Affiliation: Alumni
George Abed Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
December 16, 2014
George Abed (b. 1938), a native of Jordan, attended Oregon State from 1958-1962, graduating
with a degree in General Social Science. During his undergraduate years, Abed was
heavily involved with campus life and especially with student government, ultimately
serving as the school's first foreign-born student body president. After completing
a Ph.D. in Economics, Abed went on to a lengthy and multifaceted career in international
development and public policy, including more than two decades spent working for the
International Monetary Fund. The founder and former director of the Palestine Welfare
Association, Abed is also a former head of the Palestine Monetary Authority, which
he oversaw for two years at the invitation of Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the
State of Palestine. Abed's interview focuses on his Oregon State years, his career
in public policy, and his association with development efforts all across the Middle
East.
Kevin Ahern Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
June 29, 2015
Kevin Ahern (b. 1954) is an OSU Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics who is well-known
for his innovative approach to undergraduate instruction. For many years a Senior
Instructor, Ahern pioneered the use of unorthodox techniques - including limericks
and songs, which he calls "Metabolic Melodies" - to help students understand and retain
complex biochemical processes. Ahern was also on the forefront of the use of the internet
to enable scientific education, and has been posting notes and lecture recordings
online since 1995. The Director of Undergraduate Research at OSU, Ahern has also
co-authored multiple textbooks. Included among these are a collection that he wrote
with his wife, OSU Senior Instructor Indira Rajagopal, and made freely available online.
His interview focuses on his personal scientific evolution, his passion for teaching
and advising, and the innovations that he has applied to undergraduate instruction
at Oregon State.
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.
Stacy Allison Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
July 21, 2014
Stacy Allison (b. 1958) grew up on a farm near Woodburn, Oregon before attending OSU
as an undergraduate majoring in Nutrition. While at Oregon State, Allison discovered
a passion for mountain climbing that ultimately led to her dropping out of school
in favor of pursuing the summits of many of the world's highest peaks. In September
1988, Allison made history when she became the first U.S. woman to reach the summit
of Mount Everest. In addition to her noteworthy career as a mountaineer, Allison
has also developed successful businesses as a motivational speaker and a general contractor.
Her interview focuses on her early climbing years in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest,
her two expeditions to Mount Everest, the advancement of women in mountaineering from
the 1980s to present day, and her career outside of mountain climbing.
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.
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.
Tana Atchley Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
September 15, 2015
Tana Atchley (b. 1977) is a Modoc, Paiute and Karuk member of the Klamath Tribes,
who grew up in Sprague River, Oregon on what had once been the Klamath Indian Reservation.
After completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Oregon, Atchley pursued
a master's degree in College Student Services Administration at OSU, completing the
program in 2005. In the years since, she has worked as a counselor and advisor at
Portland State University, and has been deeply involved with salmon camps and other
forms of outreach to Oregon's tribal youth. Since 2013, Atchley has worked as the
tribal workforce development and outreach coordinator at the Columbia River Inter-Tribal
Fish Commission. Her interview focuses on her upbringing and tribal traditions; her
educational path and professional career; her engagement with young people; and her
reflections on the challenges and opportunities facing Native American communities
in Oregon.
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.
Terry Baker Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna and Chris Petersen.
June 25, 2014
Terry Baker (b. 1941) is among the most accomplished and celebrated athletes in Oregon
State history. Winner of the 1962 Heisman Trophy as the nation's most outstanding
college football player, Baker's Oregon State basketball team also reached the Final
Four of the 1963 NCAA tournament. That same year, Baker was named "Sportsman of the
Year" by Sports Illustrated magazine. Baker graduated from OSU in 1963 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Following a brief stint in professional football, Baker earned a law degree and enjoyed
a successful career practicing in the Portland area. Baker's interview focuses primarily
on his Oregon State memories, including his remarkable successes in 1962-1963 and
the tremendous attention that they garnered.
Eric and Jeff Ball Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
July 13, 2015
Eric and Jeff Ball are brothers who were raised on a ranch near Roseburg, Oregon.
Both attended OSU in the early 1980s and graduated with degrees in Mechanical Engineering.
From there, both Eric and Jeff returned to the Roseburg area to help their father
build a company, Orenco Systems Industries, that today is a world leader in wastewater
treatment systems. Initially operated out of the Ball family home, Orenco now conducts
business on an international scale and stands as the eighth-largest employer in Douglas
County. The Balls' interview focuses on their experiences - both individual and shared
- as brothers attending OSU. They also chart the growth of Orenco through their years
of association and comment on the contemporary challenges facing their region of Oregon.
Katy Barber Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
November 12, 2015
Katy Barber (b. 1969) graduated from OSU in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in American
Studies. After obtaining graduate degrees from Washington State University, Barber
joined the History faculty at Portland State University, where she teaches and conducts
research on public history and the history of the Pacific Northwest. Barber is also
the director of the Center for Columbia River History and has authored a book on the
social and cultural impact made by the flooding of Celilo Falls in 1957. The primary
focus of her interview is her undergraduate experience at Oregon State and her memories
of campus culture during the early 1990s.
Baseball National Champions, Back-to-Back
Four interviews conducted by Greg Garcia, Chris Petersen, and Mike Dicianna.
October 2015 - July 2016
From 2005 to 2007, the Oregon State University baseball program enjoyed a sustained
run of success that is without parallel in university history. Over the course of
three seasons, the Beavers participated in the College World Series three times, winning
back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007. In the process, OSU also achieved
multiple milestones that are unequalled in the history of college baseball: in 2006,
the Beavers won six consecutive elimination games to claim the national championship,
and in 2007 they won four tournament games by six runs or more. This unprecedented
era of championship baseball is the primary subject of a collection of interviews
conducted with four individuals: players Kevin Gunderson and Chris Kunda; broadcaster
Mike Parker; and manager Pat Casey.
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.
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.
Yvenson Bernard Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
September 12, 2014
Yvenson Bernard (b. 1984) attended OSU from 2003-2007, majoring in Merchandising Management
and starting for three years at running back for the football team. Known for his
versatility and toughness as a football player, Bernard finished his career second
on the school's list for career yards rushing and third in career touchdowns. The
son of Haitian immigrants, Bernard also made news in 2010 by organizing a major relief
effort in response to the earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12th of that
year. His interview focuses on his upbringing in Florida, his experiences as a student
athlete at OSU, his outreach work in Haiti, and the importance that family has played
throughout his life.
Larry Bielenberg Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
March 21, 2016
Larry Bielenberg (b. 1955) was a student-athlete on the OSU wrestling team who competed
from 1974-1977. One of the most highly decorated wrestlers in Oregon State history,
Bielenberg earned All American honors three times and won the NCAA championship as
a heavyweight in 1975. Still the second-winningest wrestler in school history, Bielenberg
was inducted into the OSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994 and was named to the Pac-12
All Century Team in 2016. Graduating in 1978 with a degree in Health and Human Performance,
Bielenberg pursued a career in the pharmaceuticals industry as a technician and manager.
In a lengthy and wide-ranging interview, Bielenberg reflects on his hardscrabble upbringing
as one of ten children; the evolution of his wrestling career, both collegiately and
on the international level; the personality and influence of legendary OSU wrestling
coach Dale Thomas; and Bielenberg's career and family life in the years after wrestling.
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.
Jerimiah Bonifer Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
November 22, 2014
Jerimiah Bonifer (b. 1983) is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla
Indian Reservation, who grew up on the reservation and in nearby Pendleton, Oregon.
From 2009-2014, while living in Pendleton and working full-time, Bonifer attended
OSU through its Extended Campus online degree program, studying Fisheries and Wildlife.
Bonifer completed his undergraduate work in 2014; his participation in commencement
exercises that Spring at Reser Stadium marked his second ever visit to OSU's Corvallis
campus. His interview focuses on his traditional tribal upbringing, his Ecampus experience,
and his professional work in fisheries.
The Books for Birmingham Project
An interview with Carlton Olson and Alice Rader, conducted by Mike Dicianna.
March 20, 2014
In January and February 1964, Oregon State University students collected over 14,000
books for transport and deposit at the Miles College library in Birmingham, Alabama.
Miles College was the primary four-year college available to African-American youth
hailing from the Birmingham area, yet its library was so inadequate that the school
risked losing its accreditation. The Books for Birmingham project was a highly visible
instance of OSU student participation in the Civil Rights Movement. In this interview,
two students fundamental to the initiative, Alice (Elle) Rader and Carlton Olson,
share their memories of the project and of subsequent civil rights and anti-war activism
on the OSU campus and beyond.
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.
Geoffrey Brooks Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
February 18, 2014
Geoffrey Brooks (1947-2016), a native of Portland, attended Oregon State University
from 1970 to 1973, graduating with a B.S. in Elementary Education. While at OSU,
Brooks was heavily involved with student activist groups including the Black Student
Union. Following the completion of his studies, Brooks began what would become a forty-year
career with the Portland Public Schools. His connection with OSU continued through
his service on the President's Board of Visitors, the Office of Equity and Inclusion's
Board of Multicultural Advisors, and the College of Education, among other groups.
His interview concentrates on his undergraduate experience at OSU with particular
focus paid to student activism in the early 1970s and the circumstances faced by students
of color at that time.
Knute Buehler Oral History Interviews
Two life history interviews conducted by Janice Dilg.
August 2014 - August 2015
Knute Buehler (b. 1964), a native of Roseburg, Oregon, attended Oregon State University
from 1982 to 1986, where he played on the baseball team and graduated with a B.S.
in Microbiology. Following the completion of his studies at OSU, Buehler was selected
as a Rhodes Scholar, the first in OSU history. He completed his Oxford M.A. in Politics
and Economics and went on to earn to earn an M.D. from Johns Hopkins University. Buehler
now practices as an orthopedic surgeon in Bend, Oregon, and is active in both statewide
and national politics. Over two interviews, Buehler discusses on his life at OSU,
his experiences at Oxford, his medical training and career, and his interest in politics.
Darry Callahan Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
August 6, 2015
Darry Callahan (b. 1942) graduated from OSU in 1964 with a degree in Chemical Engineering
and moved directly into a career at Chevron that spanned some forty years. Over the
course of that time, Callahan worked as a research engineer, financial analyst, manager
and executive. At one time the president of Chevron Oil Bahamas, Callahan also served
as the chief executive at Chevron Chemical Company as well as the succeeding company
that he helped to merge, Chevron Phillips Chemical. Callahan has also been very actively
involved with the OSU Foundation, the OSU College of Engineering, and the OSU Board
of Trustees, of which he has been a member and vice chairman since its creation. His
interview focuses on his undergraduate years in Corvallis, his long and varied career
at Chevron, and his more recent activities with his alma mater.
Margaret Carter Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
April 18, 2016
Margaret Carter (b. 1935) is the first African American woman to hold elected office
in the Oregon legislature. First joining the Oregon House in 1984, Carter later served
in the state Senate, and was variously appointed as Senate President Pro Tempore and
chair of the Joint Budget Committee. In 2009 she left the Senate to work as Deputy
Director of the state's Department of Human Services, continuing with the department
until her retirement in 2014. Carter and her five children left their native Louisiana
in 1967, fleeing an abusive home environment. After obtaining a bachelor's degree
in Education from Portland State University in 1972, Carter enrolled in Oregon State
University's Portland-based master's in counseling degree program in 1973. Completing
this degree a year later, Carter found employment at Portland Community College, where
she worked as a counselor and as a faculty member for the next twenty-seven years.
Her interview focuses on her southern upbringing and her relocation to Oregon; her
educational experience at OSU; and a few highlights of her pioneering career in public
service.
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.
Susan Castillo Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
June 17, 2014
Susan Castillo (b. 1951) graduated from OSU in 1981, having returned to school at
the urging of OSU's Affirmative Action Director, Pearl Spears Gray, for whom Castillo
worked as a secretary. A Communications major, Castillo found employment as a news
reporter with KVAL-TV Eugene, and her coverage of the Oregon legislature sparked her
interest in running for office. In 1997 Castillo was elected to the state Senate,
and in the process became the first Hispanic woman to occupy an office in the state's
legislature. From 2003-2012, she also served as Superintendent of Public Instruction
in the Oregon Department of Education, where she advocated for students of color and
low-income families, among many other initiatives. Her interview focuses on her student
experience at OSU and the arc of her career in journalism and politics.
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.
Lynne Clendenin Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
February 19, 2015
Lynne Clendenin (b. 1953) attended OSU as a non-traditional student, beginning in
1986 and graduating in 1990 with a degree in Theatre Arts. While an undergraduate,
Clendenin became involved both with a variety of student media productions as well
as radio work at Oregon Public Broadcasting, then based on the Oregon State campus.
Following the completion of her studies, Clendenin remained with OPB, serving as both
producer and on-air talent. Since 2011 she has worked as vice president of programming
for radio and television, and has co-hosted OPB television's Oregon Art Beat. Her interview focuses on her experiences as a non-traditional student of color,
her involvement in student media and university theater, and the advancement of her
career in public broadcasting.
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.
The Extension Tradition in the Columbia River Gorge
Two life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
August 9, 2016
The Extension and Experiment Station traditions in Oregon's Columbia River Gorge date
back well over one-hundred years to the founding of the Mid-Columbia Experiment Station
in 1913, and the first employment of agricultural agents in Wasco County in 1916 and
Sherman County in 1918. In August 2016, two interviews were conducted with individuals
closely associated with the more modern history of Extension and Experiment Station
efforts across the region. Billie Stevens (b. 1951) is a retired 4-H Extension agent
who served Hood River County from 1985 to 2009. Sandy Macnab (b. 1953) is an OSU alum
who has spent nearly his entire life in Sherman and Wasco Counties, playing a major
role in a wide variety of area Extension efforts since 1979.
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.
Roosevelt Credit Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
April 25, 2014
Roosevelt Credit attended OSU from 1986-1990, graduating with a degree in Music Education.
Following graduate studies at Northwestern University in conducting and opera performance,
Credit began a career as a stage and music performer, appearing on Broadway in "Porgy
and Bess" and "Show Boat," and touring the United States in support of both productions.
His interview discusses his upbringing in Oakland, California, his time at OSU and
his life as a Broadway performer. During the interview, Credit also performs an impromptu
version of "Carry Me Back," the OSU alma mater. Likewise included is a recording
of a performance that Credit delivered later that day with OSU choir students at the
Memorial Union.
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.
Dennis Dimick Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
December 15, 2014
Dennis Dimick (b. 1951) graduated from OSU in 1973 with a degree in General Agriculture.
While at Oregon State, Dimick also pursued a growing interest in photojournalism and
eventually built a career as a photographer, reporter and editor at several newspapers.
From 1980 to 2015, Dimick was a staff member at National Geographic, retiring as the magazine's Executive Environment Editor. In 2013, Dimick received
the Joseph A. Sprague Memorial Award, which is the most prestigious honor granted
by the National Press Photographers Association. His interview focuses on his roots
in agriculture, the development of his skillset as a journalist, his memories of National Geographic, and his influential work documenting and reporting on contemporary environmental
issues.
Jenna Dorn Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
September 17, 2013
Jenna Dorn (b. 1950) graduated from OSU's Journalism department in 1973. Following
graduate study in public administration, Dorn began a long and successful career as
a public servant based in Washington, D.C. In the public sector, Dorn has served
as Assistant Secretary of Labor and head of the Federal Transit Administration, and
has held multiple positions in the U.S. Department of Transportation. She has also
provided leadership to the American Red Cross in the role of senior vice president
and has worked in similar capacities with the National Health Museum and the World
Bank. At the time of this interview, Dorn held the position of Chief Executive Officer
of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Dorn's interview details her undergraduate
experience at OSU as well as her life in public service.
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.
Jeff Edgerton Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Tiah Edmunson-Morton.
November 18, 2015
Jeff Edgerton (b. 1963) is a 1987 OSU graduate in Microbiology. Over the three decades
that have followed his graduation, Edgerton has held multiple positions in the brewing
industry, beginning with laboratory work at Blitz-Weinhard, and moving on to a successful
career at BridgePort, where today he holds the titles of Brewmaster and General Manager.
In his interview, Edgerton shares his thoughts on the radical shifts in brewing culture
that have taken place in the Portland area since the 1980s. He likewise comments on
his own work as a scientist, brewer and administrator at two iconic companies that
are central to Oregon's rich brewing history.
Jim Edmunson Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
November 10, 2014
Jim Edmunson (b. 1951) graduated from Oregon State University in 1973 with a bachelor's
degree in Liberal Studies. As an OSU undergraduate, Edmunson was heavily involved
with student journalism during a turbulent era in U.S. history. As news editor of
the Daily Barometer, Edmunson coordinated coverage of anti-war protests and the murder of OSU student
Nancy Wyckoff, among other topics. In 1983, following stints as a professional news
reporter and editor, Edmunson began a new career as a lawyer and political figure,
serving in the Oregon legislature from 1987-1995 and chairing the Democratic Party
of Oregon from 1999-2007. His interview focuses primarily on his undergraduate experience
with particular emphasis placed on his activities as a student journalist.
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.
Steve Fenk Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
August 12, 2014
Steve Fenk (b. 1963) is an OSU Liberal Studies graduate from the class of 1987. Fenk
was heavily involved with the OSU Athletic Department as an undergraduate, a time
period during which he served as a color commentator working alongside radio "Voice
of the Beavers" Darrell Aune during Beaver basketball games. As a student, Fenk also
helped to organize a number of Oregon State wrestling meets. In 1990 Fenk accepted
a position with his alma mater as Assistant Sports Information Director. Since 2011
he has served as Associate Director of Athletic Communications. His interview focuses
on his Oregon State undergraduate experience as well as his memories of key people
and events in the modern history of OSU athletics.
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.
Justin Fleming Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
December 15, 2015
Justin Fleming (b. 1980) is a 2007 graduate of OSU, majoring in Business and minoring
in Environmental Economics. While a student, Fleming was central to a number of activities
related to environmental sustainability on campus, including the creation of the Student
Sustainability Initiative in 2006. Following graduation, Fleming worked for OSU as
a Business Analyst before being hired as Manager of the Motor Pool in 2008. Since
then, Fleming has overseen the absorption of the University of Oregon Motor Pool into
a larger University Motor Pool that is managed at OSU. He was also responsible for
the first purchase of electric cars for inclusion in the Motor Pool fleet. His interview
touches upon his involvement in multiple sustainability initiatives as well as the
history, activities, work culture, and future of the University Motor Pool.
Aya Fujii Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
September 15, 2015
Aya Fujii was born in 1927 in Hillsboro, Oregon and grew up with six siblings on her
family's farm. In May 1942, she and her family were forcibly relocated from their
home as part of the war-era policy of Japanese American internment on the west coast.
Fujii ultimately spent nearly all of her high school years in Adrian, Oregon, where
her family participated in a field labor program for interned citizens that was administered
by the Eastern Oregon Farm Labor Bureau. In fall 1945, just after the conclusion
of World War II, Fujii enrolled at Oregon State College, where she majored in Home
Economics. She later spent more than thirty years working as a dietician at two Portland-area
hospitals. In her interview, Fujii shares her memories of her family background and
upbringing; her experience of being interned for over three years; her undergraduate
tenure at OSC; and her life and work following college.
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.
Legends of OSU Gymnastics
Three life history interviews with Mary (Ayotte) Law and Joy (Selig) Petersen, conducted
by Janice Dilg.
October 2014
Gymnastics national champions Mary (Ayotte) Law and Joy (Selig) Petersen are two of
Oregon State University's most accomplished athletes. An Education major who attended
OSU from 1978-1982, Law won the 1982 national title in the floor exercise and finished
third in the all-around, still the highest all-around placing in school history.
A seven-time first team All-American, Petersen won two national championships in the
beam competition and another in the floor exercise. She graduated from OSU with a
degree in Psychology in 1991. Over the course of three interviews, Law and Petersen
reflect on their experiences as student athletes at OSU, sharing their memories of
going to school while training and competing at the highest levels of collegiate athletics.
Tim Hall Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
June 25, 2014
Tim Hall (b. 1955), a native of Los Angeles, attended Oregon State University from
1973-1978, graduating with a degree in Technical Journalism. Hall came to OSU during
a period of damaged relations between African American students and the OSU and Corvallis
communities. Hall has helped to rebuild these relationships, in part through his
contributions to the founding of the Black Cultural Center while a student at OSU,
and later through his service to the President's Board of Advisors for Minority Affairs.
His interview focuses on the challenges faced by black OSU students in the 1970s,
his experience of the African American student community that emerged during that
time, and the impact that OSU made upon him as he pursued a career in public relations.
Karim Hamdy Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
October 10, 2014
Karim Hamdy (b. 1952), a native of Tunisia, has been associated with OSU since 1981,
first as a doctoral candidate in Civil Engineering, and later as an instructor of
both French and Arabic. A student activist who helped to form multiple groups representing
and supporting North African students at OSU, Hamdy later co-founded the university's
Tunisia Study Abroad program. He has also taught Arabic classes at Oregon State since
their first formation in 2002. His interview focuses on his upbringing in Tunisia,
his experiences studying and working at OSU, and the evolution of the university's
Arabic language courses and the Tunisia Study Abroad program.
Paula Hammond Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
December 4, 2013
Paula Hammond (b. 1956), a native of Klamath Falls, attended Oregon State University
from 1974-1978, during which time she was one of eight undergraduate women in the
university's Civil Engineering program. Following graduation, Hammond began a thirty-year
career with the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT), first as a field
engineer and later in administrative roles of increasing responsibility. In 2007
she was appointed Secretary of Transportation for Washington state, a position that
she held for six years until her retirement from WSDOT in 2013. Her interview focuses
on her undergraduate experience at OSU as one of a handful of women in engineering,
her career at WSDOT and her thoughts on the future of transportation.
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.
Erin Haynes Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
July 25, 2014
Erin Haynes (b. 1950) attended OSU from 1968-1972, during which time he both played
on and helped to coach the school's freshman football team, and also served as Senior
Class President. Following graduation, Haynes built a long career at Oregon State,
working in the Department of Admissions for eight years, the OSU Foundation for twenty-two
years, and the Alumni Association for two more. Haynes has also served as an advisor
to the OSU chapter of Phi Delta Theta fraternity for more than four decades. His interview
focuses on fraternity culture at Oregon State, campus life in the late 1960s and early
1970s, and Beaver lore throughout its history, including several stories of notable
Oregon Staters from the past.
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.
Darlene Hooley Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
February 3, 2014
Darlene Hooley (b. 1939) graduated from Oregon State University in 1961 with a bachelor's
degree in Physical Education. After fourteen years as a high school teacher, Hooley
entered the political arena, first as a member of the West Linn city council, followed
by stints in the Oregon legislature and on the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners.
In 1996 she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Oregon's fifth district.
She served for six terms, retiring from political life in 2008. Her interview focuses
on her upbringing, her college years, her transition into public service and her experiences
in Washington, D.C.
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.
Leon Hubbard Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
December 18, 2013
Leon Hubbard (1917-2014), the son of two Oregon Agricultural College graduates, earned
a degree in Horticulture from Oregon State College in 1941. Hubbard was engaged with
agriculture in Oregon for the whole of his life. A well-known and much respected
crop specialist and cannery administrator, Hubbard spent nearly four decades working
for Birds Eye General Foods, the Gresham Berry Growers Cooperative and its successor
organization, Norpac Foods, Inc. His interview focuses on his upbringing in rural
Oregon, his undergraduate experience at OSC, his seven years as an independent farmer,
and his long career as a field representative for agricultural operations in the northern
Willamette Valley.
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.
Katharine Jefferts Schori Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
August 15, 2014
Katharine Jefferts Schori (b. 1954) has lived a life inspired by both science and
faith. Jefferts Schori received both a master's degree and a Ph.D. in Oceanography
from Oregon State University, in the process becoming the first female to earn a doctorate
from the university's Oceanography program. It was in Corvallis that Jefferts Schori
also grew more actively involved in the Episcopal Church, first as a lay member and
later as a member of the clergy. In 2000 Jefferts Schori entered into a more prominent
leadership role within the church when she was elected Bishop of the Nevada diocese.
And in 2006 she was elected to a nine-year term as Presiding Bishop and Primate of
the Episcopal Church, the first woman to occupy this role. Her interview focuses on
her upbringing and education, her development as a scientist and a woman of faith,
and her experiences as a leader within the Episcopal Church.
Chris Johns Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
December 15, 2014
Chris Johns (b. 1951), a native of Central Point, Oregon, attended OSU from 1970-1974,
studying Agriculture before changing his major to Technical Journalism. A photojournalist
for the OSU student newspaper, Johns went on to become a lauded photographer for several
newspapers and magazines, and was named National Newspaper Photographer of the Year
in 1979. In 1988 Johns began a formal association with National Geographic magazine, where he was hired as a staff photographer, and spent the next two years
living and working in Africa. In the late 1990s, Johns joined the magazine's editorial
staff and, in 2005, he was named Editor in Chief, the ninth such person to hold this
position since the founding of National Geographic in 1888. His interview focuses on the roots of his love for photojournalism and
the arc of his career as a photographer, writer and editor.
Ruth Jones and Rita Kilstrom Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
August 21, 2014
Corvallis natives Ruth (Martin) Jones and Rita (Young) Kilstrom, both born in 1938,
have been friends since kindergarten and attended Oregon State College together, graduating
in the class of 1959. Kilstrom is the daughter of D. Palmer Young, an early professor
of speech and theater craft at Oregon State College. Though Education majors, both
Jones and Kilstrom were heavily involved with the OSC drama program during their college
years. Their interview focuses on growing up in Corvallis in the 1940s and 1950s,
the OSC campus climate in the mid- to late 1950s, and the early years of theater arts
at Oregon State.
Nancy Kerns Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
November 21, 2014
Nancy Kerns (b. 1956) graduated from OSU in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in American
Studies. After completing law school in 1981, Kerns began a career in the legal profession
that has included stints as deputy district attorney for Umatilla County and, since
2011, city attorney for the city of Pendleton. Kerns is the first and only woman
in Pendleton's history to have held the office of city attorney. Her interview includes
reflections on the American Studies program at OSU during the mid-1970s; memories
of law school and studying for the bar exam; and a look back on an accomplished legal
career spent primarily in rural eastern Oregon.
Ann Kiessling Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
June 13, 2014
Ann Kiessling (b. 1942), a native Oregonian, attended Oregon State University as a
doctoral candidate from 1967-1971, ultimately obtaining her Ph.D. in Biochemistry
& Biophysics. In 1996, after stints at Oregon Health Sciences University and Harvard
Medical School, Kiessling founded the Bedford (Mass.) Stem Cell Research Foundation,
an independent biomedical research institute that conducts stem cell and related research
for diseases presently considered incurable. Kiessling is considered an international
leader in both reproductive biology and stem cell research. Her interview focuses
on her ties to the state of Oregon, including her upbringing in Baker City and Klamath
Falls, and her memories of life as a Ph.D. student at OSU.
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.
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.
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.
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.
An Oral History of the Linus Pauling Institute
Six interviews with Steve Lawson, conducted by Chris Petersen.
August - December 2011
The Linus Pauling Institute was founded in 1973 by Linus Pauling and two colleagues,
and was originally located near the campus of Stanford University. Primarily devoted
to exploring Pauling's controversial ideas on the health benefits of large doses of
vitamin C, the Institute gradually developed a broad and eclectic research agenda
that included work on superconductivity, molecular evolution, and metabolic profiling.
Consistently hamstrung by financial woes and further embattled by personnel disputes
that resulted in legal actions, the Institute was on the brink of closure by the time
of Pauling's death in 1994. Buoyed by a handful of timely donations and the administrative
acumen of Pauling's eldest son, Linus Pauling Jr., the Institute managed to stay afloat
and, in 1996, relocated to Oregon State University. Today the Linus Pauling Institute
is a thriving research enterprise that makes regular contributions to the fights against
cancer and cardiovascular disease, and to the promotion of healthy aging. Over the
course of six interviews, Steve Lawson, an Administrative Officer at LPI who has worked
for the Institute since 1977, relays his memories of the Institute's colorful history
and shares his impressions of Linus Pauling, whom Lawson knew as a colleague and as
a friend for nearly two decades.
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.
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.
Melinda Manore Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
November 30, 2015
Melinda Manore (b. 1951) received her Ph.D. in Nutrition from Oregon State University
in 1984. In 2001, Manore returned to OSU, joining the faculty as chair of what was
then the Department of Nutrition and Food Service Management. A pioneering scholar
of the intersections between nutrition and exercise, Manore has published widely on
topics including rural obesity in children, nutrition and exercise for women, and
healthy eating for athletes. Her interview traces the arc of her academic career with
a particular focus on her achievements in research. Included as a secondary topic
are Manore's institutional memories of the transformation of the College of Home Economics
into what is now the College of Public Health and Human Sciences.
LaMont Matthews Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
July 1, 2015
LaMont Matthews (b. 1934) graduated from Oregon State College in 1956, earning a degree
in Mechanical Engineering. As a senior at Oregon State, Matthews began working part-time
at a local engineering firm called Cornell, Howell, Hayes, and Merryfield. The thirtieth
employee hired by what was later known as CH2M Hill, Matthews spent nearly fifty years
as an engineer, project manager and executive with the company, ultimately rising
to the position of Vice President of Industrial and Energy Systems and serving on
the CH2M Hill Board of Directors. His interview is largely devoted to reflections
on Matthews' many years at the company, with memories of undergraduate engineering
study at OSC included as a secondary topic.
June McCallister Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna and Chris Petersen.
July 3, 2014
June (Geil) McCallister (1919-2016) was the matriarch of a five-generation Oregon
State family. A 1940 OSC graduate in Secretarial Science, McCallister married into
a lineage that traced back to William A. Finley, the first president of Corvallis
College, as well as Hugh M. Finley, co-founder and first president of the school's
Alumni Association. She was also mother to three children, all of whom graduated
from OSU, as well as nine grandchildren, many of them Beaver alumni. Her interview
focuses on her memories of undergraduate life at Oregon State College in the 1930s
as well as her family's extraordinary connection to the university, which dates back
to the 1860s.
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.
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.
Duane McDougall Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
July 15, 2015
Duane McDougall (b. 1952) is a native Oregonian and an OSU alum who graduated in 1974
with a degree in Business and Technology, focusing primarily on Accounting. After
college, McDougall spent twenty-three years at Willamette Industries, a forest products
company with headquarters in Oregon. During that time, McDougall rose steadily up
the ranks within the company until ultimately receiving promotion to the position
of President and Chief Executive Officer in 1998. McDougall led Willamette Industries
for the remainder of its existence, stepping down only after the company succumbed
to an eighteen month-long hostile takeover bid launched by Weyerhaeuser and consolidated
in 2002. Later on, McDougall joined the leadership team at Boise Cascade, serving
as CEO for nine months and chairing the company's board for nearly six years. McDougall's
interview traces his memories as a student and supporter of OSU as well as his years
as a forest products executive during very turbulent times.
Jessina McGregor Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
September 4, 2016
Jessina McGregor (b. 1978) is an OSU alumna who graduated in 2001 with honors bachelors
degrees in Microbiology and International Studies. Following her doctoral training
in Epidemiology, McGregor returned to her alma mater in 2006, joining the faculty
of OSU's College of Pharmacy. McGregor was hired as part of an initiative to boost
the research program within the college's Portland branch, and she has been based
at either the OHSU main campus or at the health sciences complex on the South Waterfront
for the whole of her career as an OSU faculty member. Her interview details her undergraduate
years at Oregon State; her research on antibiotic resistance and optimized patient
care; and her perspective on the forward advancement of OSU Pharmacy's aims in Portland,
including the impact that has been made by the construction of the Collaborative Life
Sciences Building.
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.
Janet Nishihara Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
September 2, 2015
Janet Nishihara (b. 1956) first came into contact with OSU as an undergraduate, majoring
in English Education and completing her degree in 1978. She returned to Oregon State
in 1980 as a master's degree student in the College Student Services Administration
program, a time period during which she also became involved with the Educational
Opportunities Program (EOP) at OSU. For more than three decades following, Nishihara
has played a central role in a wide variety of student support and diversity development
initiatives on campus. In 2009, after many years on staff, Nishihara was promoted
to director of EOP, the mission of which is to provide support for the personal and
academic development of traditionally underrepresented students at OSU. In her interview,
Nishihara reflects on her upbringing as a third generation Japanese-American raised
in rural eastern Oregon; discusses her multifaceted experiences as a student and faculty
member at OSU; and shares her perspective on diversity advancement at the university
from the mid-1970s to present day.
Gloria O'Brien Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
October 13, 2016
Gloria O'Brien (b. 1960) is a Biological Science Technician in OSU's Department of
Greenhouse Operations who has worked at Oregon State since 2008, specializing in integrated
pest management. O'Brien is also actively involved with sub-local 083 of the statewide
Service Employees International Union, serving for many years as a union steward and
also completing a four-year term as president of the sub-local from 2010-2014. In
2015, O'Brien also became an OSU alumna, after earning a degree in Horticulture that
she began pursuing, on a part-time basis, some seventeen years before. Her interview
provides insight into union activities on campus, the issues facing classified workers
across Oregon, and the roles filled by the Department of Greenhouse Services at Oregon
State University.
An Oral History of the OSC Class of 1959
An interview with Jim and Jane Schaeffer, Harley Smith and Dave Socolofsky, conducted
by Mike Dicianna.
February 14, 2014
The Class of 1959 alumni interviewed here relate their experiences in student government,
running on the "Shamrock Party" ticket. The participants likewise relay their memories
of campus life in the late 1950s, with special focus upon athletics, military training
and, of course, student politics. Three of the interviewees held student offices
in 1958 and 1959, and all four participated in ROTC. Jane Saling was the first female
to take military training classes at Oregon State College and Harley Smith drafted
the Student Senate petition to rename Oregon State College as Oregon State University.
The participants are also responsible for donating and installing the Trysting Tree
sculpture in the Memorial Union lounge that bears its name.
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.
Doug Oxsen Oral History Interviews
Two life history interviews conducted by Mike Dicianna.
July - December 2015
Doug Oxsen (b. 1952) played for Ralph Miller's OSU basketball squads in the early
1970s, graduating in 1975 with a degree in Business. After a period where he continued
to play on a semi-professional basis, Oxsen settled into a private sector career in
the health industry. In 2002, Oxsen returned to his alma mater when he accepted a
position as Director of Development in Athletics with the OSU Foundation. In this
capacity, he has played a lead role in raising funds to support the expansion and
renovation of Reser Stadium, the construction of the Basketball Practice Facility,
and the building of the Whyte Track and Field Complex, among other initiatives. Over
two interviews, Oxsen shares his memories of playing basketball for Ralph Miller,
defeating mighty UCLA, and helping to modernize OSU's athletics facilities as a fundraiser
with the OSU Foundation.
Al Parr Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
June 18, 2014
Al Parr (b. 1942) graduated from Oregon State in 1964 with bachelors degrees in Physics
and Mathematics, as well as decorations from the university's Honors Program. Parr
spent close to forty years working as a physicist, primarily for the National Institute
of Standards and Technology, where he specialized in radiometrics and optics. Parr
is also a rare book collector of consequence and a member of the OSU Libraries Advisory
Council. His interview focuses on his memories of Oregon State, his career in science,
and his passion for books.
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.
Don Pettit Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
March 26, 2014
Don Pettit (b. 1955), a native of Silverton, attended OSU from 1973-1978, graduating
with a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering. After completing his Ph.D. at the
University of Arizona, Pettit began work at the National Laboratory in Los Alamos,
New Mexico. In 1996 he was selected to become a NASA astronaut and, in 2002, he participated
in his first spaceflight, Expedition 6, during which he spent over five months on
the International Space Station. While at NASA, Pettit has logged more than a year
in space, during which time he has filmed and televised experiments from space for
a series titled "Saturday Morning Science." His interview focuses on his upbringing
in Oregon, his undergraduate experience at OSU, and highlights from his career as
an astronaut.
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.
Hossein Rojhantalab Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
June 2, 2014
Hossein Rojhantalab (b. 1944), a native of Iran, conducted doctoral studies at OSU
in Physical Chemistry, completing his Ph.D in 1976. Rojhantalab then returned to Iran,
working as a university professor and textbook publisher. In 1985, alarmed by the
turmoil that had arisen in the wake of the Iranian Islamic Revolution, Rojhantalab
came back to the United States, ultimately settling into a successful career at Intel,
Inc. His interview discusses his background, the time that he spent in Corvallis,
the circumstances that led to his final departure from Iran, and his life at Intel.
Jon Shepard Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
January 23, 2015
Jon Shepard (b. 1941) graduated from OSU in 1963, earning a degree in Biology. Beginning
in junior high school and running through his years at Oregon State and beyond, Shepard's
chief professional and personal interest has been lepidoptery, the study butterflies
and moths. Based primarily in British Columbia from the early 1970s to 2014, Shepard
pursued a career as a lepidopterist by teaching at community colleges, filling in
for colleagues who were away on sabbatical, and engaging in contract work, all the
while pursuing his own research and collecting projects. His interview traces his
years at OSU and documents a few highlights of his many years of devotion to a more
detailed understanding of butterflies, moths, and other insects.
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.
Loretta Smith Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
January 21, 2015
Loretta Smith (b. 1966) graduated from OSU in 1987. A Broadcast Communications major,
Smith was involved with KBVR television and radio during her student years, and also
developed close ties to the university's Educational Opportunities Program. Following
the completion of her degree, Smith spent twenty-one years working in the office of
Oregon Congressman Ron Wyden, first as a receptionist and later as a community liasion
and staff manager. In 2010 Smith successfully ran for election to the Multnomah County
Board of Commissioners, a position to which she was re-elected in 2014. In her interview,
Smith discusses her college experience at OSU, her political education as a member
of Wyden's staff, and her own career as a public servant.
Eighty Years of Starker Forests, Inc.
An interview with Gary Blanchard, Bond Starker and Anna (Starker) May, conducted by
Mike Dicianna.
August 29, 2016
Founded in 1936 by OAC alum and professor T.J. Starker, the Corvallis-based timber
management and harvest company Starker Forests, Inc. has been managed by four generations
of Starkers, each of them educated in Forestry at Oregon State University. The model
of a successful family business, Starker Forests, Inc. now manages over 85,000 acres
of forestland and employees twenty people full-time. In this interview, company CEO
Bond Starker, his daughter Anna (Starker) May, and long-time employee Gary Blanchard
share their memories of the company and of OSU, while also detailing the field innovations
and business acumen utilized by T.J. Starker and his son Bruce in building the company
into a regional powerhouse.
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.
Kevin Stoller Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
September 28, 2015
Kevin Stoller (b. 1976) earned two degrees from OSU, completing a double-major bachelor's
degree in Mathematics and History in 1999, and a master's degree in the History of
Science in 2002. Formerly the forum page editor for The Daily Barometer, Stoller was also a member of the first cohort of the University Honors College (UHC),
which began enrolling students in 1995, Stoller's sophomore year. After a period
of study at Harvard University, Stoller returned to Corvallis in 2009 where he is
now Director of External Relations and Operations for the UHC. His interview focuses
on OSU's campus culture during the mid- and late-1990s; the early years of the UHC;
and the many ways in which the college and university have changed in recent decades.
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.
Dale Story Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
January 9, 2014
Dale Story (b. 1942) overcame polio as a child and developed into an elite distance
runner, breaking the national high school record for the one-mile run in 1959. Story
attended Oregon State as an undergraduate from 1961-1965. During that time, he set
numerous school records as a cross country and track athlete, often training and competing
barefoot. Perhaps the pinnacle of Story's collegiate career came in 1961 when he won
the NCAA cross country championship, leading OSC to the team title at that same event.
The Story oral history interview focuses on his upbringing in California, his athletic
achievements and extracurricular interests at Oregon State, and his lifelong passion
for the outdoors.
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.
Lisa Templeton Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
August 6, 2015
Lisa Templeton (b. 1967) has been instrumental to online learning at OSU since its
first programmatic inception in 2002, and has served as director of the university's
Extended Campus since 2008. Under Templeton's leadership, OSU Ecampus has emerged
as a national leader in online education to the point where, in 2015, it was ranked
fifth out of three-hundred online bachelor's degree programs, delivering nineteen
undergraduate majors and twenty-two graduate programs to over 4,500 students. Templeton's
interview focuses on the institutional history of distance education at OSU during
the internet age, the inner-workings of OSU Ecampus today, and the environment navigated
by faculty who are teaching and students who are learning online.
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.
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.
Warren Washington Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
May 29, 2015
Warren Washington (b. 1936) earned two degrees from Oregon State College, completing
a B.S. in Physics in 1958 and, two years later, a M.S. in General Science with a concentration
on meteorology. Washington subsequently went on to a career at the National Center
for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) that has spanned more than five decades, a time period
during which he has established himself as a leading thinker on climate modeling.
An adviser to five different presidential administrations, Washington received the
2010 National Medal of Science for his achievements as a scientist and administrator.
Washington and his colleagues at NCAR also made fundamental contributions to the work
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a body that was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize in 2007 for its efforts to create an "ever-broader informed consensus
about the connection between human activities and global warming." Washington's interview
focuses on his experience as an African American youth growing up in Oregon; the progression
of his research in the atmospheric sciences; his experiences operating in Washington,
D.C.; and his thoughts on the issue of climate change.
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.
Roger Werth Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
June 16, 2014
Roger Werth (b. 1957) attended Oregon State University from 1975-1980, graduating
with a degree in Liberal Studies with emphases on journalism and photography. In May
1980, early in his career as a photojournalist, Werth captured several iconic images
of the catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens. In 1981 the staff of Werth's newspaper,
the Longview (Washington) Daily News, received the Pulitzer Prize for Local, General or Spot News Reporting, a major recognition
of the paper's coverage of the Mt. St. Helens story. Special commendation was given
by the Pulitzer committee to Werth for his photographs. Werth's interview focuses
upon his undergraduate years at OSU, his memories of the Mt. St. Helens eruption,
and his broader experiences in photojournalism.
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.
Bryan Wolfe Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
October 31, 2014
Bryan Wolfe (b. 1944) is a farmer and rancher whose family has worked lands in eastern
Oregon for five generations. A 1966 OSU graduate in Agricultural Economics, Wolfe
has devoted his entire adult life to agricultural concerns, based primarily in the
Hermiston area. The founder of the Wolfe Feedlot and the W. Bryan Wolfe Ranch, Wolfe
has also served on the Umatilla Energy Cooperative Board of Directors, the Oregon
Board of Forestry, and the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council. His interview concentrates
on the rich tradition of agriculture in the Wolfe family, his experiences as an OSU
student, the expansion and diversification of the family's agricultural operations,
and his own civic engagement both locally and regionally.
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 Yamada Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
August 17, 2015
Russ Yamada (b. 1946), a second generation Japanese American whose mother was interned
during World War II, attended OSU from 1964-1968, earning a degree in General Science
with a focus on pre-dentistry. Following further schooling, Yamada returned to Corvallis
and established the city's first endodontic practice, which he ran for twenty-seven
years. He retired from the dental profession in 2014 having spent more than forty
years in the field. His interview focuses on his family background, including his
mother's experience of internment and his father's military service during World War
II; his own memories of a relatively placid OSU campus amidst the tumult of the late
1960s; and his reflections on his years as a local dental practitioner.
Mary Yates Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
May 15, 2014
Mary (Carlin) Yates (b. 1946), a Portland native, attended Oregon State University
from 1964-1968, majoring in English. In 1980, following a brief teaching career and
graduate work in Asian Studies, Yates entered the diplomatic corps, beginning with
an assignment in South Korea as Public Affairs Officer. Over the course of a career
in public service that ultimately spanned more than thirty years, Yates served as
U.S. ambassador to Ghana and Burundi, as well as National Security Advisor on African
issues to the Obama White House. She likewise occupied posts in the Philippines, France,
Zaire and Sudan. Her interview focuses on her memories of Oregon State, her diplomatic
training, the numerous positions that she occupied within the Foreign Service, and
the details of daily life while living abroad.