by Katie Dettman

Graduate Student

According to the ONPA, the Voorhies Award, presented to Caldwell in July, “honors outstanding journalistic achievement in the public interest, service in the interest of the welfare and honor of the journalistic profession, or long, useful, and honorable careers in the field of journalism.”

Caldwell currently serves as the editor of The Oregonian’s editorial page, a position he has held since late 1995. He has been at The Oregonian for 26 years, and previously held various editing posts at the paper, including public editor, metro editor, and others.

“Time flies when you’re having fun,” he says of his 26 years at the newspaper.

Before he joined The Oregonian, Caldwell worked at various other Oregon newspapers, including Eugene’s Register-Guard and the Albany Democrat Herald.

In 1969, he transferred to the University of Oregon from Eastern Oregon University, and earned a BS from the SOJC two years later. During his college years, he supported himself by working at newspapers, which he had done since graduating from high school in La Grande, Oregon.

For several years, Caldwell has served on the SOJC’s Journalism Advancement Council (JAC), which is a select group of the SOJC’s alumni and friends that provides advice and assistance to the dean and faculty regarding issues that will benefit students. Members of the council offer expertise for maintaining the school's progressive curriculum and creating partnerships with professional communities. Caldwell currently serves as Chair of the JAC. 

“I was happy to be asked and eager to participate because I feel that I owe that at least to the SOJC,” says Caldwell of his service to the JAC.

“I always felt that attending the SOJC helped change my life for the better, helped me with the career that I chose,” he continues. “I hope that by being part of the council and being a supporter of the UO and the SOJC that I can play some really small part in giving somebody else that same set of opportunities.”

"Bob is most deserving of this award," says SOJC Dean Tim Gleason, adding: "Not only has he made his mark on journalism in the northwest at major Oregon and Washington newspapers, but as chair of the school's Journalism Advancement Council he is having an impact on future generations of journalists."

Jim and Molly Walker of the Yamhill Valley News-Register nominated Caldwell for the award. Fellow SOJC alumnus and president and publisher of the News-Register, Jeb Bladine, presented the award to Caldwell.

“The Oregonian’s Editorial Section is widely recognized for its depth, diversity, consistency and fairness, and Bob is the force behind it,” said Bladine before he presented the award.

Caldwell is a past president of the ONPA and a past Chair of the ONPA Legislative Committee. He has also served on the Oregon Press-Bar-Bench Broadcasters Committee, the Oregon Newspapers Foundation and the Western Oregon chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He has also served as editor-in-residence for a newspaper in Romania, as well as a consultant to publications in Bulgaria and Bosnia.

“Even with his crazy schedule,” says Laurie Heib, Executive Director of the ONPA, “Bob always makes the time to meet, write testimony and spend valuable time on leading ONPA’s Legislative Committee to success over the years.”

“I was surprised to receive it and gratified. A lot,” says Caldwell of winning this year’s Voorhies Award. “It’s a good thing to be associated with journalists and publishers and other accomplished people in Oregon journalism and it’s gratifying to be counted among that group of people.”