Affiliation: Faculty - Emeritus
Alan Acock Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
March 2, 2017
Alan Acock (b. 1944), a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Human Development and
Family Science, chaired OSU's HDFS department for twelve years, beginning with its
creation in 1990. An accomplished scholar in the field of family studies, Acock is
also well-known for his work in quantitative analysis - one particularly influential
book, A Gentle Introduction to Stata, is now in its fifth edition. He has likewise authored major papers on topics including
the impact of divorce on children and improved methods for working with missing statistical
values. In his interview, Acock traces his career as a sociologist at four different
institutions; comments on growth and change within the HDFS department; and lends
insight into his diverse body of scholarship.
Tom Allen Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen and Karl McCreary.
September 1, 2015
Tom Allen (b. 1931) was a Botany professor at OSU from 1962 to his retirement in 1991.
Shortly after arriving on campus, Allen acquired the university's first electron microscope
and used it to study viruses in lilies, among many other plants. Allen is also an
artist of regional consequence who is especially well-known for his watercolor paintings.
While at OSU, Allen helped to found both the Corvallis Art Center as well as the Watercolor
Society of Oregon. He also led the annual Art About Agriculture juried competition
and traveling exhibit for more than twenty years. In his interview, Allen discusses
his evolution as a scientist and artist; shares his institutional memories of Botany
and agriculture at OSU; and reflects on his important involvement in the art community
in Corvallis and across Oregon.
Roy Arnold Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Adam LaMascus.
September 6, 2013
Roy Arnold (b. 1941), a native of Nebraska, completed both a master's degree and a
doctorate at Oregon State University in Food Science. For twenty years a faculty member
at the University of Nebraska, Arnold came back to OSU in 1987 and, over nineteen
more years, served in numerous roles including Dean of the College of Agriculture
and University Provost. During his tenure as an upper administrator, Arnold oversaw
many of the reductions that were put in place as a result of the passage of the Ballot
Measure 5 property tax limitation initiative. He also pushed forward a number of new
initiatives at OSU - the University Honors College, the Ethnic Studies department,
and a dual admissions/dual enrollment program with Oregon's community colleges were
all formed during his years as provost. His interview covers the breadth of his career,
focusing primarily upon his long associations with the University of Nebraska and
Oregon State University.
George Arscott Oral History Interviews
Two life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
December 5, 2014
George Arscott (b. 1923) is an alumnus of and an emeritus faculty member at Oregon
State. A veteran of both World War II and the Korean War, Arscott completed his bachelor's
degree in Poultry Husbandry in 1949, and was a member of the Poultry Science faculty
from 1953 to his retirement in 1987. An accomplished researcher and expert in poultry
nutrition, Arscott chaired Poultry Science for eighteen years, a time period during
which a new poultry facility was built at OSU, and an era that also saw nearly all
of the department's faculty participate in a five-year poultry extension and training
program in the Yemen Arab Republic. In retirement, Arscott continued to serve internationally,
consulting on poultry operations in Central and South America, Egypt, and Lithuania.
Over two interviews, Arscott shares his memories of his military service, his research
and progression through academia, and the activities of the Poultry Science department
over his five decades of affiliation.
Mike Beilstein Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
July 7, 2016
Mike Beilstein (b. 1951) is an OSU alum who was a member of the university's first
undergraduate cohort in Biochemistry & Biophysics, completing his degree in 1973.
After a two-year stint in the Peace Corps and two additional years of work and political
engagement in the Washington, D.C. area, Beilstein returned to Corvallis and spent
the next two decades researching selenium deficiency in the laboratory of Philip Whanger,
an OSU professor of Agricultural Chemistry. In the early 1990s, Beilstein also returned
to political activism, helping to lead a successful living wage campaign and ultimately
serving for six terms as a member of the Corvallis city council. Retired from OSU
in 2007, Beilstein is heavily involved with a number of environmental and social justice
groups including, for a number of years, an annual trip to Cuba in protest of the
United States trade and travel ban. His interview details his OSU student experience
in the early 1970s; the influential two years that he spent as a Peace Corps volunteer
in Lesotho; his research career at Oregon State; and his years of political activism
and public service.
David Bella Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
July 9, 2014
David Bella (b. 1938) was a member of the OSU Civil Engineering faculty for thirty
years, from 1968 to his retirement in 1998. In the 1970s, Bella's early interest
in computer modeling of rivers, lakes and estuaries shifted to a focused analysis
and application of systems theory, with a particular interest in human systems. Since
then, Bella has examined a wide variety of social problems through the lens of systems
theory, writing on the tobacco industry, nuclear waste disposal and global climate
change, among other topics. Bella has also served as a consultant to two chemical
weapons destruction operations, has proposed the creation of a Wild Salmon National
Park, and spent six years observing the Reagan administration's Strategic Defense
Initiative program meetings. His interview focuses on the arc of his career, his
wide-ranging research interests, and his involvement with the local environmental
movement.
John Block Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
August 5, 2014
John Block (b. 1938) was a member of the OSU Pharmacy faculty for thirty-seven years,
serving from 1966 to his retirement in 2003. During his tenure at Oregon State, Block
observed many changes in the Pharmacy curriculum as it modernized to adjust with changes
in the profession. As a member of the Oregon Board of Pharmacy, Block was also involved
with the interpretation and implementation of the state's physician-assisted suicide
law. His interview focuses on the progression of his career, his memories of OSU
Pharmacy over four decades, and his work off-campus, including his involvement with
Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance as a Medicare counselor.
Sue Borden Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
July 28, 2015
Sue Borden (b. 1939) is an Oregon State alum who completed her master's degree in
Mathematics in 1962 and who also worked as an early computer programmer for what was
then the Department of Oceanography. In 1988 Borden was hired to lead the SMILE (Science
and Math Investigative Learning Experiences) Program at OSU, an initiative seeking
to promote interest in the STEM fields and enrollment in college among Oregon's minority
and under-served youth. By the time of Borden's retirement from OSU in 1999, the program
had been implemented in ten communities across the state and was acknowledged by the
Clinton administration with a Presidential award. Borden's interview focuses on her
own academic and career path as a woman in the sciences, her active involvement in
local music organizations, and the history of the SMILE Program during her years as
director.
Harrison Branch Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
February 23, 2015
Harrison Branch (b. 1947) worked in the OSU Art department for forty years as a professor
of Photography, beginning with his arrival in 1973 and concluding with his retirement
in 2013. As an artist, Branch primarily used bellows cameras, often for large format
projects, and as a researcher he investigated platinum-palladium printmaking and Platinotypes,
among other topics. Branch likewise taught a variety of photography classes, including
courses on the history and science of the medium. In his interview, Branch touches
upon his evolution as a photographer, his interests in various technical aspects of
the art form, and his experiences as a teacher over four decades at Oregon State.
Karyle Butcher Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
May 8, 2014
Karyle Butcher (b. 1942) was a member of the OSU Libraries faculty from 1981 to her
retirement in 2010, serving as University Librarian for the final fourteen years of
her career. As director of the OSU Libraries, Butcher oversaw a massive physical
expansion of the campus' main branch library, promoted a culture of scholarship and
innovation within the organization, and guided OSU Libraries to a position of leadership
within an information landscape rapidly transitioning from paper to electronic. During
Butcher's tenure as University Librarian, the University Archives and the OSU Press
- with Butcher serving as director - also came under the umbrella of the OSU Libraries.
Her interview traces her personal evolution as a librarian and as a leader, and also
documents the massive changes that came about during her years of association with
the OSU Libraries.
John Byrne Oral History Interviews
Four life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
January - February 2014
John Byrne (b. 1928) has made an indelible impact on Oregon State University through
an association that has spanned over five decades. A trained geologist, Byrne arrived
in Corvallis in 1960 as one of Oregon State College's first faculty members in Oceanography.
Over time, Byrne assumed chairmanship of the Oceanography Department and later became
Dean of OSU's newly formed School of Oceanography. In 1976 Byrne moved into upper
administration, first as Dean of Research and later as Vice President for Research
and Graduate Studies. Following a three-year stint in Washington, D.C., where he
served as head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Byrne returned
to Corvallis as the twelfth President in OSU history. Byrne's presidency lasted from
1984-1995, a time period during which he did much to modernize university operations
amidst a budget crisis caused by significant reductions in state funding for higher
education. The Byrne oral history interviews trace the arc of his entire life, from
his childhood on Long Island to his graduate studies at USC, and on to his tenures
at Oregon State and with NOAA.
Emery Castle Oral History Interviews
Three life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
October 14 - 15, 2014
Emery Castle (b. 1923), a widely respected agricultural economist, made a significant
impact on Oregon State University over four decades of service. At various points
the chair of the Agricultural Economics department, the Dean of the Graduate School,
and the head of the University Graduate Faculty of Economics, Castle was also one
of three co-chairs of the Commission on University Goals, a group that played an important
role in shaping the strategic agenda of the university in the early 1970s. A major
contributor to conversations on natural resources and the rural economy, Castle also
led a Washington, D.C.-based public policy think tank, Resources for the Future, from
1976-1986, before returning to Corvallis for the final seven years of his career.
In three interviews, Castle discusses his education and service during World War II;
his scholarly achievements in agricultural economics and rural studies; and his diversity
of experiences as an administrator in Corvallis and elsewhere.
Brent Dalrymple Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
August 28, 2013
Brent Dalrymple (b. 1937) served as Dean of the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric
Sciences at Oregon State University from 1994 to 2001. Prior to his tenure at OSU,
Dalrymple was a distinguished geologist with the United States Geological Survey -
where he conducted important work on the Earth's magnetic field, among other areas
of interest - and a visiting professor at Stanford University's School of Earth Sciences.
In 2005 he received the National Medal of Science to honor "his pioneering work in
determining the geomagnetic polarity reversal timescale; a discovery that led to the
theory of plate tectonics." His interview focuses on the major themes of his career
at the USGS and Oregon State.
Tracy Daugherty Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
June 2, 2015
Tracy Daugherty (b. 1955) is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English and Creative
Writing, having taught and written at OSU from 1986 to his retirement in 2013. The
author of four novels, four short story collections, a book of essays, and three biographies,
Daugherty also played a key role in the creation of a Masters of Fine Arts degree
in Creative Writing at Oregon State. Among many other accomplishments, Daugherty
has received the Oregon Book Award four times, most recently in 2010 for his biography
of the author Donald Barthelme, Daugherty's mentor. His interview focuses on his
development and methods as a writer, the evolution of the Creative Writing program
at OSU, and the important role to be played in academia by citizen-scholars.
James Douglass Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Bob Schapper, Chris Petersen and Steve Matthes.
December 5, 2013
James Douglass (b. 1936), served as Oregon State University's Director of Bands from
1968-1999. During that time he directed the OSU Symphonic Band and the OSU Marching
Band, as well as other athletic bands. Under his leadership, the OSU Bands performed
internationally, engaging in goodwill tours of Japan, Taiwan and Costa Rica. Douglass
is also the founder of the Northwest Band Camp, which serves 450 middle school students
each summer. He has appeared as an adjudicator, guest conductor, band clinician, and
trumpet soloist at colleges and high schools in Europe, Canada, Taiwan, the Philippines,
and the U.S. His interview focuses on his early musical interests, his tenure in
the Navy Band, his long career at Oregon State University and some of the outstanding
musicians who performed at OSU during his three decades in charge.
Paul Farber Oral History Interviews
Two life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
October 2014
Paul Farber (b. 1944) is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the History of Science
who worked at OSU from 1970 to his retirement in 2008. During his tenure as a member
of the OSU faculty, Farber served as chair of the General Science department and,
after the department's dissolution, the History department as well. A scholar of
the naturalist tradition and evolutionary ethics, Farber has published on a variety
of subjects, including the history of ornithology and changes in American views on
race mixing. His interviews focus on his evolution as a historian, the means by which
he acquired his scholarly toolkit, and his memories of General Science and History
over four decades working at OSU.
John Gardner Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
August 13, 2014
John Gardner (b. 1939) was a member of the OSU Physics faculty from 1973-2001, during
which time he established himself as a world leader in perturbed angular correlation
spectroscopy, a discipline within the field of solid state physics. Afflicted with
poor vision from birth, Gardner lost all sight in 1988, when surgery to stem glaucoma
went awry. Gardner's blindness led to a shift in his research from solid state physics
to accessibility initiatives for low- or no-sight students and researchers in the
sciences. In 1996 he founded ViewPlus Technologies as a vehicle for developing and
marketing products that support this accessibility work. Gardner's interview focuses
on his upbringing and training, his career in solid state physics, the loss of his
sight, and the changes that his blindness brought about, both personally and professionally.
An Oral History of the Francois Gilfillan family
An interview with Nan Jensen and Ellen Johnson conducted by Anne Bahde and Trevor
Sandgathe.
November 1, 2013
An iconic figure in the history of Oregon State University, Francois Gilfillan (1893-1983)
was a Pharmacy alum of Oregon Agricultural College, graduating in the class of 1918.
After a period of time spent on the East Coast, Gilfillan returned to his alma mater
serving as its Dean of Science and, from 1941-1942, Acting President. A professionally
trained chemist, Gilfillan was instrumental in furthering science education both regionally
and nationally. Gilfillan was also a true Renaissance man who spoke or read at least
nine languages, including Chinook, collected rare books and antique silver, and cultivated
an authentic Japanese garden. With his wife Violette, Gilfillan raised four children
including Elizabeth (Ellen) and Nansie, who share their recollections of Gilfillan
family life in this interview.
Memories of Hatfield Marine Science Center
A series of interview vignettes conducted by Mike Dicianna.
April 12, 2015
Established by Oregon State University in 1965 on Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon,
the Marine Science Center - re-named for Oregon Governor and Senator Mark Hatfield
in 1983 - is both a leading marine research laboratory and a center for instruction
of university students and the interested public alike. In April 2015, HMSC hosted
a reunion of past students, faculty and staff, four of whom contributed their memories
of the center on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary. These interviews, conducted
with Range Bayer, Warren Hanson, John Markham and Anja Robinson, touch on the evolution
and impact of the Hatfield Center as observed over multiple decades.
Ken Hedberg Oral History Interviews
Four life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
September - October 2011
Ken Hedberg (b. 1920) has a personal connection to OSU that spans parts of nine decades.
Born in Portland and raised primarily in southern Oregon, Hedberg attended Oregon
State College from 1939-1942, graduating with a degree in Chemistry. Following a
stint working for Shell Development Company during World War II, Hedberg continued
his education at the California Institute of Technology, completing his Ph.D. in 1948
and developing a friendship with Linus Pauling that would last until Pauling's death
in 1994. Hedberg returned to his alma mater in 1956, accepting a position in the OSC
Chemistry department and remaining on faculty until retiring in 1987. Recognized
internationally as an expert on the determination of molecular structures through
the use of electron diffraction, Hedberg has continued to work and publish in the
years since his formal retirement, solving the structures of numerous compounds using
an apparatus that he designed and built in the mid-1950s. Over four interviews Hedberg
shares his memories of campus life in the years prior to World War II; discusses the
environment at Caltech during its "golden age"; provides insight into the life, work
and personality of Linus Pauling; and reflects on more than half a century of Chemistry
at OSU.
Joe Hendricks Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
August 4, 2014
Joe Hendricks (b. 1943) is an acclaimed gerontologist who chaired the OSU Sociology
department from 1989-1995. On the OSU campus, he is more widely known for having
served as the first Dean of the University Honors College (UHC), which he led from
its formation in 1995 to 2008. As Dean, Hendricks helped to shape the UHC's admissions
standards, grew enrollments, recruited teaching faculty, and carved out physical spaces,
including an honors dorm and two dedicated honors study spaces. Hendricks' interview
focuses on his scholarly achievements in gerontology, and the formation and growth
of the University Honors College at OSU.
John Henley Oral History Interviews
Two life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
December 22, 2014
John Henley (b. 1951) is a Portland native and appraiser of rare books and manuscripts
who was instrumental in building Powell's Books, serving as the store's first manager
and remaining on staff for more than a decade. He is also the son of Elizabeth Henley
(1912-1981), an accomplished poet and former member of the English faculty at Oregon
State. In the 1930s, during her tenure as an English professor at the University of
Washington, Elizabeth Henley was active in the American Communist Party. In 1956,
fearful of the potential repercussions that might arise from her past political activities,
Henley consented to being committed to the Oregon State Penitentiary for the Criminally
Insane. She remained there for more than two years before securing her release and
joining the staff at Oregon State College. She taught English at Oregon State from
1959 to her retirement in 1975. Over two interviews, John Henley tells his mother's
remarkable story; details the history of Powell's Books; and shares numerous other
tales of a life spent scouting rare books and working in the retail book trade.
Bob and Kaety Jacobson Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
January 20, 2015
Bob Jacobson (b. 1939) attended Oregon State as an undergraduate and member of the
Beaver basketball team, graduating with a degree in Business and Technology in 1963.
Three years later, he became the country's first Marine Extension Agent, working with
coastal fishermen and seafood processors, as well as state-wide policymakers, for
nearly three decades. His daughter Kaety Jacobson (b. 1981) is a 2003 OSU graduate
in Natural Resources. In 2005, she too began a career as a Marine Extension Agent,
operating out of her hometown of Newport. In their interview, the Jacobsons reflect
on their closely connected experiences as OSU students and Marine Extension Agents
on Oregon's coast, commenting on the similarities and differences that each has observed
over the decades.
A Century of Extension in the Klamath Basin
Five life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen and Geoff Somnitz.
July 2015 - March 2016
The Klamath Basin has been home to OSU Extension and Experiment Station activities
for more than one-hundred years. In July 2015, four interviews conducted at the Klamath
Basin Research and Extension Center traced this history, with particular emphasis
placed on the work of legendary Extension Agent Charlie Henderson (1892-1969), as
well as that of Extension Veterinarian Guy Reynolds (1920-1995). Each of these sessions,
as well as a fifth interview conducted in March 2016, touches upon the impact that
Extension and Experiment Station work has made on the region and provides perspective
on the challenges and opportunities facing the Klamath Basin today. Of particular
interest are the interviewees' thoughts on the water crisis that crippled the area
in 2001, making national headlines in the process. Interviewees include Linda Weider,
Sen. Doug Whitsett, Rodney Todd, Jean Pinniger, and Ron Hathaway.
Kelvin Koong Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
October 9, 2014
Kelvin Koong (b. 1943) worked in numerous administrative and faculty positions at
OSU from 1987 to 2011. During his tenure at Oregon State, Koong did much to advance
the missions of the College of Agricultural Sciences, the College of Veterinary Medicine,
and the OSU Extension and Experiments Stations. Known for his ability to work well
with state legislators, in 2001 Koong secured funds to expand the university's veterinary
medicine curriculum into a complete four-year program. He also led the fundraising
campaign that resulted in the Oldfield Animal Teaching Facility, opened in 2012. His
interview focuses on his upbringing in Taiwan, his education and research in animal
sciences, and his multifaceted administrative career at OSU.
Phyllis Lee Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
January 28, 2015
Phyllis Lee (b. 1936) was the first Director of OSU's Office of Multicultural Affairs,
which was created in 1991 and charged with promoting diversity and improving the campus
climate for students, faculty and staff of color. A graduate of OSU's doctoral program
in Education and a former member of the university's Board of Visitors, Lee spearheaded
a number of outreach and curricular activities meant to promote dialogue on issues
of diversity, both in the classroom and in the community. Lee retired from OSU in
2003. One year later, President Ed Ray created the Phyllis S. Lee Award, which is
presented annually and honors a member of the OSU community who exemplifies Lee's
commitment and dedication to social justice and to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. Her interview focuses on her education, her long commitment to diversity
issues, and her many activities as Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs.
Bill Lunch Oral History Interviews
Two life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
March 2015
Bill Lunch (b. 1949) was a member of the OSU Political Science department from 1984
to his retirement in 2011, serving as chair of the department for his final eight
years on faculty. For the majority of his time at Oregon State, Lunch also worked
as a political commentator for Oregon Public Broadcasting, filing reports and offering
his opinions on regional political affairs, and regularly appearing on both radio
and television. Over two interviews, Lunch describes the ways in which this dual
career evolved and flourished over the course of nearly three decades at Oregon State.
He also offers his opinions on numerous individuals who have made a major impact on
the university, and shares his perspective on the resignation of Governor John Kitzhaber,
which took place just one month before these interviews.
Bob Malouf Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
April 19, 2017
Bob Malouf (b. 1946) spent his entire career in the world of Sea Grant, working on
two coasts and intersecting with Oregon State University on three different occasions.
Malouf earned his master's degree from OSU in 1971, a time period during which he
distinguished himself as Oregon Sea Grant's first trainee. In 1975 he completed his
Oregon State Ph.D. and, from 1991 to 2008, he served as Director of Oregon Sea Grant.
At various points, Malouf also worked as a scientist and administrator for Sea Grant
programs in Delaware and New York. In his interview, Malouf recounts key points in
his evolution as an academic and leader, and also provides detailed insight into the
development of Oregon Sea Grant as well as the ways in which it compares with other
Sea Grant programs on the Atlantic Coast.
Chris Mathews Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
September 2, 2011
Chris Mathews (b. 1937) is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and
Biophysics who worked at OSU from 1978 to his retirement in 2002, chairing the Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics for the whole of that time. Internationally recognized
as a major contributor to the field of biochemistry with an emphasis on enzymology,
virology, and genetics, Mathews is also a co-author of a highly successful textbook,
Biochemistry, now in its third edition. Mathews was likewise involved with the creation of the
Center for Gene Research at OSU, as well as the establishment of the Linus Pauling
Institute on the OSU campus and the planning of the Agricultural and Life Sciences
Building. His interview focuses on his path through academia, the research that he
has pursued in biochemistry, and his memories of involvement with numerous initiatives
in the sciences over a twenty-four year career at OSU.
Mina McDaniel Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
December 1, 2015
Mina McDaniel (b. 1944) earned both bachelor's and master's degrees from OSU in Food
Science and Technology. A sensory scientist, McDaniel returned to her alma mater in
1983 to lead the OSU Sensory Science Laboratory, overseeing projects related to beer,
wine, and Asian noodles, among many other topics. McDaniel also emerged as an important
advocate for women on campus, and filled numerous roles in this capacity during her
years as a faculty member. She concluded her OSU career as Director of Academic Programs
and Academic Assessment before retiring in 2006. McDaniel's interview provides a detailed
account of campus life and the Food Science student experience in the 1960s. McDaniel
also discusses the arc of her own career; the activities of the Sensory Science Lab
during her years of association; and her sense of the changing status of women at
OSU over five decades.
Starr McMullen Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
September 4, 2015
Starr McMullen (b. 1951) was a member of the OSU Economics faculty from 1980 to her
retirement in 2014, serving as department chair from 2001 to 2005. An award-winning
scholar of transportation economics, McMullen has also served on the Oregon Governor's
Council of Economic Advisors since 2003. McMullen is likewise an accomplished violinist
and fiddler, who won the 2014 National Senior Fiddle Championship at the National
Oldtime Fiddle Contest. Her interview traces her work in economics; her institutional
memories of the Economics department at OSU; her perspective on the struggles that
women continue to face in academia; and her on-going pursuits as a musician.
Charlie Miller Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
May 12, 2015
Charlie Miller (b. 1940) is an oceanographer and ocean ecologist who spent thirty-four
years as a faculty member at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, arriving in 1969
and retiring in 2003. An expert on zooplankton, Miller has made several important
contributions to the scientific understanding of the world's oceans, including the
discovery of a new species of plankton, Neocalanus flemingeri, first identified in 1982. Miller is also a social and environmental activist who
has, in particular, spoken out against a liquefied natural gas terminal that is proposed
to cross Oregon. His interview provides an overview of his scientific research as
well as his institutional memories of HMSC and his activism in retirement.
Frank Moore Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
April 11, 2017
Frank Moore (b. 1945) is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Zoology who was an
active member of the OSU faculty from his arrival in Corvallis in 1975 to his retirement
in 2007. Moore is perhaps best known for his discovery of vasotocin, a hormone that
plays a major role in the reproductive behavior of many different types of animal
species, including the salamanders that Moore used as his primary research model.
Moore also made significant contributions to the scientific understanding of neurological
systems in amphibians. In his interview, Moore traces the unusual path that he took
to academia; comments on the major themes of his research; and shares his perspective
on his personal and academic partnership with Kathleen Dean Moore, herself an OSU
Distinguished Professor and acclaimed author.
Mike Newton Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
March 15, 2016
Mike Newton (b. 1932) is an Oregon State alum - having completed a master's degree
in Forestry in 1959 and a Ph.D. in Botany in 1964 - and also an emeritus member of
the OSU Forestry faculty. Over a forty-year career at Oregon State, Newton conducted
influential research on weed control in forested settings, work that took him to Vietnam
in the early 1970s to investigate the biological impact of Agent Orange. A highly
productive scholar, Newton also led long-term studies focusing on competition between
tree and plant species in areas of differing rainfall and soil type; tree growth in
cold weather climates; and the cultivation of mature forests through managed thinning
and harvesting. In his interview, Newton reflects primarily on the research that he
has conducted in forested areas all around the world, and on contemporary controversies
surrounding forest management. His upbringing in rural New England and his years as
a student at Oregon State College are also included as secondary topics.
Mary Jo Nye Oral History Interviews
Two life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
March 2015
Mary Jo Nye (b. 1944) is a historian of science who was a member of the OSU History
faculty from 1994 to her retirement in 2008. Nye and her husband Robert, also a historian,
served as the first Thomas Hart and Mary Jones Horning Professors of the Humanities,
and in this capacity were charged with deepening the link between the sciences and
the humanities at OSU. A prolific and accomplished scholar of 19th and 20th century
history of science in Europe and the U.S., Mary Jo Nye received the Sarton Medal,
the highest award granted by the History of Science Society, in 2006. Over two interviews,
Nye traces the evolution of her academic interests in science and the history of science,
discusses her work on several books, and reflects on her fourteen years as Horning
chair at OSU.
Bob Olson Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
November 14, 2014
Bob Olson (b. 1940) is a parasitologist and emeritus member of the OSU Fisheries and
Wildlife faculty, who has taught and conducted research at the Hatfield Marine Science
Center since his arrival in 1968. For nearly two decades, Olson was HMSC's Associate
Director of Education Programs, and in this capacity oversaw both classroom instruction
as well as public outreach through activities including the Seataqua Program. An
expert on parasites that affect fish, Olson has received the unusual honor of having
a parasite named after him - trypanoplasma bobolsoni. His interview concentrates on his teaching and research career at HMSC, as well
as his observations of the forward evolution of HMSC as a facility and community partner
over his five decades of affiliation.
The OSU Extension Service Centennial Oral History Collection
Sixteen life history interviews conducted by Elizabeth Uhlig.
August 2007 - June 2009
In anticipation of its centennial in 2011, the Oregon State University Extension Service
interviewed several of its emeritus faculty in 2007, 2008, and 2009. These interviews
help to tell the story of Extension in Oregon over a fifty-year period following World
War II, and cover topics including agriculture, 4-H, home economics, energy, community
development, Sea Grant, communications, administration, and support. The interviewees
who are included in the collection that is presented here are: Roberta Anderson, Len
Calvert, Dean Frischknecht, John Hansen, Bob Jacobson, Duane Johnson, Alberta Johnston,
Harold Kerr, Glenn Klein, Linda Modrell, Owen Osborne, Jack Ross, Jane Schroeder,
Walt and Sally Schroeder, Greg Tillson, and Tom Zinn.
An Oral History of the OSU Press
An interview with Jo Alexander and Jeff Grass conducted by Chris Petersen.
March 26, 2014
Founded in 1961, the Oregon State University Press was, for much of its existence,
a component of the university's Office of Publications. Burdened by chronic funding
challenges, the Press experienced a roller coaster existence for many years and was
nearly shuttered in 1990 following the passage in Oregon of the property tax limitation
Ballot Measure 5. Now administratively organized alongside the OSU Libraries, the
Press has evolved into a flourishing scholarly publisher responsible for nearly 400
titles focusing principally on the history and character of the Pacific Northwest.
In this interview, Jo Alexander (b. 1944) and Jeff Grass (b. 1948) discuss their long
association with the Press, which together spanned parts of five decades.
Michael Oriard Oral History Interviews
Two life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
March 2015
Michael Oriard (b. 1948) is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of American Literature
and Culture who worked at OSU from 1976 to his retirement in 2013. Oriard is also
a former professional football player who, after receiving All American honors at
the University of Notre Dame, spent four seasons in the National Football League as
an offensive lineman with the Kansas City Chiefs. As an academic, Oriard's primary
focus has been the cultural history of football, and he is widely recognized as an
expert on the United States' most popular sport. In two interviews, Oriard discusses
his life as a student athlete and professional football player, his growth and productivity
as a scholar, and the fragile status and uncertain future of American football.
Erwin Pearson Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
July 8, 2016
Erwin Pearson (b. 1932) graduated from Oregon State College in 1954 with a bachelor's
degree in Animal Husbandry. Following a career in private veterinary practice that
spanned nearly two decades, Pearson earned a master's degree from the OSU College
of Veterinary Medicine and later joined its faculty, working primarily in the college's
teaching hospital. A full-time member of the faculty for eighteen years, Pearson spent
an average of 1,200 hours per year teaching practical veterinary medicine to OSU's
Vet Med students, and also established himself as an expert on the impact of different
toxins on animal livers. In addition, Pearson chaired the college's curriculum committee
for many years and was central to the creation and implementation of a new organizational
plan that was put into place once Vet Med had secured funding for a full four-year
program at OSU. His interview touches upon his student experience and his years in
private practice, but is more centrally focused on the sometimes tumultuous history
of OSU's College of Veterinary Medicine.
George Poinar Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
October 23, 2014
George Poinar (b. 1936) is a Courtesy Faculty member in the OSU Department of Entomology
who has lived in Corvallis since retiring from the University of California, Berkeley
in 1995. Poinar is internationally known for his groundbreaking research in Paleoentomology.
In the mid-1970s, Poinar and his wife, Roberta, created an entirely new field of study
when they began actively collecting, analyzing and describing long-extinct insect
and animal specimens that had been trapped for millennia in fossilized amber. Poinar's
work inspired author Michael Crichton to write his best-selling novel, Jurassic Park, and indeed, many of Poinar's scientific discoveries - ranging from extinct flowers
to giant fleas to a theory that parasites may have killed off the dinosaurs - have
made headlines of their own. In his interview, Poinar discusses the path that he
followed through academia, the many travels that he has taken in pursuit of scientific
discovery, and the details of his pioneering work with ancient amber.
Clara Pratt Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
August 4, 2015
Clara Pratt (b. 1948) worked as a faculty member at OSU for more than thirty years,
directing the university's Gerontology program from 1974 to 1993, and also serving
as Oregon State's final dean of Home Economics. It was in this latter capacity that
Pratt was closely involved with the dissolution of what was then known as the College
of Home Economics and Education, and the creation of the predecessor to today's College
of Public Health and Human Sciences. Pratt was likewise involved in the early conversations
surrounding the creation of a branch campus in Bend, and to this day works part-time
as an instructor at OSU-Cascades. Her interview touches upon her forty year association
with OSU and her key involvement in major changes within Gerontology, Home Economics,
Health and Human Sciences, and OSU-Cascades.
Beth Rietveld Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
June 11, 2014
Beth Rietveld (b. 1953) served as Director of the OSU Women's Center from 1992-2011
and was an influential agent of change within both the Women's Center and the larger
campus community. A recipient of the National Women's Studies Association's Lifetime
Achievement Award, Rietveld made important contributions to campus dialogues concerning
inclusiveness for the LGBT community, salary equity for women faculty, and work-life
balance issues. Prior to her tenure as head of the Women's Center, Rietveld was,
variously, Assistant Director of Physical Recreation and Assistant Director of Student
Involvement at OSU. Her interview focuses on the arc of her career, the development
of her voice as a womens rights activist, and the changes in campus climate that she
has observed over more than three decades of involvement with OSU.
Bill Robbins Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
June 27, 2017
Bill Robbins (b. 1935) is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History who was an
active member of the OSU faculty from 1971 to 1999. Regarded today as a premiere historian
of the American West, Robbins came from a humble background, working as a logger and
elementary school teacher before completing his Ph.D. at the age of thirty-five. During
his highly accomplished career at Oregon State, Robbins authored a two-volume history
of Oregon as well as an acclaimed study of socioeconomic change on Oregon's central
coast. His later works include a biography of Oregon politician Monroe Sweetland and
a history of Oregon State University titled The People's School. Robbins' interview details his unusual path toward academia as well as his institutional
memories from a long career as an OSU History professor.
Bob Schoning Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
November 5, 2014
Bob Schoning (b. 1923) spent over fifty years working as a fisheries biologist and
policymaker at various levels of government. A nationally ranked handball player for
much of his life, Schoning also served his country as a Marine during World War II
and the Korean War, and was honored with the Bronze Star for his courage on the battlefield.
As director of the National Marine Fisheries Service, Schoning was heavily involved
with the crafting of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act,
an important piece of legislation which established a 200-mile fishery conservation
zone buffering the shorelines of the United States. Schoning spent four years as a
visiting professor with OSU's Fisheries and Wildlife Department and another sixteen
years on the advisory board of the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station. His interview
focuses on his military service; his work as a fisheries policymaker; and his multiple
associations with OSU.
Fred Stormshak Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
December 22, 2015
Fred Stormshak (b. 1936) is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Animal Sciences
who was a member of the OSU faculty from 1968 to his retirement in 2001. Stormshak
spent much of his career at Oregon State studying the ovary and uterus of the domestic
animal, with particular attention paid to the functioning of the corpus luteum, an
ephemeral and short-lived gland that plays a crucial role in the reproductive process.
In 1996, he and a colleague began a program of research on the biological basis of
male-oriented behavior in rams; work that eventually made headlines around the world.
Funded by the NIH and continuing to this day, the studies have focused on a group
of neurons in the anterior hypothalamus that may play a crucial role in the scientific
understanding of sexual behavior in sheep. Stormshak's interview details his upbringing
in rural Washington; his education in Dairy Science and Endocrinology; the broad array
of research that he has conducted at OSU; and his institutional memories of Animal
Science at OSU.
Cliff Trow Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
December 13, 2013
Cliff Trow (b. 1929), a native of Kansas, spent thirty-one years on the OSU History
faculty, receiving the Organization of American Historians' Binkley-Stephenson Award
in 1972. In addition to his academic career, Trow - who has been involved in Democratic
Party politics since the late 1950s - was elected to the state Senate in 1974 and
represented District 18 until his retirement from office in 2003. A champion of education
in Oregon, Trow served on a number of committees, including periods chairing the Senate
Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Education Committee. He was also elected President
Pro Tempore of the Senate for 1981-1983. His interview focuses on his career at OSU
and in politics, and his long and fruitful marriage to Jo Anne Trow, herself a former
member of the OSU President's cabinet and a respected public figure.
Jo Anne Trow Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
December 13, 2013
Jo Anne Trow (b. 1931) enjoyed a long and notable career at OSU, where she held numerous
positions in teaching and administration; among them, Trow was the university's last
Dean of Women and its first female Vice President. Over the course of her career,
Trow spearheaded work to address numerous issues of inequality faced by female faculty,
such as salary parity. These discussions and activities eventually led to the formation
of a new infrastructure to support women on campus, including the OSU Women's Network
and the Women's Center. With her husband Cliff Trow, an emeritus professor of History
and retired state Senator, Jo Anne has also been very active in the Corvallis community.
Her interview focuses on her upbringing and education, her career at OSU, the advancement
of equality initiatives on campus, and her volunteer work in retirement.
Tony Van Vliet Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
November 14, 2013
Tony Van Vliet (b. 1930) is both an alum and an emeritus member of the OSU faculty.
Van Vliet studied Forestry at Oregon State College, graduating with a B.S. in 1952
and attaining a master's degree in Forest Products in 1958. He began his teaching
career in 1955, a tenure that lasted until 1990 and included thirty-five years on
faculty in the College of Forestry. From 1971-1978, Van Vliet was also involved with
the university's Career Planning and Placement Center, serving as Director from 1978
until his retirement from OSU. Van Vliet likewise built a second career as a legislator
in the Oregon House of Representatives. A moderate Republican, Van Vliet served in
Salem from 1974-1995, during which time he focused on support for education and revision
of the state's tax system. His interview focuses on his background and early years,
his experiences as an OSC student, his memories of working in the legislature, and
his successful advocacy of the Corvallis Riverfront project.
Dick Waring Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
December 18, 2015
Dick Waring (b. 1935) is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Forest Science who
was an active member of the OSU Forestry faculty from 1963 to his retirement in 2001.
Waring's career at OSU was characterized by influential research on a number of topics
in forest science, from building models of the flow of carbon and water through forest
systems, to investigations of trees' defenses against bark beetles and spruce budworm.
In the 1980s, he developed a relationship with NASA that led to multiple projects
utilizing remote sensing technology to better understand forest systems. More recently,
he has turned his attention to climate change and the future of the world's forests,
co-authoring a 2014 book on the subject titled Forests in Our Changing World. Waring's interview details his wide range of research interests over the decades,
and includes commentary on the evolution of the OSU College of Forestry as well.
Ed Waymire Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
July 29, 2015
Ed Waymire (b. 1949) is an Emeritus member of the OSU Mathematics faculty who first
arrived at Oregon State in 1982. A scholar of stochastics and probability theory,
Waymire has spent more than three decades studying the mathematics associated with
random phenomena such as rain, turbulent flows, branching networks, solute dispersion
and other processes from hydrology. The editor of several professional journals over
the course of his career, Waymire has received both the Carver Medal from the Institute
of Mathematical Studies and the F.A. Gilfillan Award from OSU for his achievements
as a mathematician. His interview provides an overview of his upbringing and the importance
of family in shaping his life; the ways in which mathematics have come to influence
his perception of the world around him; and his institutional memories of OSU's Mathematics
department over an affiliation that has spanned more than thirty years.
Dick Weinman Oral History Interviews
Two life history interviews conducted by Janice Dilg.
October 2014 - January 2015
Dick Weinman (b. 1933) was a Speech professor at Oregon State from 1967 to his retirement
in 1998, and also the on-air voice of Oregon Public Broadcasting's Morning Edition for nearly twenty-five years. During his career at OSU, Weinman played a fundamental
role in the creation and growth of KBVR-TV as well as the Broadcast Media Communications
program, which he led until its dissolution in 1992. An influential and innovative
teacher, Weinman also spearheaded a number of workshops and campus events meant to
improve the quality of education for the university's aspiring broadcasters. Among
many topics discussed over two interviews, Weinman reflects on his life in broadcasting;
his involvement with a wide array of documentary films and campus events; the evolution
of KBVR-TV; and the creation of the New Media Studies program.
Jim Welty Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
April 21, 2015
Jim Welty (b. 1933) earned three degrees from Oregon State, completing bachelor's
(1954) and master's (1959) studies in Mechanical Engineering, as well as a doctorate
in Chemical Engineering, which he finished in 1962. His Ph.D. in hand, Welty was
promptly hired to the Oregon State Mechanical Engineering faculty, where he remained
until retiring in 1996. During this time, Welty served as department chair for fifteen
years, from 1970 to 1985. A respected scholar of fluid dynamics and heat transfer,
Welty, along with two OSU colleagues, co-authored a hugely successful textbook that
was first published in 1969 and is still used in classrooms today. His interview provides
an overview of a personal association with Oregon State's College of Engineering that
has few parallels, one that spans parts of seven decades.
A Remembrance of William Appleman Williams
An interview with Bill Robbins conducted by Chris Petersen.
March 27, 2012
William Appleman Williams (1921-1990), an influential American historian and writer,
was a member of the History faculty at Oregon State University from 1968-1986. He
is regarded to be a founder of the "revisionist school" of American diplomatic history.
A prolific author, Williams' The Contours of American History (1961), was named by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best non-fiction books
written in English in the twentieth century. Bill Robbins, Distinguished Professor
Emeritus of History, was a member of the OSU History faculty from 1971 to his retirement
in 1999. Williams and Robbins were close friends and valued colleagues, and in this
interview Robbins shares his recollections of Williams' work, personality and impact.
Ron Wrolstad Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
December 14, 2015
Ron Wrolstad (b. 1939) is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Food Science and Technology
who attended Oregon State College as an undergraduate and was an active member of
its faculty from 1965 to his retirement in 2004. An accomplished and highly cited
agricultural scientist, Wrolstad has made important contributions to the study of
fruit juice adulteration, ultimately becoming a trusted authority on the subject and
receiving funding from both public and private sources to act as a check on fruit
juice producers worldwide. Wrolstad likewise contributed to the body of research on
natural colorants, including a project investigating the use of radish extract to
achieve the red color associated with maraschino cherries. In his interview, Wrolstad
reflects on his undergraduate years at OSC; comments on the legacy of maraschino cherry
work at Oregon State; details the themes of his research over time; and shares his
institutional memories of a sixty-year association with the Food Science and Technologies
Department.
Russ Youmans Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
May 7, 2015
Russ Youmans (b. 1936) joined the OSU faculty in 1966 as a researcher and Extension
liaison operating out of the Agricultural Economics department. From 1977 to his retirement
in 1999, Youmans headed the Western Regional Development Center (WRDC), a federally
funded organization based at OSU and charged with linking land grant universities
with local policymakers to more effectively address issues of socio-economic development
in rural communities. As director, Youmans oversaw a wide swath of activities focusing
on, among other issues, health care, economic progress, and leadership education in
rural areas all across the western United States. His interview recounts his own rural
upbringing and education in agricultural economics; the creation and mission of the
WRDC; and the many activities with which he was involved as center director.