To commemorate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, we would like to share the history of our organization’s namesake, Albertina Sechtem Kerr.
Albertina, affectionately known as “Tina” by her family, was born in Portland on July 13, 1890. After her father passed away in 1894, Albertina and her siblings began working to support the family. She left high school and found employment at the Kerr Glass Company, located at NW 4th Avenue and Hoyt Street, where she met the company owner and her future husband, Alexander Kerr. The couple married on September 29, 1910, and their son, John, was born in June 1911.
Shortly after John’s birth, the Kerr family traveled from the Oregon Coast to Long Beach, Washington. During this trip, Albertina contracted typhoid fever and unfortunately passed away on October 17, 1911. Her dying wish to her husband was, “Look after other motherless babies, too.”
In honor of her memory, Alexander donated their home to the Pacific Coast Rescue Society to serve as a home for orphans. This home, which provided adoption services and daycare for the children of single mothers, opened in 1913 and quickly expanded to accommodate more children and mothers. Alexander and his third wife, Ruth, raised funds to build a larger facility at NE 22nd Avenue and Sandy Boulevard, which opened in 1921 as the Albertina Kerr Nursery. This facility is now known as the Kerr Administrative Center (KAC).
The nursery operated until 1967 when the organization transitioned to a foster care model. In the 1980s, the agency began supporting individuals with developmental disabilities in response to the State of Oregon’s plans to close the Fairview Training Center in Salem.
Today, Albertina Kerr empowers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and mental health challenges to lead self-determined lives in their communities.
Kerr offers:
• Crisis Psychiatric Care for Youth
• 24-hour residential care for adults with I/DD and youth with complex needs
• Supported employment services and inclusive day services for individuals with I/DD
Additionally, Kerr developed and operates Wynne Watts Commons, an award-winning residential community featuring 30 universally accessible units for adults with I/DD. The nonprofit also runs Kerr Bikes, a family-friendly impact-driven business for all abilities, and Kerr Manufacturing, Assembly, and Packaging.
This is the legacy of Albertina Kerr!