Theme: English
Tracy Daugherty Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
June 2, 2015
Tracy Daugherty (b. 1955) is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of English and Creative
Writing, having taught and written at OSU from 1986 to his retirement in 2013. The
author of four novels, four short story collections, a book of essays, and three biographies,
Daugherty also played a key role in the creation of a Masters of Fine Arts degree
in Creative Writing at Oregon State. Among many other accomplishments, Daugherty
has received the Oregon Book Award four times, most recently in 2010 for his biography
of the author Donald Barthelme, Daugherty's mentor. His interview focuses on his
development and methods as a writer, the evolution of the Creative Writing program
at OSU, and the important role to be played in academia by citizen-scholars.
John Henley Oral History Interviews
Two life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
December 22, 2014
John Henley (b. 1951) is a Portland native and appraiser of rare books and manuscripts
who was instrumental in building Powell's Books, serving as the store's first manager
and remaining on staff for more than a decade. He is also the son of Elizabeth Henley
(1912-1981), an accomplished poet and former member of the English faculty at Oregon
State. In the 1930s, during her tenure as an English professor at the University of
Washington, Elizabeth Henley was active in the American Communist Party. In 1956,
fearful of the potential repercussions that might arise from her past political activities,
Henley consented to being committed to the Oregon State Penitentiary for the Criminally
Insane. She remained there for more than two years before securing her release and
joining the staff at Oregon State College. She taught English at Oregon State from
1959 to her retirement in 1975. Over two interviews, John Henley tells his mother's
remarkable story; details the history of Powell's Books; and shares numerous other
tales of a life spent scouting rare books and working in the retail book trade.
Jon Lewis Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
May 4, 2017
Jon Lewis (b. 1955) is a Distinguished Professor of Film Studies who has been a member
of the OSU English faculty since arriving in 1984. The first professor in university
history to be dedicated full-time to Film Studies, Lewis created much of the curriculum
used in OSU's film classes today. He is also a prolific author who has written well-received
books on different shifts in Hollywood film culture, and is a scholar of the life
and work of director Francis Ford Coppola. His 2010 book on The Godfather has been translated into French, Turkish and Mandarin. In his interview, Lewis reflects
on his discovery and love of film; his work in creating a Film Studies program at
OSU; and the different books that he has authored over the course of his career.
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.
Michael Oriard Oral History Interviews
Two life history interviews conducted by Chris Petersen.
March 2015
Michael Oriard (b. 1948) is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of American Literature
and Culture who worked at OSU from 1976 to his retirement in 2013. Oriard is also
a former professional football player who, after receiving All American honors at
the University of Notre Dame, spent four seasons in the National Football League as
an offensive lineman with the Kansas City Chiefs. As an academic, Oriard's primary
focus has been the cultural history of football, and he is widely recognized as an
expert on the United States' most popular sport. In two interviews, Oriard discusses
his life as a student athlete and professional football player, his growth and productivity
as a scholar, and the fragile status and uncertain future of American football.
David Robinson Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
September 30, 2015
David Robinson (b. 1947) was a member of the OSU English faculty from 1976 to his
retirement in 2016, and held the Oregon Professorship in English - the OSU College
of Liberal Arts' first endowed chair - from its inception in 1991. Recognized internationally
as an authority on American Transcendentalist authors, Robinson has written numerous
books on Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, among other nineteenth century
American writers and philosophers. For fifteen years Robinson also directed the OSU
Center for the Humanities, an institute dedicated to improving the vitality and quality
of humanities teaching and research at Oregon State. His interview focuses on his
personal scholarly evolution; his memories of significant change within the OSU English
department; and his perspective on the broader advancement of the humanities over
a forty year career at OSU.
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.
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.