Speaker: Fred Leeson, Author

Fred Leeson is a Portland journalist and author who has lived here almost steadily since his arrival as an adolescent in 1961.  He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and a J.D. from the Lewis & Clark Law School.  Leeson was a reporter at The Oregon Journal from 1972 to 1982, and at The Oregonian from 1982 until 2007.  In the 1960s and 1970s, Leeson shopped at Fred Meyer stores at Hawthorne, Rose City, Walnut Park, and Hollywood. Today, he lives close to the Hollywood West store, which he visits frequently.

In 1973, Leeson, then 24, spent about an hour interviewing Fred Meyer, who was then 87.  During that short time, Meyer displayed many of the traits reflected in MY-TE-FINE MERCHANT.

Leeson’s earlier works are Rose City Justice, a history of the Portland legal community and Multnomah, a history of Multnomah County which he co-authored with Jewell Lansing.  At the time of this writing, Leeson was president of the non-profit Bosco-Milligan Foundation, an architectural preservation education and advocacy organization. The foundation owns and operates the Architectural Heritage Center in Portland, Oregon. Leeson is married to Barbara Coleman and is the father of two adult sons. He likes cats and acoustic guitars. ​