Making the library his mission

UO alum Scott Drumm on a lifetime of learning and why the library is still his favorite spot on campus

By: Sage Kiernan-Sherrow, UO Advancement Writer

Scott Drumm, BS ‘87 (political science) is an adventurer—of knowledge, that is. During his time as a student at the University of Oregon, Drumm explored as many avenues of learning as he could, from personal finance to Norwegian. This led him to a career in economic development and transportation, where one of his most prominent roles was serving the Port of Portland as director of Research and Strategy for the last seventeen years of his nearly thirty-year career. As a member of the very first class of Presidential Scholars, Drumm says he would not have achieved career success without a UO education.

“When I talk with friends and colleagues about their college experience, I think that Oregon is hard to beat. Not once in my career did I ever feel that I was ill-prepared to do something,” he says.

Central to Drumm’s college experience was the library. Like so many students, he spent hours leafing through the latest research and reference books to prepare for writing term papers. Drumm recalls walking to the Knight Library one Saturday and being stopped by his advisor and political science professor, Dr. Arthur Hanhardt, who just happened to be leaving his office. The two of them chatted about Drumm’s latest project—a paper for his German history class—and Hanhardt helped him develop a topic for it. When Drumm finally walked into the library, he felt confident and enlightened.

Now semi-retired and working for the global management consulting firm CPCS, Drumm still draws on his Oregon experience. He regularly uses the research, analytical, and presentation skills gained through his academic journey. Recently, he located information for a client in a Norwegian research article, translating the key findings. Circumstances like these are why Drumm is invested in the library that was once the cornerstone of his learning. He sits on the UO Library Advancement Council and is also one of its loyal long-term donors, who began giving back just two years after graduating.

“I had an opportunity and I found it valuable and thought the least I could do was make a small contribution. That first gift was tiny. I made a habit of doing that, and it has grown,” Drumm says. “The university had a profound impact on my life and my success ... It wasn’t just professors, it was teaching professors, graduate fellows, and librarians who went above and beyond to make sure that you had the best education you could. Over time, it became less about giving back and more about making sure that others had the same opportunity that I had.”

Drumm, who has lived and worked in Portland most of his adult life, is particularly excited about the library opening at the new NE Portland campus. The UO Libraries constitute the largest research library in Oregon, and the Portland branch holds a print collection of approximately ten thousand titles and an extensive digital collection. This provides core coverage of the academic programs offered by UO Portland, such as architecture, business, journalism, and more. The new NE Portland Library will provide essential services like Wi-Fi and printing and will help create jobs and academic experiences for students across the campus.

Another reputable aspect of the UO Portland Library is its dedication to the local community. The former Concordia campus library had a public-facing element featuring children’s books that families were dependent on. UO Portland is continuing that tradition of service to surrounding Portland neighborhoods by expanding the Family Study and Children’s Library, which houses more than four thousand children’s books. The UO also participates in the Oregon Passport Program, which allows anyone over the age of sixteen within the state of Oregon or southwest Washington to access UO’s collections. In addition, a temporary Multnomah Public Library branch has opened in Room 120 while several Multnomah library locations are undergoing renovations. Since the UO Portland Library opened in October 2023, these changes have encouraged more than 175 community members to register for library cards—or Oregon Cards, as UO Libraries call them. All of this would have been impossible without the efforts of the Library Advancement Council and Scott Drumm.

“[The Council] has become one of my favorite things to do,” he says. “We support the UO Libraries in an advisory role through advocacy, fundraising, and engagement. Last year, as an example, we participated in the strategic planning process. Why I find this work so rewarding is that my fellow Council members are passionate about making a difference for the university through our support for the libraries and we get to see the tangible results of our involvement. I always look forward to the meetings and I always learn something. It’s a great way to give back to campus and it’s a great way to get back to campus.”

Alongside investing in the library, many of Drumm’s additional interests and hobbies were developed at the UO. He continues to be an avid reader of German history and politics and an active participant in the local orienteering club. Orienteering is the sport of navigation (which he learned about during his studies at Oregon). Drumm has also had a chance to experience first-hand some of what he learned on campus.

“I’ve been fortunate to visit Bonn and Berlin, Germany, and Oslo, Norway. I felt like a little kid at Disneyland, seeing in person the places and history I studied at Oregon,” he says.

So, he’s an adventurer in the real sense, too. The UO allowed Drumm to march to his own beat by giving him the freedom and support to pursue many academic endeavors, and he hopes that his work with the library will help new generations of students do the same.

Margaret Savoian, senior associate director of Development for University Advancement has worked closely with Drumm over the years.

“Scott’s enthusiasm for giving back his time and treasure is always energizing,” she says. “The fresh ideas and open dialogue that he brings to the table inspires library leadership and his fellow Council members. His engagement with the UO is a model for other Ducks to get involved sooner rather than later.”