Come learn about Bill Naito, one of Portland's most impactful business and civic leaders, with a presentation including pictures and videos. Naito’s life spanned the Great Depression, World War II, and Portland’s rebirth and profound growth in the 1970s, until his sudden death in 1996. Naito’s name became synonymous with dynamic civic leadership, whether growing Portland’s urban tree canopy, revitalizing its downtown, or preserving historic buildings.
Naito's difficult childhood, the expulsion of Japanese Americans following Pearl Harbor, and his military service in Occupied Japan, left him with great emotional turmoil that he had to work hard to overcome. It almost meant that one of the greatest Portlanders never came home.
The author of Naito's new biography and Bill's granddaughter, Erica Naito-Campbell, uses anecdotes, rich details, and previously unknown stories about Bill Naito to bring Portland’s history to life through the lens of one of its most ardent advocates.
