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Remembering Charlie Davis: An Extraordinary Career

By PAUL R. MEYER On July 4, 2002 (one hundred and seventy-six years to the day after Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died), ACLUâs beloved Charlie Davis died at 83 years of age. Civil libertarian, conscientious objector, financial guru and business leader, City Club President, Moderator of the Unitarian Church, Oregonâs one-person Public Utility Commissioner, then chair of its three-person PUC, Interim Executive Director of the Multnomah County Library, member of the Oregon State Bar Board of Governors (lay representative), of the Oregonâs Public Defender Committee and of the Oregon Commission on Judicial Fitness & Disability and all-around civic leader par excellence, Charlie left large imprints on the lives of his family, his many, many friends and the innumerable communities and organizations which he so generously served.

Through all of his many activities, ACLU remained Charlieâs favorite cause. Like Roger Baldwin, who founded ACLU in 1920, Charlie came to civil liberties through his conscientious objection to war. Those experiences led him to analyze deeply the relationship between the state and the individual. He quickly understood how freedom for the individual required limitations on the power of the state. Charlie plumbed the depths of the Bill of Rights and explored the whole panoply of rights - freedom of speech, religion and assembly, separation of church and state, due process and equal protection - to become a master of Constitutional law and politics.

The Oregon ACLU was founded in 1955. Under Judah Biermanâs leadership, the affiliate doubled from 300 to 600 members and launched an effective litigation and legislative program. Charlie came to the ACLU board in 1960 and soon became its president. In the mid-60s he led the Board in the bold move of establishing Oregon ACLU as a "staffed" affiliate with an office. With help from our more well-established affiliate to the north (Washington), Charlie guided the hiring of staff: first, Ginna Deinum, as Executive Director, followed by Stevie Remington, whose long and highly distinguished career with ACLU was constantly nurtured by Charlie. Under Stevie and Charlie, Oregon ACLU blossomed into the outstanding medium-sized affiliate in the country, with a fiscal integrity and growth that was the envy of the entire organization. For his outstanding contributions to civil liberties, Charlie received the E.B. MacNaughton Civil Liberties Award in 1973.

As a spokesperson for ACLU, Charlie was impressive. He spoke boldly and clearly before the Portland City Council and the Oregon Legislature. Frequently, when he was unable to persuade these legislative bodies of the righteousness of the ACLU position, he had ACLU bring the offending officials into court for a lesson in constitutional law.

Charlieâs influence extended into the national ACLU, where he regularly monitored and influenced the national board and executive committee and gave continuous guidance to Oregonâs representatives on nationalâs governing bodies. Indeed, during the 1970s and 1980s, national ACLU matured financially and operationally, so that an ACLU presence in every state of the Union is now assured by financial sharing structures that Charlie helped to inspire. In addition, while national ACLU expanded dramatically, it learned to live within its income. Even after Charlie left the ACLU board, he continued to function as ACLUâs eyes and ears to monitor and ferret out violations and potential violations of civil liberties in our local communities, calling them to the attention of the ACLU staff and insisting that action be taken!

Also important to civil liberties was Charlieâs insistence on due process in the administrative procedures that he oversaw as Public Utility Commissioner. While many state agencies utilize administrative procedures that are skewed in favor of the state and against persons opposing the state, PUC hearing officers operated objectively and not subservient to the agency. Charlieâs insistence on fairness applied to all situations, even those in which his official interests might be lessened. To Charlie, what was sauce for the goose was sauce for the gander!

Lastly, one cannot omit Charlieâs unremitting fight to secure justice for the Japanese Americans interned during WW II. While December 7, 1941 was "A Day of Infamy" for Japan, February 19, 1942 was a Day of Infamy for the United States, when FDR issued Executive Order 9066, sending thousands of Japanese Americans into internment camps. Although the ACLUs of Northern and Southern California spoke out boldly and took court action against this egregious violation of civil liberties, national ACLU was, at the time, inconsistent. At first, Roger Baldwin joined with the California affiliates to bring test cases. However, the national board then backed down and supported the Executive Order. Charlie never let the national organization forget this major lapse in its normally consistent defense of civil liberties. While national ACLU subsequently atoned for its sins, Charlie would not permit it to rewrite history. This came naturally to Charlie, whose reputation for integrity and truth was his highest character trait. Fortunately, ACLU of Oregon acted with uncanny timeliness when, on April 11, 2002, it honored Charlie with an award for his role in helping the Japanese Americans fight the Exclusion Order and seek recompense thereafter.

Charlie Davis left his imprint large and bold in Oregon and in Portland, but it is ACLU which owes Charlie so much and for which Charlie held his greatest affection, next to his family. We will all miss Charlie, his quick wit, his disarming smile, his keen and orderly mind, and his compassion. While Charlie wanted to be remembered as the man who "tied a neat bow tie," we will remember him for the impact he made on all our lives.