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Loren Kramer ’55

A picture of Loren Kramer

Loren “Bud” Kramer '55, October 22, 2010, in Hillsboro, Oregon. An influential force in Oregon politics for many years, Bud was born in Brookings, South Dakota, and lived through a “rough-and-tumble” childhood in various towns in the U.S. before moving to Portland in 1944. While enrolled at Reed, he was drafted into the army. He returned to Reed after his discharge and earned a BA in political science, completing the thesis The Effect of Precinct Organization on the 1954 Election. In 1955, he married Patricia Paulson. They had two sons, including Adam S. Kramer '81, and later divorced. Bud began his political career managing the 1956 Multnomah County presidential campaign of Adlai E. Stevenson. He later managed the reelection campaign of Representative Edith Green and was her legislative assistant in Washington, D.C. He held several management positions for the state of Oregon and Multnomah County; Governor Bob Straub appointed him director of the Oregon Department of General Services and of the Department of Environmental Quality. Bud was an executive assistant to the governor for two years and was vice president of Schnitzer Steel for 12 years. He was also a member of Reed's alumni board and served as an alumni trustee (1979-83). His consulting firm, Kramer & Associates, provided a bridge between the private sector and the municipal, state, and federal agencies that regulate it. In 1969, he married Ann Rennacker. In retirement, Bud and Ann lived on the Oregon coast, where he continued to participate in community and political affairs, including stepping into a temporary post as Clatsop County manager. In his public obituary, we read that Bud was known for his “brusque, decisive manner” but that ”inside the gruff exterior beat the heart of a marshmallow.” He also offered unflagging support to young people, serving as a mentor and helping them to find jobs. Survivors include his wife, three sons and a daughter, and two grandchildren. Bud's brother, David Kramer '53, also attended Reed.

Appeared in Reed magazine: March 2011