State Representative, 1959-1965

Atiyeh's professional papers encompass both his business and political activities, from his involvement with Atiyeh Bros., Inc., the family business, through his terms in the Oregon State Legislature, the State Senate, and the governorship, his subsequent international consulting business, and his continued involvement in Oregon and international political issues.

The bulk of the materials in this series relate to his time as governor, with a particular emphasis on his international trade missions; similar trips he carried out as part of his private consulting business are also well represented. The papers relating to Atiyeh Bros. are primarily promotional in nature, rather than business documents, with the exception to this being some early receipts that predate Atiyeh's involvement with the company. Though Atiyeh’s legislative career is less well-documented than his gubernatorial career, the records, from correspondence to press clippings, offer evidence of the respect Atiyeh garnered across party lines, Atiyeh’s growing involvement with the Republican party at the national level, and Atiyeh’s early involvement with tax policy.

One particularly comprehensive source regarding Atiyeh’s gubernatorial administration is the set of binders created by and for gubernatorial staff; the "Everything You Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask Book" and the "Son of the 'Everything' Book" cover everything from staff contact information to biographical notes on the governor and first lady. The governor’s schedules and appointment books offer an overview of his daily activities. Other materials of note in the Governor subseries include documentation regarding Mount Saint Helens (particularly its 1980 eruption), the Rajneesh situation, budget and tax issues, and energy issues. Another resource of note is the compilation of administration success stories staff members gathered to help Atiyeh prepare his farewell address; they provide accounts of how the administration helped individual Oregonians as well as the state as a whole.