Betty Roberts was no stranger to testing societal
convention with her indomitable spirit and relentless determination. Returning
to college at age 32 as a wife and mother, Roberts would go on to become a
teacher, lawyer, state legislator, candidate for governor, and eventually
Oregon’s first woman Supreme Court Justice.
Emerging onto the political scene during the tumultuous
1960s, Roberts fought hard for human rights and responsible environmental
stewardship. A true political trailblazer, she had a hand in several pieces of
groundbreaking state legislature, including Oregon’s ratification of the Equal
Rights Amendment.
On Friday, Feb. 13, at the Hatfield U.S. Courthouse, Betty Roberts will be honored for her invaluable contributions to the state with an
afternoon of short presentations and the grand unveiling of her portrait, which will later reside in the
Oregon Supreme Court Building. The celebration, “Portraits of Possibilities:
Women at Work,” will feature a myriad of topics, including education, business,
and fair labor.
The event boasts several short presentations by nationally
prominent women, followed by a 
keynote address from Pam Karlan, a peer of Justice
Roberts’s who now works for the Federal Civil Rights Division. Other speakers
include Cait Clarke, Alice Tang, and Seema Patel, among others. Guests are
invited to stay after the presentations and unveiling for a reception with
wine, beer, and tasty snacks—“just like Betty would have liked,” according to the
event invitation.
The portrait itself was funded through generous donations
to the Betty Roberts Portrait Project, and facilitated by an independent portrait committee. Its artist, Lynda Lanker, is a local lithographer and painter
celebrated for her stark and powerful portraiture of women. For the past two
decades, Ms. Lanker has traveled across the western United States, bringing the
spirit of tenacious women alive through her “Tough by Nature” art collection.
“Betty Roberts’s family and the Portrait Committee are
excited by the power of Ms. Lanker’s portraits, and by her ability to convey
her subjects’ depth of personality and strength of character,” said
coordinators on the portrait project website. “We cannot think of a better
subject for her talents than Justice Betty Roberts.”
Space is limited, so those interested in attending must
register and RSVP online. The event will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. in the Mark
O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse, located in Portland, Ore. Adult tickets are $10
apiece, while students may attend for free. Copies of Betty Roberts’s memoir, With Grit and By Grace, will be available for purchase from the Oregon
Historical Society at the event.
Anyone who can spare the time is invited to attend this
momentous celebration, aptly inclusive and inspiring in honor of the woman who
continually used her talents to better the whole of the community around her.
Perhaps the portrait project website enumerates it best:
“Justice Roberts’s portrait will join those of her predecessors in the Oregon
Supreme Court Building—a powerful gesture of long overdue recognition.”
---------------------
Photos courtesy of Oregon Historical Society and bettyroberts.net.