audrey Bilger said in a release.
He was 94.
Bragdon was highly regarded among Oregon higher education. He left his post at Reed in 1988 to take a job as then-Gov. Neil Goldschmidt’s education adviser.
After that, Bragdon spent four years at the helm of the Oregon Graduate Institute. The school, then touted as the “M.I.T. of the West,” was struggling financially when President Dwight Sangrey stepped down. The board of trustees hired Bragdon to get the school’s financial house in order.
He was similarly tapped by the board of trustees at Lewis & Clark in 2003 after then-President Michael Mooney took out an unauthorized $10.5 million loan that triggered his resignation. Bragdon was the Lewis & Clark board’s unanimous choice to lead the college, The Oregonian reported at the time, due in part to his disinterest in seeking the position permanently.
Bragdon was born in Portland, Maine, on April 19, 1927.
He started his professional career as a lawyer in New York City before moving to city hall to work under Mayor Robert Wagner, at one point as press secretary. His last job in the Empire State was as vice president of New York University, which Bragdon left in 1971 to lead Reed.
When Bragdon presided over his final commencement ceremony at Reed, he had presented 40% of the 8,223 degrees the college had awarded by then, The Oregonian reported at the time.
--Eder Campuzano | 503-221-4344 | @edercampuzano | Eder on Facebook
Eder is The Oregonian’s education reporter. Do you have a tip about Portland Public Schools? Email ecampuzano@oregonian.com.