Affiliation: Hatfield Marine Science Center
John Byrne Oral History Interviews
Four life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
January - February 2014
John Byrne (b. 1928) has made an indelible impact on Oregon State University through
an association that has spanned over five decades. A trained geologist, Byrne arrived
in Corvallis in 1960 as one of Oregon State College's first faculty members in Oceanography.
Over time, Byrne assumed chairmanship of the Oceanography Department and later became
Dean of OSU's newly formed School of Oceanography. In 1976 Byrne moved into upper
administration, first as Dean of Research and later as Vice President for Research
and Graduate Studies. Following a three-year stint in Washington, D.C., where he
served as head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Byrne returned
to Corvallis as the twelfth President in OSU history. Byrne's presidency lasted from
1984-1995, a time period during which he did much to modernize university operations
amidst a budget crisis caused by significant reductions in state funding for higher
education. The Byrne oral history interviews trace the arc of his entire life, from
his childhood on Long Island to his graduate studies at USC, and on to his tenures
at Oregon State and with NOAA.
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.
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.
Jane Lubchenco Oral History Interviews
Two life history interviews conducted by Janice Dilg.
October 2014 - April 2015
Jane Lubchenco (b. 1947), Distinguished Professor of Zoology, is among the most accomplished
scientists to have ever served as a member of the OSU faculty. Professors in the
Zoology Department since 1977, Lubchenco and her husband, Bruce Menge, have contributed
greatly to the scientific understanding of marine ecosystems around the world. Since
the late 1980s, Lubchenco has also been actively involved in the formation of science
policy, especially as it relates to the nation's coastlines and oceanic environments.
In 2009 Lubchenco was confirmed as the first female head of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, a post that she held until 2013. Her interviews discuss
the arc of her education, her career path, highlights of her research program, her
increasing interest in public policy, and her tenure as leader of NOAA.
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.
Bruce Mate Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
September 8, 2016
Bruce Mate (b. 1946) has been associated with OSU for more than four decades, first
as a post-doctoral fellow in Oceanography, then as a Marine Extension Agent, and ultimately
as a faculty member and administrator. Mate is internationally recognized as the chief
pioneer of radio and satellite tracking of marine mammals; specifically, of whale
populations. Beginning in 1979, Mate and his research group have used increasingly
sophisticated tagging and tracking devices to better understand the migratory, feeding
and reproductive habits of a wide range of whale species across multiple habitats.
Mate and his colleagues have tagged over eight-hundred whales in all of the world's
oceans, traveling to fifty-five countries in the process. The founder and director
of the OSU Marine Mammal Institute, Mate's scientific contributions have led to numerous
policy initiatives that have helped to rehabilitate whale populations that were once
bordering on extinction. His interview largely recounts the specifics of his groundbreaking
research, while also touching upon the history of the Marine Mammal Institute as well
as his personal memories of working in Extension.
Charlie Miller Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
May 12, 2015
Charlie Miller (b. 1940) is an oceanographer and ocean ecologist who spent thirty-four
years as a faculty member at the Hatfield Marine Science Center, arriving in 1969
and retiring in 2003. An expert on zooplankton, Miller has made several important
contributions to the scientific understanding of the world's oceans, including the
discovery of a new species of plankton, Neocalanus flemingeri, first identified in 1982. Miller is also a social and environmental activist who
has, in particular, spoken out against a liquefied natural gas terminal that is proposed
to cross Oregon. His interview provides an overview of his scientific research as
well as his institutional memories of HMSC and his activism in retirement.
Bob Olson Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Mike Dicianna.
November 14, 2014
Bob Olson (b. 1940) is a parasitologist and emeritus member of the OSU Fisheries and
Wildlife faculty, who has taught and conducted research at the Hatfield Marine Science
Center since his arrival in 1968. For nearly two decades, Olson was HMSC's Associate
Director of Education Programs, and in this capacity oversaw both classroom instruction
as well as public outreach through activities including the Seataqua Program. An
expert on parasites that affect fish, Olson has received the unusual honor of having
a parasite named after him - trypanoplasma bobolsoni. His interview concentrates on his teaching and research career at HMSC, as well
as his observations of the forward evolution of HMSC as a facility and community partner
over his five decades of affiliation.
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.
Ed Ray Oral History Interviews
Four life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
June - August 2015
Ed Ray (b. 1944), the fourteenth President of Oregon State University, has overseen
both historic growth on campus and a major recalibration of university ambitions.
Trained as an economist, Ray spent thirty-three years at Ohio State University, where
he served as chair of the Economics department before moving into central administration,
first as Chief Information Officer and later as Provost. Ray came to OSU in 2003
and set in motion a strategic planning process that realigned university structures
and goals. He also launched OSU's first comprehensive capital campaign, The Campaign
for OSU, which raised $1.142 billion and resulted in a busy period of campus construction
as well as the endowment of seventy-nine faculty positions and the creation of over
600 scholarship and fellowship funds. Over four interviews, Ray reflects on his upbringing
and education; discusses his roots as a scholar and an administrator; and shares his
perspective on a wide array of initiatives that have moved forward during his tenure
as OSU President.
Janet Webster Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
November 14, 2014
Janet Webster (b. 1953) served as the head of the Guin Library at Hatfield Marine
Science Center from 1989 to her retirement in 2015. Active in regional and international
professional organizations alike, Webster received numerous awards over the course
of her career including, in 2003, Librarian of the Year from the Oregon Library Association.
While at Guin, Webster oversaw library activities during a period of major technological
change, and was instrumental in building an infrastructure suitable for serving Guin's
very diverse user base on the Oregon coast. For several years, Webster also administered
the work of OSU's other branch libraries, including the OSU-Cascades library in Bend.
Her interview focuses on her upbringing, educational experiences and ultimate decision
to pursue a career in libraries; her work and contacts at HMSC; and the changes that
she has witnessed in coastal community life and within the library profession.
Dawn Wright Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
June 10, 2016
Dawn Wright (b. 1961) was an active member of the Geosciences faculty at OSU from
1995 to 2011. Now a Courtesy Professor at Oregon State, Wright is the Chief Scientist
at Esri, a Geographic Information Systems software firm with headquarters in southern
California. Nicknamed "Deep Sea Dawn," Wright is internationally recognized for her
use of GIS technologies to map both the geology and the geography of the ocean floor.
A veteran of dozens of ocean cruises, Wright has also participated in multiple ALVIN
submersible dives to explore the depths of the ocean. She is the recipient of numerous
awards including, in 2007, the Carnegie Foundation's U.S. Professor of the Year Award
for the state of Oregon. Her interview details the roots of her love for the ocean
and for science; her progression through academia; and her memories of an accomplished
career at OSU.