Max Rijken

Max C. Rijken
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
from the 38th, 4th district
In office
January 13, 1975 – January 12 1987
Preceded byGordon L. Macpherson
Succeeded byDon Butsch
Personal details
Born1920
Java, Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia)
Died(1987-04-14)April 14, 1987
Salem, Oregon
PartyDemocratic
SpouseLeginah E. Rijken
ChildrenHedy Rijken

Max C. Rijken (1920-1987) is an Indonesian-American politician who was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives from 1975 to 1987.

Early life

Rijken was born on the Indonesian island Java in 1920.

He served in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II, serving in the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army. He was taken as a prisoner of war and was send off to forced labor in a coal mine in the Japanese-occupied Philippines. He survived the Bataan Death March. Following the liberation of the Philippines, he was returned to the Dutch East Indies.

He also served in the Indonesian National Revolution. Following Indonesia's independence He immigrated to Netherlands in 1954 and to the US in 1962 under a Dutch-Indonesian immigration quota.

Career

Rijken was described as a conservative Blue Dog Democrat. He was noted for his work for the elderly, the arts, and history education in schools. Outside of politics, he worked in the paper industry.

References

  1. ↑ "Max Rijken papers - Archives West". archiveswest.orbiscascade.org. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Max Rijken legislator profile". www.oregonlegislature.gov. Retrieved July 19, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Max Rijken Obituary". Statesman Journal. April 15, 1987. p. 19.
  4. ↑ "NEWS UPDATE FROM STATE REPRESENTATIVE DAVID GOMBERG: The Evolution of Coastal Politics". Tillamook County Pioneer. July 13, 2026. Retrieved July 18, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Demos Lose Leader, But Pad Legislature". Oregon Journal. November 6, 1974. p. 15.