John Little papers

John Little was the executive director of the Valley Migrant League and one of the founding members of the Collegio Cesar Chavez in Mt. Angel, Oregon.

During the late 1960s church groups, community members, state and local government officials were concerned about the living conditions of the growing numbers of migrant workers coming to Oregon. They formed a coalition and invited farm owners, farm workers, and representatives from the Willamette Valley to serve on a board to establish an organization for migrant workers. Eventually called the Valley Migrant League, the VML was headquartered in Woodburn, Oregon, but provided services to many Oregon areas.

From its inception John Little was involved with the administration and operation of the VML. In 1967, the VML hired Little as the new executive director. Fluent in Spanish and with several years of experience working in Ecuador in community development, he was able to lead the organization toward a greater involvement of Hispanic leadership. Two years later, the VML board changed its bylaws to give more representation to farm workers, and in 1970 Frank Martinez became the organization’s first Hispanic executive director.

John Little also contributed his knowledge and experience to the founding and administration of the Collegio Cesar Chavez, the only Chicano institute of higher education in the United States from 1973 until 1981. Opening in 1973, the college closed its doors in 1987. By this time most colleges in Oregon offered a variety of higher education programs for Hispanic populations.