Dorothea Lensch papers

Collection

Identifier: Coll 990

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of papers of Dorothea Lensch, who was the first director of recreation for the Bureau of Parks and Public Recreation of Portland, Oregon. Correspondence in the collection includes letters and cards that Lensch received at the time of her retirement. Professional papers include resumés and biographical information, and awards that Lensch received, with related materials. Photographs are of Lensch, with the exception of wo photographs of dance students, likely from a class Lensch taught in the 1930s either at Rockford College in Rockford, Illinois, or at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Other materials in the collection consist of clippings and of lists and printouts of newspaper articles about Lensch; invitations; Lensch's high school diploma; and the program for Lensch's memorial service.

Dates

1925-2000

Creator

Lensch, Dorothea M. (Dorothea Marie), 1907-2000 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Biographical Note

Dorothea Marie Lensch was born in 1907 in Portland, Oregon, the daughter of German immigrants. She studied at Mills College in Oakland, California, the University of Oregon in Eugene, and Wellesley College in Massachusetts. In the early 1930s, she taught at Rockford College in Rockford, Illinois, and at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.; she headed the dance department at both schools. In 1936, she returned to Portland, and in September of that year was named supervisor of playgrounds for the Bureau of Parks and Public Recreation, a position later known as director of recreation.

During her tenure, Lensch expanded the bureau's programs to include multiple sports and arts, as well as arts and crafts lessons, and helped establish the Ballet Workshop, the Junior Museum (later the Portland Children's Museum), the Art Center, and the Washington Park Music by Moonlight Festival. She also established recreational programs specifically for children with intellectual disabilities.

Lensch retired in 1972, and remained active. She died in 2000.

Sources: "Dorothea Marie Lensch (1907-2000)," by Devin Busby, Oregon Encyclopedia, https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/lensch-dorothea/; articles in the Oregonian, September 9, 1936 and July 29, 2000.

Extent

0.3 Cubic Feet (1 slim legal document case; 1 oversize folder (12x15) in shared flat box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Papers of Dorothea Lensch (1907-2000), including correspondence, clippings, and awards. Lensch was the first director of recreation in the Bureau of Parks and Public Recreation of Portland, Oregon, serving in that position from 1936 to 1972.