History of Oregon Poet Laureate
Oregon named Edwin Markham the state's first poet laureate almost 90 years ago. The legislature made the post official in 1989. Governor Ted Kulongoski has picked the two most recent Poet Laureates, Lawson Inada and Paulann Petersen. For more information about the previous poet laureates, you can download this article from The Oregonian by Don Coburn.
Previous Oregon Poets Laureate
- Lawson Fusao Inada 2006-2010
- William Stafford 1975-1989
- Ethel Romig Fuller 1957-1965
- Ben Hur Lampman 1951-1956
- Edwin Markham 1921-1940
Oregon's Poet Laureate program is a collaborative project of the state's five cultural partners, Oregon Arts Commission, Oregon Heritage Commission, Oregon Historical Society, Oregon Humanities, and State Historic Preservation Office, with funding from the Oregon Cultural Trust.