Robert W. Sawyer (1880-1959) was editor and publisher of The Bend Bulletin from 1919 to 1953.  He was active in Oregon politics and is known both for his impact on the paper and the state.  A cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School, he began his newspaper career by writing short pieces of prose and slipping them anonymously under the door at The Bulletin, capturing the attention of then-editor George Putnam, who hired him as Associate Editor.

A nationally-known conservationist, Sawyer served two years on the Oregon Highway Commission, beginning in 1927.  During that time, he helped more quadruple the size of Oregon’s state park system.  For this he has been hailed as the “father of Oregon State Parks.” He served as president of the National Reclamation Organization in 1946, as a member of the important Hoover Commission and  as a director of the American Forestry Association in 1951.

In 1980, he was inducted into the Oregon Newspaper Hall of Fame.  Robert W. Sawyer State Park was dedicated just north of Bend that same year.

Award
$300-$1,500

Application Procedures
Applications available in the John L. Hulteng Student Services Center, Room 101 Allen Hall, or download the application here: scholarship form
May 1 deadline.