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Francois and Violette Gilfillan Oral History Interview

Dublin Core

Title

Francois and Violette Gilfillan Oral History Interview

Description

In the interview, Francois Gilfillan discusses his move to Corvallis and his enrollment at the Oregon Agricultural College School of Pharmacy. When recalling these years, Gilfillan notes the various school traditions and rituals he and other students participated in, as well as the housing arrangements available to students. He talks about his work as a laboratory assistant and teacher in the chemistry department during his final year of school. After completing his OAC, Gilfillan mentions that he enlisted in the military before pursuing and completing a Ph.D. at Yale.

Gilfillan then tells the story of coming back to Corvallis. He recounts that he returned to teach and that, shortly after he returned, he met his wife, Violette. Mrs. Gilfillan was present for the interview, and she recounts that when they first met, he took her to see the movies and go dancing. Francois Gilfillan then returns to a discussion of his teaching career at Oregon State College and notes that he was appointed Dean of Science in 1938. Three years later, in 1941, Gilfillan was named interim president of OSC, a position that he was moved into because the previous president, Frank Ballard, had to step down due to health issues. In 1942, after his term as interim president was completed, he became a Russian instructor at the college because of the lack of available Russian lecturers. From there, he and his wife speak briefly about their interest in Russian culture and the Russian Orthodox Church.

The conversation then moves away from Gilfillan’s academic career to his personal interests. He comments on his interest in rare books, and he and his wife note his habit of donating rare books to the university or giving them as gifts to friends in lieu of more traditional presents. The interview concludes with Gilfillan’s final reflections on Oregon State and how the departments he was a part of have changed over the years.

Creator

Francois Gilfillan and Violette Gilfillan

Source

Oregon Pioneers Oral History Collection (OH 01)

Publisher

Special Collections and Archives Research Center

Date

ca. 1975

Format

Digitized Audiocassette

Language

English

Type

Oral History

Identifier

oh01-gilfillan-francois-and-violette-1975

Oral History Item Type Metadata

Interviewer

Unidentified

Interviewee

Francois Gilfillan and Violette Gilfillan

Location

Corvallis, Oregon

Original Format

Digitized Audiocassette

Duration

1:11:35

OHMS Object

Interview Format

audio

Transcribe This Item

  1. fx71cn18f_content.tiff