Southwest Portland in Multnomah County, Oregon — The American West (Northwest)

Ira Keller

1995 Heart of Portland Award

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 26, 2026

1. Ira Keller Marker

Inscription. 1995 Heart of Portland Award

“Good citizens are the riches of a city.”

Ira Keller

For 25 years Ira Keller was one of the most forceful civic leaders Portland had ever seen. Keller arrived in Portland in 1953 at the age of 54 and founded Western Kraft Corporation, a nationwide manufacturer of paper and packaging products.

Keller made a commitment to devote at least one quarter of his time to civic activities, resulting in an impressive list of community organizations he founded or influenced. Most prominent among his contributions were:

Portland Development Commission (PDC), Chairman (1958–72)
Foundation for Oregon Research and Education (FORE), Founder (1972) and Chairman
Oregon Graduate Center (OGC), President (1972–77) and Chairman (1976–78)
City of Portland Planning Commission (1954–58)
Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU), Chairman (1976–78)

Keller helped to found and fund the OGC, but it was his tenure as the first chairman of the Portland Development Commission (1958–1972) for which he is most noted. The PDC objective at the time of its establishment was in Keller’s words: “To help the people of Portland preserve the unique

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friendliness of our lovely city and to do it simply, frugally and equitably which is the Portland way.”

The Heart of Portland Award was established in 1995 by the Association for Portland Progress to honor citizens whose vision and leadership preserved the best of our past and wisely built on it for future generations.

Erected by Association for Portland Progress.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1970.

Location. 45° 30.755′ N, 122° 40.737′ W. Marker is in Portland, Oregon, in Multnomah County. It is in Southwest Portland. It can be reached from the intersection of Southwest Third Avenue and Southwest Market Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1501 SW 3rd Avenue, Portland OR 97201, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge

and in the Willamette Valley.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast,

in the Pacific Northwest,

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally,

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 26, 2026

2. Ira Keller Marker

The dramatic and geometric fountain was renamed after Ira Keller in 1978.

it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 太湖石 / Lake Tai Rock (approx. 0.2 miles away); In Honor of Vietnam Veterans (approx. 0.2 miles away); William W. Chapman (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Portland Building Transformation (approx. ¼ mile away); Spanish–American War Soldier's Monument (approx. ¼ mile away); Fountain for Company H (approx. ¼ mile away); Daniel H. Lownsdale (approx. ¼ mile away); Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Portland.

Ira Keller Fountain image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 26, 2026

3. Ira Keller Fountain

A dedication in the fountain reads:
Ira’s Fountain
Dedicated by Portland to Ira C. Keller

Strength and beauty come from us — not from tyranny

Ira Keller Park Dedication image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 26, 2026

4. Ira Keller Park Dedication

Ira C. Keller Fountain
South Auditorium Urban Renewal Area Project
City of Portland Development Commission

Ira C. Keller, Chairman • Vincent Raschio, Commissioner • Harold Halvorsen, Commissioner • Edward H. Look, Commissioner • Albert V. Fonder, Commissioner • John B. Kenward, Executive Director • James J. Robertson, Project Engineer • Lawrence Halprin & Assoc., Landscape Architects • Angela Danadjieva, Project Designer • Schrader Construction Co. Inc., Contractor

Terry D. Schrunk, Mayor

Constructed 1969

Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, June 26, 2026

5. Ira Keller Fountain

The fountain was dedicated in 1970.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 26, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 25, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 25, 2026, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.