Our History
In February 1902, James J. Gorman, “National Organizer” from The Knights of Columbus headquarters in New Haven, CT arrived in Portland, OR and called on His Grace Archbishop Christie for assistance to establish the Knights in the State of Oregon. On June 15 1902 the first council was established, Portland Council 678. John M Gearin was appointed first Grand Knight of the Council. Dr. Benjamin Norden became Territorial Deputy with the advent of the Order into Oregon, and served in that capacity until the establishment of the State Council, May 11, 1909, when he was elected first State Deputy.
Past State Chaplains
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Rev. John Francis Andrew Waters
1902 – 1912
Rev. Joseph Maurice O'Farrell
1912 – 1914
Rev Edwin V O'Hara
1914 – 1916
Rev John A Van Nevel
1916 – 1917
Most Rev Alexander A Christie
1917 – 1920
Bishop Joseph F McGrath
1920 – 1921
Rev Patrick Joseph Stack
1921 – 1922
Rev Joseph Maurice O'Farrell
1922 – 1925
Rt Rev Msg Arthur C Lane, P.M.
1925 – 1928
Rev George J Campbell
1928 – 1930
Rev Augustine Frank Loeser
1930 – 1931
Very Rev Francis P Leipzig
1931 – 1933
Rev Louis Aloysius Sander
1933 – 1937
Rev Edmund J Murnane
1937 – 1939
Rev Michael Edward Fleming
1939 – 1941
Rev John Sheridan
1941 – 1942
Rev Michael Raleigh
1942 – 1943
Very Rev Francis W Black
1943 – 1945
Very Rev Francis P Leipzig
1945 – 1947
Very Rev John Walsh
1947 – 1948
Rev James Maxwell
1948 – 1950
Rev Louis H Sohler
1950 – 1954
Very Rev Edmund J Murnane
1954 – 1956
Rt Rev Abbot Damian Jentges, O. S. B.
1956 – 1958
Rt Rev Msgr. M J McMahon
1958 – 1960
Rev Eunan Buckley, O. F. M.
1960 – 1962
Rev Joseph E Grady, S. J
1962 – 1964
Very Rev Carl Mai
1964 – 1965
Rev John Reedy
1965 – 1967
Rev Carl Wachter
1967 – 1969
Rev Joseph P Browne, C. S. C.
1969 – 1971, 1972 – 1973, 1983 – 1985
Archbishop Robert J Dwyer
1971 – 1972
Rev John F Phelan
1973 – 1975
Rev A J Fisher
1975 – 1977
Very Rev Donald Clarence Denman
1977 – 1979
Rev Kevin Bertram Mulligan
1979 – 1981
Rev Marcus E Gothe
1981 – 1983
Rev Charles P Taaffe
1985 – 1987, 1989 – 1991, 1991 – 1993, 1997 – 2001
Rev Cosmas P White
1987 – 1989
Most Rev Kenneth D Steiner, Co-Chaplain
1991 – 1993
Rev James Matthew Crunican
1993 – 1994
Rev Gregory Gage, Co-Chaplain
1994 – 1995
Rev Robert T Van Sickler, Co-Chaplain
1994 – 1995
Monsignor William Sherald Stone, Co-Chaplain
1995 – 1996
Rev Todd J Unger
1995 – 1996, 1996 – 1997
Rev Charles P Taaffe, Honorary Chaplain
2001 – 2003
Rev Joseph Reinig
2001 – 2003
Rev Timothy Mockaitis
2003 – 2005
Very Rev Richard Paperini
2005 – 2007
Rev John R Cihak
2007 – 2009
Rev Terry O'Connell
2009 – 2011
Rev Don Gutmann
2011 – 2013
Rev David Jaspers
2013 – 2014
Rev Theodore Lange
2014 – 2020
Past State Deputies
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Dr. Benjamin Louis Norden
678 Portland
1908 – 1910
Roger Brass Sinnott
678 Portland
1910 – 1912
Charles Patrick Murphy
849 Baker City
1912 – 1913
William Patrick O'Brien
1307 Astoria
1913 – 1915
William Albert Barrett
1577 Albany
1915 – 1917
Frank John Lonergan
678 Portland
1917 – 1920
John "Jack" Hickey Peare
1566 La Grande
1920 – 1922
Patrick Joeseph Hanley
678 Portland
1922 – 1925, 1927
Frank J Davey
1748 Salem
1925 – 1926
Joseph James Burke
678 Portland
1927 – 1929
Charles Patrick Augustus Lonergan
678 Portland
1929 – 1932
George J Wilheim
1430 Eugene
1932 – 1934
Eugene Ambrose McEntee
678 Portland
1934 – 1936
George Joseph Cannon
2225 Klamath Falls
1936 – 1938
Edward John Bell
2439 Sublimity
1938 – 1940
Thomas Anthony Windishar
1748 Salem
1940 – 1942
Otto Leroy Smith
2225 Klamath Falls
1942 – 1944
Clarence Joseph Brown
1430 Eugene
1944 – 1946
William John LaRoche
1748 Salem
1946 – 1948
Sylvester John William Smith
2221 St. Paul
1948 – 1950
Jasper William Kennedy
1430 Eugene
1950 – 1952
Dr. Francis Albert Reiling
1430 Eugene
1952 – 1954
Michael Robert Hine Sr.
3591 Tigard
1954 – 1956
Fred John Schwab
1767 Mt. Angel
1956 – 1958
Joseph Henry Blissenbach
1598 The Dalles
1958 – 1960
Raymond Joseph Martin
2939 Roseburg
1960 – 1962
Joseph Walter Ford
3818 Lake Oswego
1962 – 1964
John Lawrence Hochstatter
1594 Medford
1964 – 1965
Robert Elsworth Welch
5060 Salem
1965 – 1967
Marion Kenneth Broyles
3591 Tigard
1967 – 1969
Joseph J. Gibney
3818 Lake Oswego
1969 – 1971
Francis Albert Thibert
6266 Beaverton
1971 – 1973
William George Ely
2225 Klamath Falls
1973 – 1975
Johnnie Stewart Doubleday
1598 The Dalles
1975 – 1977
Lewis Joseph Kramer
3378 Milwaukie
1977 – 1979
Robert Canfield Herbage
2939 Roseburg
1979 – 1981
Matthew Anthony Wagner
3818 Lake Oswego
1981 – 1983
James P. Gay
1430 Eugene
1983 – 1985
Jerome Arthur Brunelle
7729 St. Anne
1985 – 1987
John Adolph Rekart
7388 St. Agatha
1987 – 1989
William J. Kast
4087 Springfield
1989 – 1991
Paul Henry Bousquet
1785 Corvallis
1991 – 1993
Robert Joseph Kligel
6602 Newberg
1993 – 1995
Frank Thomas Erhardt
3636 Redmond
1995 – 1997
Patrick Joseph Irish
9529 Lincoln City
1997 – 1999
Kim L. Oey
9257 Christ the King
1999 – 2001
George A. Flake
3299 Prineville
2001 – 2003
Michael P. Adams
2325 Oregon City
2003 – 2005
Dominic Worsowicz
1430 Eugene
2005 – 2007
Dennis J White
3302 Scappoose
2007 – 2009
Wayne A Clemmer
1623 McMinnville
2009 – 2011
Patrick Lee Rice
6602 Newberg
2011 – 2013, 2014
David Douglas Denton
4087 Springfield
2013 – 2013
Robert J. Kish, Jr.
1785 Corvallis
2014 – 2016
Sidney Marvin Thiel
9137 Sherwood
2016 – 2017
Francis R Mohr
849 Baker City
2017 – 2019
Ronald J Boyce
3591 Tigard
2019 – 2021
Ray Prom
1307 Astoria
2021 – 2023
Notable Past Knights
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William Daniel “Dan” Hay
Austin Leo “Doc” Elvin
Past General Agent
Coming Soon
Historic Events and Activities
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Conflict in Paradise: The Oregon Knights of Columbus vs. the Ku Klux Klan, 1922-1925
Knights of Columbus Bowling History
Oregon K of C Baseball
1960
Coming Soon
