Chuck Currie papers
Scope and Contents
The collection consists of papers of Chuck Currie, an advocate for unhoused people and low-income housing in Portland, Oregon. The bulk of these papers relate to his advocacy work, including records of the Burnside Advocates Group, which he co-founded; and records of the Oregon Housing NOW Coalition, Outside In, and the Multnomah County Community Action Commission. Currie's papers also include correspondence with figures such as Portland Mayor Vera Katz and Portland City Commissioner Gretchen Kafoury. Other materials in the collection relate to Currie's work as a minister and to his political activism, including records of voter registration drives and materials for an interfaith sermon he delivered against the anti-gay Ballot Measure 9 in 2000. The collection also includes some photographs; most of these are of Burnside Advocates Group events or of the 1990s offices of Outside In.
Dates
- Creation: 1980-2002
- Creation: Majority of material found within 1990-2002
Creator
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
Chuck Currie (born 1969) was studying political science at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon, in 1987, when he joined the board of the Burnside Community Council, an aid and advocacy organization for unhoused and low-income people in Portland, Oregon. He subsequently dropped out of Pacific University to devote more time to the issue of homelessness. After the dissolution of the Burnside Community Council in 1990, Currie cofounded Burnside Advocates Group. He also worked at Outside In, Transition Projects, and Goose Hollow Family Shelter, and served on multiple committees and commissions in local government. In 2003, he went to study at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. As of 2025, Currie was a United Church of Christ minister and university chaplain emeritus at Pacific University.
Sources: Vital statistics via Ancestry.com; Interview, January 12, 1995, Oregonian, MetroSouth section, page 2; "Advocate for the Homeless Starts New Venture," Oregonian, December 29, 2002, page B1; "Portland will not just surrender to President Trump," Oregonian, September 14, 2025, page D3.
Extent
2.88 Cubic Feet (7 letter document cases; 2 slim letter document cases)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Papers of Chuck Currie (1969-), an advocate for unhoused people and for low-income housing in Portland, Oregon. Most of the papers relate to his activism, including records of the organizations Burnside Advocates Group, Oregon Housing NOW Coalition, Outside In, and the Multnomah Community Action Commission. Other papers relate to political activities such as voter registration drives and Currie's work as a minister.
Arrangement
Collection contents are listed in alphabetical order by the folder title or subject, with one folder of unsorted papers at the end.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Researcher access to negatives in the collection is limited for preservation purposes; contact library staff to inquire about viewing.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gifts of Chuck Currie, July 2009 (Lib. Acc. 26796) and June 2018 (Lib. Acc. 29280).
Separated Materials
Records of the Burnside Community Council that were received with Currie's papers were processed separately as Mss 6038, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Processing Information
Collection was lightly processed in 2025 by Jeffrey A. Hayes. Most original file folders from Lib. Acc. 29280 were retained. Titles for most folders were derived from their original labels. Some of these folders contain additional materials not described on the label.
Subject
- Currie, Chuck (Charles Stephen), 1969- -- Correspondence (Person)
- Burnside Advocates Group (Portland, Or.) -- Records and correspondence (Organization)
- Oregon Housing NOW Coalition -- Records and correspondence (Organization)
- Outside In (Portland, Or.) -- Records and correspondence (Organization)
- Multnomah County (Or.). Community Action Commission -- Records and correspondence (Organization)
- Title
- Guide to the Chuck Currie papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Jeffrey A. Hayes
- Date
- 2025
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Repository
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240
libreference@ohs.org