1962

Often referred to as “The Glass Palace”, Portland’s Memorial Coliseum
was dedicated on January 8, 1961 to the memory of our veterans of
all wars.

Mel Blanc (born Melvin Jerome Blank) was born in San Francisco and grew up
in Portland, Oregon where he attended Lincoln High School. He changed is last
name to ‘Blanc’ at the age of 16. While still in his teens, Blanc started his career
as a voice actor on KGW radio in 1927 and produced and hosted his own show
on KEX radio beginning in 1933. Blanc moved to Southern California in 1935, 
eventually working on CBS and NBC radio programs, including Jack Benny in
the late 1930s and later on Benny’s TV show. Blanc is best known for providing
voices for classic Warner Brothers cartoons beginning in 1936. Many of his
characters included Bugs Bunny, porky Pig, Daffy Duck, and Tweety Bird just
to name a few. 

The first known observance of Memorial Day was in Charleston, South Carolina
in 1865. Freed enslaved African Americans, known as “freedmen”, celebrated
at the Washington Race Course, today the location of Hampton Park, and each
year thereafter. Observance of the event grew in the North and soon became
nationwide beginning in 1868.