On June 5, 1977, the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers to win their first and only NBA championship. The next day 250,000 fans jammed downtown Portland to celebrate in the largest public gathering in Oregon's history. It seemed as if all of Oregon had caught Blazermania. Matt Love will discuss the impact that the Blazers' 1977 victory had on the state in "The Portland Trail Blazers' Championship Season: An Oregon Story." Benton County Historical Society is pleased to host this Oregon Chautauqua from the Oregon Council for the Humanities. This free, public program will take place on Tuesday, July 29, 2008, 12:00pm at the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library (645 Monroe, Corvallis, OR 97330). Bring your brown bag lunch!

Selected Resources for Oregon Chautauqua
The Portland Trail Blazers' Championship Season: An Oregon Story

Walton, Bill, Nothin' But Net: Just Give Me the Ball and Get Out of the Way. New York: Hyperion, 1994.

Robinson, Bob, World Champions: Portland Trail Blazers 1976-77 Season History Portland: Graphic Arts Center, 1977 and Bill Walton: Star of the Blazers New York: Scholastic Book Services, 1978.

Halberstam, David, The Breaks of the Game. New York: Alfred P. Knopf, 1981.

Glickman, Harry, Promoter Ain't a Dirty Word. Forest Grove: Timber Press, 1978.

Biracree, Tom and Coffey, Frank, The Pride of Portland. New York: Everest House, 1979.

Eggers, Kerry, Wherever You May Be: The Bill Schonely Story. Wilsonville: Book Partners, 1999.

Scott, Jack, Bill Walton: On the Road with the Portland Trail Blazers. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1978.

Ramsay, Jack, The Coach's Art. Forest Grove: Timber Press, 1978.

Colton, Larry, Idol Time: Profile in Blazermania. Forest Grove: Timber Press, 1978.

Matt Love: Biography

Matt Love lives on the Oregon Coast where for eight years he has served as caretaker of the Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge near Pacific City. He's the author of The Beaver State Trilogy: Grasping Wastrels vs. Beaches Forever Inc.: Covering the Fights for the Soul of the Oregon Coast, The Far Out Story of Vortex I, and Red Hot and Rollin': A Retrospection of the Portland Trail Blazers' 1976 - 77 Championship Season. Matt is a regular op-ed contributor and book reviewer for The Oregonian. He teaches English and journalism at Taft High School in Lincoln City.

Matt's program is made possible by funding from the Oregon Council for the Humanities (OCH), an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities that is dedicated to the belief that knowledge and ideas are fundamental to the health of our communities. More information about OCH's programs and publications, which include Oregon Chautauqua, Humanity in Perspective, and Oregon Humanities magazine, can be found at www.oregonhum.org.