Sid Deboer honored as a 2022 Oregon History Maker by the Oregon Historical Society

History Makers

The Oregon Historical Society’s annual Oregon History Makers Awards & Dinner recognizes contemporary individuals and organizations that are positively shaping the history, culture, and landscape of Oregon. Event sponsorships, ticket sales, and donations in honor of the History Makers support the Oregon Historical Society’s important work to collect, preserve, and interpret Oregon’s past.

ohs.org

Who Is An Oregon History Maker?

Each year, the Oregon Historical Society honors living leaders and organizations that are making history through scientific discovery and exploration; innovations in business, communications, and the arts; or service in their communities. Whether they were born here, lived here, or work here, these Oregon History Makers represent the best of what the state has to offer.

Sid DeBoer

VISIONARY BUSINESS LEADER AND PHILANTHROPIST

Growing up in a large family in Ashland, where he and his siblings worked at their father’s Lithia Motors dealership, Sid DeBoer learned the automobile sales business from the ground up. When he took over the business after his father’s death in 1968, DeBoer created his own legacy by making Lithia Motors a symbol of hard work, honor, and family — with nearly 300 locations, it is now the third largest automotive retailer in the United States. Believing that greatness is determined not by what you have, but by what you give, DeBoer is the founder and president of the Sid and Karen DeBoer Foundation, which supports youth-mentoring programs, hospitals, the arts, cancer research, and universities, among other worthy causes. DeBoer is also the founder of Lithia4Kids, an initiative dedicated to teaching, inspiring, strengthening, and empowering today’s youth through more than $5 million in donations to organizations and programs that enrich the lives of children and their families.