Theme: Entrepreneurship
Sami Al-AbdRabbuh Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
September 13, 2016
Sami Al-AbdRabbuh (b. 1987) is a Ph.D. student in OSU's Industrial Engineering program
who completed his master's degree within the program in 2015. The CEO of a small
start-up company, Al-AbdRabbuh has also been active in both student government and
state politics, running as the Progressive Party candidate for state representative
during the 2016 election cycle. Al-AbdRabbuh was born in the United States and raised
in Saudi Arabia, and in his interview he provides perspective on the Muslim and Muslim
American experience in both the U.S. and the Middle East. His academic and entrepreneurial
pursuits as well as his community service projects are likewise included as secondary
topics.
Ken Austin Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna and Chris Petersen.
March 24, 2015
Ken Austin (b. 1931) attended Oregon State College from 1949-1953, graduating with
a degree in Industrial Engineering. While at OSC, Austin became the first Benny Beaver
mascot, wearing a costume of his own design and construction, and entertaining fans
with antics that often incorporated a starter's pistol that he wore on his hip. Following
the completion of his studies and a stint in the Air Force, Austin worked eight jobs
in eight years before launching his own business, Austin Dental Equipment Company,
or A-dec. Mechanically inclined and a habitual tinkerer, Austin's innovations revolutionized
the practice of dentistry and fueled dizzying growth for A-dec. Later on, Ken and
his wife Joan became heavily involved in numerous philanthropic endeavors, generously
supporting several programs at OSU and providing the lead gift for a new home for
the College of Business, Austin Hall. Austin's interview focuses on his life-long
interest in machinery, his rich undergraduate experience at OSC, the creation and
growth of A-dec, and his family's experiences in philanthropy.
Carl and Kim Casale Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
November 6, 2015
Carl Casale (b. 1961) and his wife Kim (Martin) Casale both graduated from OSU in
1983 with degrees in Agricultural Economics. In the years that followed, Carl moved
up the executive ranks at the Monsanto Corporation, ultimately rising to the position
of Chief Financial Officer. Kim enjoyed career growth as well, eventually becoming
an Area Director at Bristol-Myer Squibb. In 2011, Carl accepted the position of Chief
Executive Officer and President of CHS, Inc., the nation's largest agricultural cooperative
and a Fortune 100 company. Though based in Minnesota, the Casales also own and operate
a 100-acre blueberry farm near Aurora, Oregon, which they manage, in part, through
cutting-edge precision agriculture technologies. Their wide-ranging interview touches
upon their OSU experiences; their career trajectories; Carl's life as a chief executive;
their blueberry farm; and their continuing connections with OSU.
Ralph Cheek Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
October 15, 2014
Ralph Cheek (b. 1930) graduated from Oregon State College in 1952, completing a degree
in Business while also participating in Naval ROTC. Following a period of military
service, Cheek embarked upon a career with Kaiser Aluminum that would span more than
thirty years. Beginning as a scrap foreman, Cheek eventually advanced to the position
of Vice President of Manufacturing and Sales for Kaiser Aluminum Europe, while also
serving as a member of the Kaiser Aluminum Europe board. In 1986 Cheek retired from
Kaiser Aluminum and accepted a position as CEO of IMCO Recycling, which he built up
to become the world's largest recycler of aluminum cans. In his interview he discusses
his OSC years, his many positions with Kaiser Aluminum, and his influential leadership
of IMCO Recycling.
Ted Cox Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Tiah Edmunson-Morton.
June 7, 2016
Ted Cox (b. 1947) is the owner and founder of the Old World Deli, a Corvallis institution
that has been located in the south end of the city's downtown district since 1977.
In addition, Cox is a former Peace Corps volunteer who spent two years teaching in
Sierra Leone and another two years as the national track and field coach in present-day
Belize. He is likewise an OSU alum, having completed his master's degree in Physical
Education in 1975, a time period during which he also served as the first women's
volleyball coach at Oregon State during the Title IX era. Through his work at the
Old World Deli, Cox became a pioneering figure in the local homebrewing scene, selling
equipment, providing instruction, and building community. His interview traces his
upbringing in California and his experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer; his experiences
as a student and coach at OSU; the early years of the Old World Deli and homebrewing
in Corvallis; and the history of brewing in the city, dating back to the mid-1800s.
Jim Denison Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
September 24, 2014
Jim Denison (b. 1927) spent more than sixty years working in Oregon's forests as a
timber cruiser, land surveyor and forestry consultant, co-founding two companies along
the way - Denison Surveying and Coastal Land Management. A World War II veteran,
Denison attended Oregon State College from 1946-1950, majoring in Forest Engineering
and funded by the G.I. Bill. The primary focus of his interview is his long and multifaceted
career in forestry, with his OSC and military experiences included as secondary topics.
Don Essig Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
May 19, 2014
Don Essig (b. 1938) attended Oregon State College from 1956-1960, graduating with
a degree in Elementary Education. Essig went on to a career as a public school teacher
and administrator, primarily in the Eugene school system, that lasted for three decades.
Since 1967, Essig has also served as the public address announcer for University of
Oregon football and men's basketball games. His interview focuses on his undergraduate
experience at OSC, his career in education, his experiences as the PA voice of the
Ducks, and his unique perspective on the storied athletics rivalry between OSU and
UO.
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.
Ilene Kleinsorge Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
February 10, 2015
Ilene Kleinsorge (b. 1949) was a member of the OSU College of Business faculty from
her arrival in 1987 to her retirement in 2015. For the final twelve years of her career,
Kleinsorge served as the college's Dean, a time period that saw significant change
within Business. As Dean, Kleinsorge oversaw broad changes to the college's curriculum
as well as the implementation of several new programs, a strengthened emphasis on
innovation, and the construction of a state-of-the-art facility, Austin Hall. Her
interview focuses on her atypical career path - which included stints as a factory
worker and licensed practical nurse - as well as the strategic planning process that
was central to the renewal of the College of Business. She also discusses her interactions
with Ken and Joan Austin, and recounts the story behind Austin Hall.
Brent Lawrence Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
December 28, 2015
Brent Lawrence (b. 1958) attended OSU from 1977-1980, during which time he served
as the first chairperson of the Minority Affairs program at the Memorial Union. Not
long after completing his bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Lawrence also
came out to his family, revealing his identity as a gay man. After obtaining an MBA
from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, Lawrence embarked upon a successful
career as a project manager and independent consultant, working in fields as varied
as software development, team building, and psychometrics. For seven years, Lawrence
lived and worked in New Zealand, during which time he and his partner obtained dual
citizenship. In his interview, Lawrence traces his path through academia and the business
world, commenting in particular on his experiences as a gay man, and on the crucial
role that his multicultural perspective has played over the course of his life.
Bob Lundeen Oral History Interviews
Four life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
July - August 2013
Bob Lundeen (1921-2016) graduated from Oregon State College in 1942 with a BS in Chemical
Engineering. Lundeen served in the Army Air Corp during World War II as a weather
officer stationed in China. After the war, he began working for Dow Chemical Co.,
eventually rising to the position of Chairman of the Board. Following his retirement
from Dow in 1986, he served on the Board of Directors for Tektronix and later became
CEO. In retirement Lundeen has made a deep impact at OSU as a donor, an honorary OSU
trustee, and a member of the Board of Trustees for the OSU Foundation. Topics covered
in the Lundeen interviews include his early life, his experiences during wartime,
and his memories of Oregon State College. Other subjects discussed include his long
career at Dow, family life, retirement and philanthropy.
Pat Reser Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
April 24, 2015
Pat Reser (b. 1938) and her family have made a major impact on OSU as donors, leaders
and high profile advocates for a variety of university initiatives. Pat and her husband
Al both graduated from Oregon State College in 1960, she in Elementary Education and
he in Business Administration. A public school teacher and mother of five children,
Pat organized Reser family life while her husband worked long hours building Reser's
Fine Foods from a family business to an international corporation employing more than
3,000 people. The Reser family later played a significant role in advancing multiple
goals important to OSU, including the renovation and expansion of the school's football
stadium, which was renamed Reser Stadium in 1999 in honor of a major gift made by
the family. The Resers later provided lead gifts for two signature projects of the
Campaign for OSU - the Linus Pauling Science Center and Austin Hall. Pat Reser served
as a co-chair of the school's capital campaign, and later was elected as the first
chair of the OSU Board of Trustees. Reser's interview focuses on her life and partnership
with her husband Al, her professional work in education and her volunteer work in
Beaverton and Corvallis, and her insight into the Reser family's key involvement with
development at OSU.
Larry Sidor Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Tiah Edmunson-Morton.
November 6, 2015
Larry Sidor (b. 1950) is a 1972 graduate of Oregon State University in Food Science.
He has since established himself as a leading brewer in the Pacific Northwest, having
spent twenty-three years working in various capacities at the Olympia Brewing Company,
followed by stints as brewmaster at the Deschutes Brewery in Bend, and now at the
Crux Fermentation Project, which he founded in 2013. Sidor's father was an OSU Extension
Agent, and in his interview, Sidor reflects on the impact that was made upon him by
his exposure to his father's work. He likewise recalls his memories of the undergraduate
academic experience in Food Science at OSU in the early 1970s; traces his long and
influential career in the brewing industry; and shares his thoughts on the future
of craft brewing in the Northwest and nationwide.
Jean Starker Roth Oral History Interviews
Four life history interviews conducted by Maia Fischler.
September - November 2007
Jean Starker Roth (1920-2015) was an influential alumna who supported a wide range
of initiatives on the OSU campus and in the Corvallis community. The daughter of
T.J. Starker - an OAC graduate and faculty member in Forestry, and a successful businessman
and civic leader - Starker Roth completed her degree in Home Economics in 1942. She
worked for seven years as a teacher and Extension staffer, and also supported the
war effort at Camp Adair and elsewhere. In 1948 she married Kermit Roth, and over
the decades that ensued the couple raised four children. After Kermit's death in 1979,
Jean assumed control of the family's business activities while also giving back generously
to the community and to her alma mater. Over the course of four interviews, Starker
Roth recalls her upbringing and schooling in Corvallis, her management of the Roth
family household, her involvement with a variety of business concerns, and her many
philanthropic activities.
Bill Sundermeier Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
December 12, 2014
Bill Sundermeier (b. 1963) is a 1985 graduate of OSU's Computer Science program. While
at Oregon State, Sundermeier worked as a consultant for Tektronix, writing programs
on a large Tektronix 4051 personal computer while in his dorm room at Weatherford
Hall. Following graduation, Sundermeier spent eight years as a product marketing manager
at Northwest Instrument Systems, and another twenty years with an infrared camera
technology company, FLIR Systems. At FLIR, Sundermeier rose to the position of Senior
Vice President and General Manager for Portland Operations. In 2004, Sundermeier was
inducted into the OSU College of Engineering's Academy of Distinguished Engineers.
His interview concentrates primarily on his memories of living in Weatherford Hall
in the years prior to its decade-long closure in 1994. Sundermeier's undergraduate
experience in Computer Science and his professional activities in the technology sector
are also included as secondary topics.
Paul Turner Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
June 24, 2015
Paul Turner (b. 1961) is a former OSU student in English who has founded and operated
two independent cinemas in downtown Corvallis - The Avalon and The Darkside. A student
journalist while at Oregon State, Turner has spent the majority of his working life
managing and operating movie theaters, beginning with his first job as an assistant
at the Woodburn Drive-In (where he lived in an apartment located under the screen)
and including a decade running the Kuhn Cinema in Lebanon, Oregon. In a decidedly
colorful interview, Turner discusses his life-long affection for movies, his associations
with OSU, the births and evolutions of The Avalon and The Darkside, and the many memorable
moments that have arisen over the course of a career spent working in independent
theaters.