Theme: Military
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.
Betty Lu Anderson Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
June 1, 2017
Betty Lu Anderson (b. 1923) attended Oregon State College from 1942 to 1945, during
which time she majored in Home Economics and worked for the school newspaper, The Barometer, where she wrote sports copy and, as a senior, served as editor. Anderson's years
as an OSC undergraduate coincided with the American entry into World War II, and her
attendance at the college was marked in part by a notable absence of male students.
Much of her interview focuses on this unique period in Oregon State's history. Anderson's
later careers in journalism, librarianship and the church are included as secondary
topics.
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.
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.
Joe Beckman Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
September 15, 2015
Joe Beckman (b. 1953), a Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, has
been a Principal Investigator at the Linus Pauling Institute and a member of the OSU
faculty since 2001. A leader in the study of neurodegeneration, Beckman has spent
more than twenty years investigating the cause of, and searching for a cure for, amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's Disease). Since 2002, Beckman has also served
as Director of OSU's Environmental Health Sciences Center, an organization that works
to foster and promote research on the impact of the environment on human health.
His interview focuses on his scientific education and military service; his breakthroughs
researching neurodegenerative disease; promising new studies that may result in an
effective treatment for ALS; and the institutional evolution of the Linus Pauling
Institute, the Environmental Health Sciences Center, and OSU itself.
Julie Bentz Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
June 14, 2013
Julie Bentz (b. 1964) graduated from Oregon State University in 1986 with a Bachelor
of Science degree in Radiological Health. A United States Army Major General, Bentz,
at the time of this interview, served as the Director, Strategic Capabilities Policy
on the National Security Staff within the Executive Office of the President. While
attending OSU, she was involved in the university's army ROTC program. The Bentz oral
history interview covers her educational, social, and military experiences at OSU.
Rollie and Laverne Bilyeu Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
March 26, 2015
Rollie (b. 1933) and Laverne Bilyeu (b. 1932), both raised in rural northeast Oregon,
met as sophomores at Oregon State College and married during the summer before their
junior year. Majoring in Business Administration and Home Economics respectively,
the Bilyeus lived, studied and worked as a married couple for two years before graduating
with the class of 1955. In their interview, Rollie and Laverne reflect on OSC's campus
culture during the early 1950s, discuss their shared experience as married students,
and outline their varied occupational pursuits in the years that followed, including
Laverne's association with several county branches of the OSU Extension Service.
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.
Memories of Clackamas County Extension
Two life history interviews conducted by Mike Dicianna.
November - December 2016
The Oregon State University Extension Service traces its roots in Clackamas County
to 1917, when the service assigned a home economist to the region for the first time.
Today, the Clackamas County office oversees a robust schedule of programming focusing
on trees and forests, 4-H youth, family and community health, home gardening, agriculture,
and watershed health. In anticipation of Clackamas County Extension's one-hundredth
anniversary, two interviews were conducted in 2016 with individuals who maintain close
ties to the region and the office. Merilly Enquist, a 1959 OSC graduate and fourth-generation
descendent of Oregon pioneers, manages timber stands on her family's 300-acre estate
near Molalla, Oregon. Harold Black, a World War II veteran and 1947 OSC Farm Crops
graduate, worked as a 4-H Extension agent and administrator for more than three decades
in Columbia, Clackamas and Multnomah counties.
Ralph Coleman, Jr. Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
July 8, 2014
Ralph Coleman, Jr. (b. 1931) is a 1954 OSC graduate in Business Administration. A
Corvallis native, Coleman played baseball for his father, Ralph Sr., during his Oregon
State years. Ralph Coleman, himself a graduate of Oregon Agricultural College, led
Beaver baseball for parts of five decades, beginning in the mid-1920s and lasting
until his retirement in 1966. Coleman was also an early track coach and director
of the school's intramural sports program. Ralph Coleman, Jr.'s interview focuses
on memories of his father, growing up in Corvallis in the 1930s and 1940s, and the
early years of Oregon State baseball.
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.
Michael Driscoll Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen and Linda Richards.
October 9, 2013
Michael Driscoll (b. 1942) is a 1970 OSU graduate and an Atomic Veteran. Driscoll
spent four years in the Navy, much of that time on an aircraft carrier, the USS Yorktown.
During his service on the Yorktown, Driscoll was exposed to two nuclear blasts - Operation
Frigate Bird and Operation Swordfish - both detonated in May 1962 as part of the Dominic
I series of atmospheric tests. Driscoll is one of an estimated 400,000 U.S. military
personnel subjected to nuclear tests of this type. Much of his interview details
the specifics of his experiences as an Atomic Veteran, beginning in May 1962 and running
to present day.
Dorothy Fenner Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
March 22, 2014
Dorothy Fenner (b. 1917) attended Oregon State College as an undergraduate from 1935-1939
and as a master's student from 1939-1941, obtaining degrees from the college's Home
Economics program. During World War II, Fenner served her country as a code-breaker,
intercepting and interpreting Japanese signals from a base in northern California.
After the war, she and her husband John engaged the OSU and Corvallis communities
in numerous capacities, including work with the OSU Alumni Association, OSU Foundation
and Music Department. Fenner's interview focuses on her years as an OSC student, her
war service and her connections to the university in the decades that followed.
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.
Tom House Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
June 7, 2014
Tom House, a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War, graduated from Oregon
State College in 1949, serving as student body president his senior year. In a short
interview, House reflects on his student years in the late 1940s and shares his memories
of the Mt. St. Helens eruption in 1980.
Chet Houser Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
July 16, 2015
Chet Houser (b. 1948) is a 1970 OSU graduate in Agricultural Economics who was involved
in ROTC for most of his undergraduate years. Upon completing his degree, Houser was
commissioned into the United States Army where he spent twenty years working in various
capacities, including as a war planner. Following his retirement from the military,
Houser spent another two decades as a public employee for Oregon OSHA, the state Vocational
Rehabilitation Department, and the state Parks Department. His interview concentrates
on his undergraduate experience as an ROTC member during the escalation of the Vietnam
War; his career in the military; and his later work as a civilian.
Andy Landforce Oral History Interviews
Six life history interviews conducted by Mike Dicianna and Debora Landforce.
May 2013 - October 2015
Andy Landforce (b. 1917) graduated from Oregon State College in 1942, serving as student
body president his senior year. A World War II veteran, Landforce enjoyed a long career
at Oregon State University, first as a County Extension Agent and later as a Wildlife
Management Specialist. He also worked for an additional fifteen years in retirement
as a professional fishing guide. Among many other topics, the Landforce oral history
interviews focus on campus life at Oregon State College during the 1930s, the 1942
Rose Bowl game, his military service during World War II, and his post-war career
at OSU.
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.
Mike McCallister Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna and Chris Petersen.
June 26, 2014
Mike McCallister (b. 1943), a 1967 OSU graduate in Geology, represents the fourth
generation of his family to graduate from Oregon State. An officer in the United
States Navy for nearly thirty years, McCallister served tours of duty in multiple
locations throughout the Pacific, including Guam, Vietnam, Hawaii and the Philippines.
A trained oceanographer, meteorologist and geophysicist, McCallister has also worked
for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the Snohomish County
Emergency Management Agency, and in the private sector, where he researches renewable
tidal energy. His interview focuses on his career in the military and his family's
deep roots at Oregon State.
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.
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.
Bud Ossey Oral History Interviews
Two life history interviews conducted by Mike Dicianna.
October - November 2014
Bud Ossey (b. 1919) is the son of Russian immigrants whose father enrolled in the
Engineering program at Oregon Agricultural College shortly after arriving in the United
States in 1923. Ossey grew up attending Oregon State sporting events at Bell Field
and the Men's Gymnasium, and notably sat on the visiting bench as a spectator during
the famous OSC vs. USC "Iron Men" game in 1933. A 1943 OSC graduate in Civil Engineering,
Ossey led Combat Engineering units during World War II. Following the war, he spent
thirty-six years working as an engineer, primarily with the Bonneville Power Administration,
and specializing in the hydroelectric design of power houses across the Northwest.
Ossey is also a charter member of the Beaver Club and has been actively involved with
many other groups that have worked to advance the mission of Oregon State University.
Over two interviews, Ossey reflects on his early memories of campus life, his close
involvement with Beaver athletics, his service during wartime, and his career as a
BPA engineer.
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.
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.
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.
Pat Stone Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
July 2, 2015
Pat Stone (b. 1947) is an Oregon State alum who graduated with a degree in History
in 1974. In the years that followed, Stone found success in the real estate title
business, at one point rising to the rank of CEO at Fidelity National Information
Services, and also founding two companies of his own - The Stone Group and Williston
Financial Group. Stone has also been heavily involved with the activities of the OSU
Foundation, spending more than a decade as a Foundation trustee or board member, and
serving as a co-chair of the Campaign for OSU fundraising initiative that raised over
$1.1 billion to support OSU's strategic goals. Stone's interview focuses on his early
years and military service in Vietnam, his path through college and university studies,
the progression of his career as a real estate executive, and the many contributions
that he has made to OSU and the OSU Foundation.
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 Valenti Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen and Dominic Cusimano.
February 24, 2014
Paul Valenti (1920-2014) was integrally connected to Oregon State University for more
that seventy years, beginning with his arrival on the Oregon State College campus
as a student athlete in 1938. A member of the Beaver basketball squad during his
undergraduate years, Valenti later served as freshman baseball coach, freshman basketball
coach, head basketball coach and head tennis coach, spanning a time period from 1946-1970.
He continued on as Assistant Athletic Director until retiring in 1982, and remained
an enthusiastic ambassador for OSU until his death in 2014. His interview covers
his upbringing in California, his school and coaching experiences at OSU, and his
recollections of many people that he met along the way.
Jack Van Loan Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
November 7, 2014
Jack Van Loan (b. 1931) is a career military officer who graduated from Oregon State
College in 1954 and was promptly commissioned into the United States Air Force. A
fighter pilot, Van Loan flew both Super Sabre and F-4 Phantom aircraft during the
early years of his career. Van Loan's life changed dramatically in May 1967, when
his jet was shot down over North Vietnam. Van Loan was promptly captured and spent
the next 2,116 days - nearly six years - as a prisoner of war. He was released in
March 1973 as part of Operation Homecoming and, after a period of recovery, resumed
his military career until retiring in 1984 with the rank of Colonel. His interview
touches upon his undergraduate years at OSC, but primarily focuses on his experience
of being imprisoned in the "Hanoi Hilton."
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.
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.
Charlie White Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Dwaine Plaza and Natalia Fernández.
May 18, 2011
Charlie White (b. 1938) was the first African American recruited to play basketball
on scholarship at OSU, and only the second African American student-athlete in the
history of the program. White transferred to OSU after a three-year stint in the military
and two years at a California junior college. A dynamic guard/forward on the court,
White captained the Beavers during his senior year, leading to the 1965-66 team to
the Pacific-8 Conference championship and a first-round win over the University of
Houston in the NCAA tournament. A member of the Oregon State Sports Hall of Fame,
White was inducted into the Pac-10 Basketball Hall of Honor in 2011. His interview
focuses primarily on his memories of campus and community life as a trailblazing African
American student-athlete in the mid-1960s.
Tom Yates Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
February 10, 2016
Tom Yates (b. 1927) was among the very first individuals to be hired as a computer
programmer by the state of Oregon. Trained in mathematics and intending to become
a teacher, Yates instead discovered a love of computers in the mid-1950s. In 1957,
the state hired Yates to fill the newly created position of Electronic Data Processing
programmer, and over the course of the next five years he wrote programs that supported
the functions of multiple governmental departments. In 1962, Yates accepted a position
as director of the Statistics department computer lab at Oregon State University,
and he later proved crucial to expansion of computing functions on campus, including
the automation of OSU's class registration process. In 1976, he was named Director
of the OSU Computer Center, a position that he held until his retirement from Oregon
State in 1985. His interview traces his long and pioneering career in computer programming,
and provides institutional memories of the advancement of OSU's computing infrastructure
in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.