Longtime Friend to OHS
Harvey Black proudly served on the board of Directors for Oregon Humane Society for 24 years. Through his tenure he was well known for his often quotable, resonate advice and even more so, his memorable results as he helped guide OHS’s growth and expansion of services.
While on the board, Harvey held various positions including, Board Chair, Vice Chair and Board parliamentarian, as well as serving as Capital Campaign Chair for the construction of the Animal Medical Learning Center which opened in 2007. For 24 years, he went above and beyond, taking on diverse projects and tasks, while advising the Board and Executive Director. He authored OHS’s Articles of Incorporation and By-laws and, was always a go-to person when questions arose in meetings because of his incredible tenure and wealth of OHS knowledge.
Harvey was a voice of reason, who was not afraid to challenge an issue, but he was also a conscientious listener to his peers. He knew when to heed the advice of his fellow board members and could change his perspective. According to fellow board member Marveita Redding, one memorable example was the topic of OHS accepting alternative currencies, such as crypto currencies. Harvey was thoughtful and concerned, always placing OHS interests first. Upon hearing the advice of other members of the board, Harvey eventually made the motion for OHS to accept alternative currencies.
A third generation Portlander, he attended Ainsworth (1946) and Lincoln High School before graduating from The Hotchkiss School (1951). He was a proud graduate of Yale University (1955). After two years in the United States Navy, Harvey took up residence in San Francisco, received his Juris Doctorate from UC Berkeley School of Law (1963) and practiced law in San Francisco and Marin County. He led the Yale Alumni Association of Oregon for over 20 years.
In 1993, he returned to Portland, Ore., where he stepped into his life's passion: working with nonprofits to help them revive and thrive. He was very proud of his 24-year service to the Oregon Humane Society and remained active on the board until his final months. He will be remembered as an adventurer in spirit with a deep love of history. We will fondly remember his hearty big smile, love of family, wine, chicken McNuggets, and of course, animals.
In life, Harvey gifted us with his time. He understood how the work he did on the board served the overall welfare of animals and our community, and in his passing, he made another gift to ensure that this important work lives on. OHS is grateful that Harvey and wife Nancy, created a Charitable Remainder Trust, for the benefit of OHS. The lives of so many people and animals were changed, all because of Harvey’s incredible gifts of service and generosity.
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