The Oregon State University Sesquicentennial Oral History Project

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Tony Van Vliet Oral History Interview

Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.

November 14, 2013

Abstract

“Forester and Public Servant”  November 14, 2013  Location: Van Vliet residence, Corvallis, Oregon.  Watch Video | Download Transcript (PDF)

In the interview, Van Vliet discusses growing up in San Francisco during the Depression and the various ways in which the city changed during his youth. From there he recounts the events that led him to attend Oregon State College in 1948 to study forestry, his first impressions of the school and the changes that he has observed during his long affiliation with OSU. In this, he speaks to relationships between students and faculty, social norms on campus, his experiences with fraternities, and other groups and activities in which he was involved. Van Vliet also discusses his experience overseas with the Army during the Korean War, his tenure in the Oregon legislature - with particular focus on his attempts to revise the Oregon tax system - his service on the Corvallis Riverfront Commission and his thoughts on the future of OSU and higher education in Oregon.