Harry Merlo

Harry A. Merlo (March 5, 1925 – October 24, 2016) was an American businessman and philanthropist in the state of Oregon. A native of California, he was chief executive of then Fortune 500 company Louisiana-Pacific after it was divested by forest products company Georgia-Pacific, which were both then headquartered in Portland, Oregon.

Early life Harry A. Merlo was born on March 5, 1925, the son of emigrants from Italy. He grew up in Northern California in Stirling City where his mother ran a boarding house. During World War II he was an officer in the United States Marine Corps.

During his time as leader of LP, he also was a professional sports owner. He owned the Portland Timbers, then of the NASL, from 1979 to 1982. As a philanthropist, he donated money to the University of Portland, who named its soccer stadium in his honor.

Later life Following his departure from LP, he spent time running his winery in Sonoma County, California, along with his ranch in Eastern Oregon near La Grande. Merlo died on October 24, 2016, at the age of 91.