E.B. Lemon Oral History Interview (3 of 4)

The third installment from E.B. Lemon’s interview series gives us insight on the landscape of Oregon Agricultural College during World War I. The first noticeable change to him was that enrollment numbers were down because so many male students were deployed into the armed forces. According to Lemon, a large number of the military men never saw much action, rather it was more military training. The majority were housed in campus dormitories and came to OAC to train in a special program known as the Student Army Training Corps (SATC). After the war ended, a good number of these men remained and were integrated into campus life.

The conversation shifts at one point to the effects that the State System of Education brought to institutions. In Lemon’s estimation, it was difficult for Oregon because, while changes were tearing apart the previous status quo, it also brought a time of building up curricula, among other things. Then president (and later chancellor) William Jasper Kerr managed to keep OAC together and from Lemon’s account, was aptly suited to the task.