For more than 45 years in the newspaper business – more than 28 as a sports columnist – George Pasero (Apr 10, 1917 – Mar 6, 1997) remains not only widely respected by his professional colleagues, but a beloved friend to most people who have known him during his career.

The son of Italian immigrant parents who raised their four sons in St. Helens, Pasero attended Oregon State College in 1935 to study chemical engineering. However, he came home to St. Helens for a year and went to work for a local paper mill. In 1937 he enrolled at the University of Oregon and upon graduation in 1940, took his first newspaper job as a promotional department trainee for $15 a week and as George recalls: “I was high paid.”

He joined the Navy in 1942 during World War II and served four years. When he returned in 1946 it was either back to the paper mill or back to The Journal. Fortunately for newspaper readers, he chose the latter, eventually becoming Journal sports editor in 1956.

His daily column in the Oregon Journal was called “Pasero Says” and after running more than 25 years up to six times a week, it moved to The Oregonian in 1982 when the two newspapers merged. George continues to write his column once a week for the Sunday Oregonian.

Memories…personalities…great moments in sports. All are woven into the rich tapestry that is George’s career – a career for which we honor him with the State of Oregon Sports Hall of Fame’s Marion J. Pericin Award for Special Contribution to Sports.