PORTLAND—(June 7, 2006)—The University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication will formally open its George S. Turnbull Portland Center (722 W. Second Ave., Portland) today (June 7) at 1 p.m.

Present at the opening will be the school’s dean, Tim Gleason, along with University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer and Lorry Lokey, the former Business Wire CEO and founder, who contributed $4.5 million in July 2005 to launch the center.

The Turnbull Center began offering the school’s students a senior experience this spring, combining half-day internships with afternoon classes.  Nike, Columbia Sportswear, Waggener Edstrom, and Edelman Public Relations are among the organizations participating in the internship program.

“The opening of the Turnbull Center is a first step toward the realization of a long-held vision for the school," said Gleason.  "In Portland, we’ve seen a number of new and exciting ways in which we can serve students, working communications professionals and the Portland community. The design of the expanded Turnbull Center well is underway, and once it is complete, the possibilities for the school and the university will increase exponentially.”

The university anticipates opening its new Portland Center, to be located on Portland’s historic White Stag block, in January 2008.   In addition to the Turnbull Center, the Portland Center will house university programs in architecture and allied arts and law.

Lokey the founder and chairman of Business Wire, a leading global distributor of corporate news headquartered in San Francisco, has contributed more than $20 million to Campaign Oregon:  Transforming Lives, the university’s $600 million fundraising campaign. The company was purchased in January by Berkshire Hathaway, the international business conglomerate headed by billionaire Warren Buffett.