Moe Tonkon [Tonkin], Jewish Son of Immigrants, Fighter of Anti-Semitism of Portland

 Nadene Goldfoot                                       

Founding partner Moe Tonkon, called “the Jackie Robinson of the Portland anti-Semitic social-club scene” by Willamette Week, was the first Jewish member of three separate social clubs: Arlington Club (in 1969), the University Club (in 1969), and The Waverly Club (in 1972). Fellow Tonkon Torp founding partner Morris Galen recalled, “He was the [first Jewish] person that [they] asked to join. And when he was asked to join the Arlington Club they said, ‘We want you to be on the Membership Committee from the start because we want Jews and Gentiles hereafter to be treated the same and we want you to be comfortable that they are.’ This was the status that this man had. I don’t know of any Jewish person who has applied and not been accepted since because he was Jewish.”

Throughout his career, Moe Tonkon was involved in numerous civic activities including the Oregon Historical Society and the Multnomah County Library Association. He also broke the barriers against the admission of Jews to three major private organizations in Portland, the Arlington Club, University Club and Waverley Country Club. As a lawyer, he fought and won against anti-Semitism of places like the Multnomah Athletic Club who didn't allow Jews to be members or even to come in.  

My 1st cousin, Nate Goldfoot's Hochfeld mom was related to the Tonkon/Tonkin line from Russia.  Descendants of Shepsel   Tonkonagy

1  Shepsel Tonkonagy b: Abt. 1830

.. 2  Gitel Gertie Gertrude Tonkonagy Tonkin b: January 1857 in prob. Russia d: April 21, 1907 in Oregon Citizenship: naturalizaation in Seattle, WA Age at death: 50 est. Age at death: 50 est. Age at first Marriage: 19 est. Burial: Neveh Zedek, Sect E Plot 51, Portland, Oregon

...... +Simon "Solomon" Samuel Hochfeld b: May 15, 1857 in Lutsk, Ukraine, Russian Empire d: May 14, 1928 in Portland, Oregon m: Abt. 1876 Immigration: 1890 Russia to Portland Age at death: 70 m: Abt. 1876 Age at death: 70 Age at first Marriage: 19 est. Burial: 1928 Neveh Zedek, Sect F plot 51 Portland, Oregon

.. 2  Max Tonkin Tonkonagy b: 1872 in German Russia Immigration: 1906 AL

...... +Ester b: 1874 in German Russia Immigration: 1906

When founding partner Moe Tonkon passed away in June 1984, (born in 1905) he was mourned as a business, civic, and community leader. In the obituary published in the Oregonian, he was described by Multnomah County Presiding Circuit Judge Charles S. Crookham as “one of the great lawyers of the state.” Read the full Oregonian obituary below.

Moe M. Tonkon, the son of Russian immigrants who rose to prominence as a Portland lawyer and leader in civic activities, died Wednesday in St. Vincent Hospital after suffering a massive stroke. He was 78.

Tonkon, described by Multnomah County Presiding Circuit Judge Charles S. Crookbam as “one of the great lawyers of the state,” was admitted to the hospital late Tuesday afternoon and remained in intensive care until his death.

The son of a cap- and hat-maker, Tonkon opened a one-man law office in Portland in 1927 and built it into the law firm of Tonkon, Torp, Galen, Marmaduke & Booth with a staff of more than 30 lawyers at his death.

“I guess it just boils down to this: I haven’t stood aloof, I suppose, as a lot of our people have done,” he said in a 1979 newspaper interview.

Tonkon was born in Bender, Russia, in 1905. He moved to Portland with his parents when he was 1 year old. His father shortened the family name from Tonkonogy to Tonkon in 1912. Another branch of the family adopted the spelling of Tonkin and became prominent in the automobile business in the Portland area.

Tonkon attended Portland public schools and then Reed College from 1922 to 1924 when he entered Northwestern College of Law, now a part of Lewis and Clark College. He later taught at the law school in 1941 and from 1946 to 1950.

Tonkon was a past president of the Oregon Historical Society, Multnomah County Library Association and the Portland Junior Symphony.

He also served on the Reed College board of trustees and on boards of the St. Vincent Medical Foundation and St. Vincent Hospital and Medical Center. Tonkon’s additional community activities involved service with the Columbia Pacific Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Red Cross, Portland Symphony Society, Portland Art Museum and United Good Neighbors, the predecessor of United Way of the Columbia-Willamette.

Tonkon also served as vice president of the Oregon State Bar in 1955-56.

In 1984, he was honored as Boss of the Year by the Portland Legal Secretaries Association, was recipient of the distinguished graduate award at Northwestern School of Law and Lewis and Clark College, and received the David E. Abram Distinguished Citizen Award from the Emanuel Medical Center Foundation.

Tonkon’s firm attracted numerous industrial, financial and food processing clients as well as Pro Basketball Inc., the corporate owner of the Portland Trail Blazers basketball team.

Tonkon also served as an adviser to Terry Baker, an athletic star at Oregon State University, who played professional football after his graduation. Tonkon convinced Baker to attend law school, and Baker joined Tonkon’s firm in 1968 at the end of his athletic career.

Tonkon was a member of the board of directors of several corporations at the time of his death, including Pro Basketball Inc., Marv Tonkin Ford Sales Inc., Ron Tonkin Chevrolet Co. and Mount Hood Chemical Corp.

He was a former director of The Oregon Bank, Blitz-Weinhard Brewing Co., Pepsi-Cola Bottling Co. of Portland and Precision Castparts Corp., among others.

Tonkon is survived by his wife, Izetta Tonkon; two sisters, Ethel Tonkon of Portland and Fannye Weidman of Sacramento, Calif.; and by two brothers, Harry Tonkin and Sanford Tonkon, both of Sacramento.

Most of this article is the property of Oregonian Publishing Co.  I've added my personal information.  2/10/25 at 3:39pm.