Hector Macpherson Endowed Professor in Land Economics

In 2025, Tory and Greg Macpherson made a planned gift to establish a College of Agricultural Sciences professorship in the Department of Applied Economics. This fund will support research and teaching excellence with a focus on land economics, particularly supporting faculty with expertise in farmland valuation or land conservation policy analysis.

The professorship is named after Greg’s father and grandfather to reflect his family’s connection to OSU and their leadership in land use and farmland preservation. Greg’s grandfather, Hector Macpherson Sr., taught economics at Oregon Agricultural College and later founded the family farm. His son – Greg’s father – Hector Macpherson Jr., ’40, was an alumnus and state senator whose legislation established Oregon’s statewide program to promote sound development and protect farmland.

Greg grew up on a Linn County dairy farm; his formal education started in a two-room schoolhouse and culminated at Harvard University and Georgetown Law School. Like her father, Tory attended Oregon State, where she studied anthropology before earning her law degree at Willamette University. Both Tory and Greg spent their careers as employee benefits attorneys – Greg was a partner at Stoel Rives in Portland and Tory advised the state’s retirement system. Greg also served in the Oregon House of Representatives and the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission, where he advocated for the protection of farmland from conversion to other uses. He served on OSU Foundation and Beaver Caucus boards before being appointed to the OSU Board of Trustees. The Macphersons returned to Greg’s family farm to grow hazelnuts and keep horses.