Lewis & Clark College

Chuck Charnquist spent his formative years in northeast Portland. While neither of his parents attended high school, they were able to find work in Portland. He graduated from Benson Polytechnic High School. Due to the military draft in effect, he completed his studies in January of 1956 but graduated from Lewis & Clark College in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree. He majored in journalism and minored in political science. While attending Lewis & Clark he edited the school’s newspaper and worked at the Oregonian. After returning from military service overseas he worked at the Oregonian, the Wall Street Journal, and Portland State before returning to work for Lewis & Clark.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Chuck Charnquist, conducted by Luke Carlson on March 9, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140309

Peggy Swafford (born Mary Jakku) received her Bachelor of Music from the college in 1956. Raised in Oregon, Peggy's passion for music lead her to follow her childhood music tutor to Lewis & Clark in 1952. While at school Mary lived in Akin Hall until she moved off during the last semester of her senior year. While at Lewis & Clark, Peggy met her husband playing in the school symphony. In this interview Peggy speaks largely about her experiences in classes and music groups, but also talks about dating, social experiences and practical jokes. After her time at Lewis & Clark she played in the Oregon Symphony and eventually became a music educator, remaining in the Portland area.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Mary "Peggy" Swaford, conducted by Tyler Wayne Patterson on March 13, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140313

Virginia Wion Hilken grew up in Gresham, Oregon, and attended Gresham Union high school. She came to Lewis & Clark College in 1948, graduating with the class of 1952. Despite growing up in a small farming community, she always planned to attend college and wanted to develop skills to be self-sufficient. At Lewis & Clark she was a member of the Alpha Gamma sorority, the service club, the pep club, and she participated in many drama productions. She majored in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Home Economics as well as Speech & Drama. She, like many other students at the time, lived off-campus and had to commute to school. Because she lived off campus, she loved to participate in the sorority and fraternity events that she helped to plan because of the sense of community it gave her on campus. She particularly loved planning and attending school dances. She met her husband, Bob Hilken, her first year at Lewis & Clark and they began dating between her sophomore and junior year. They waited until they both graduated to be married and had their wedding reception in the Frank Manor House. After graduating, because Bob was signed up to be in the Reserve Officer’s Corps, they traveled to California and then New Jersey for his training during the Korean War. While moving to different areas, Virginia worked as a substitute teacher in private schools. They eventually moved back to Portland where she raised their children and has lived ever since.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Virginia Wion Hilken, conducted by Olivia Davis on March 16, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140316

Don Floren is a local to Willamette Valley. Though he was born in Oregon City, his family moved shortly afterward to N. Portland. He arrived at Lewis & Clark in the fall of 1949, with aspirations of becoming a journalist. Don double majored in English literature and philosophy and worked for the Pioneer Log as a sports writer. He was a member of Kappa Phi Alpha for three years and speaks of the significant impact Greek life had on him. After graduating; Don did his military service in Fort Ord, California at clerk-typist school before earning a teaching degree and ultimately ending up as a technical writer and management specialist at Tektronix. Don met his wife of sixty years at Lewis and Clark and still feels that he is returning home when he visits the campus.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Don Floren, conducted by Dan Sizer on March 16, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140316

Jack Venables was born in Port Angeles, Washington. He spent much of his childhood living with his father, who worked, and his mother, who stayed at home to raise the children. Before his senior of high school, Mr. Venables and his family moved to Oswego, Oregon, on account of his father’s job. He graduated from Oswego High School in 1951, and began attending Lewis & Clark College in 1952. He played on the football team and sang in the college choir. During his first three years at college, Mr. Venables lived at home in Oswego, commuting to school each day, and for his final year, he resided in Platt Hall. After he graduated, he spent a year in the military.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Jack Venables, conducted by Claire Manny on March 16, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140316

Mary Jean Schrunk Thompson was born Mary Jean Schrunk in 1935 in Salem, Oregon. She is a fourth generation Oregonian, and the first in her family to graduate from college. Her first cousin is Terry Schrunk, the former mayor of Portland. Ms. Thompson came to Lewis & Clark College in 1953, and graduated in 1957 with a Music degree. She lived in Akin dorm all four years at Lewis & Clark, and spent her time studying, playing the piano, skiing, or with her sorority sisters. She met her first husband her spring semester of senior year, and married him shortly after. She had two children with him, before divorcing him. Ms. Thompson later started her own national interior design company, and remarried several years later and had two more children. Today she is an active alumnus to Lewis & Clark, and is also an Honorary Consul to Lichtenstein.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Mary Jean Schrunk Thompson, conducted by Lindsay Mulcahy on March 16, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140316

Diana Fields-Nelson was born in Southeast Portland to Austin and Gladys Fields along with her two sisters Donna and Joyce and their older brother. Austin worked as an electrician for most of his life, while Gladys was a secretary and became a stay-at-home mother to take care of her children. Diana attended Franklin High School where she discovered her interests in biology, English literature, and math. In 1956, Diana and twin-sister Donna enrolled at Lewis & Clark where their older sister was attending school. Both top-notch students, Donna and Diana received full-ride scholarships for their first year of college. As a freshman, Diana became actively involved on-campus as the vice-president of her class and a member of the Alpha Gamma sorority. During her four years at Lewis & Clark, Diana was struck by the intelligence and enthusiasm of the faculty and staff, particularly President John Howard who took an interest in getting to know as many students as possible.

As a senior at LC, Diana met her future husband Richard Nelson, a junior at the time, who was also involved in a fraternity on campus. In 1960, Diana graduated from Lewis & Clark with a degree in Clinical Psychology. Upon graduating, Diana continued to live at home with her father after her mother passed away the year prior. Her first job was a low-paying position at Portland State University teaching one class a semester. Shortly after that, Diana found a job with the Portland school system as a psychologist for several years before choosing to become a stay-at-home mother. Once her kids were grown up, Diana worked for ten years until retirement as the program director at the Volunteer Center in downtown Portland.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Diana Fields-Nelson, conducted by Nina Manno on March 16, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140316

Larry Campbell was born July 17, 1931 in Des Moines, Iowa. His father worked for a telephone company, and the family moved to Oregon in order to take advantage of the job opportunities made available after the onset of WWII when he was nine. He attended Washington High School in Portland, and was the first member of his family to attend college. Larry started college immediately upon graduating from Washington High in 1949 and majored in Speech, with a “minor” in Political Science. He was President of the Young Republicans on campus, a member of the local fraternity Delta Tau Rho, and a participant on the school’s debate team. Larry’s favorite professors were Dr. Ulysses Grant Dubach and Dr. Neil Sabin. He lived at home his first two years, and the third in the chapter house of the fraternity, where he worked as a cook. After graduation in 1953, Larry went on to become Active Sergeant Major of the Military Police Battalion, a member of the Board of Trustees, and the Speaker of the Oregon House Legislature from 1991-1994. He founded his own lobbying company in Salem. He and his wife, Karlyn, have four sons and currently reside in Eugene, where they are both retired.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Larry Campbell, conducted by Gwen Matthews on March 17, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140317

Ray Hoen was born in Wisconsin, but grew up and attended high school in the small town of Oswego, Illinois, a place he called a “farming community.” Hoen’s father was a car insurance salesman. The Second World War was at its peak during his adolescence, and Hoen felt that it was important to join the navy. At the age of 17, he dropped out of high school and enlisted. Hoen was discharged when he turned 21 in 1950. Early that year, at a “Fireman Ball” in Lake Oswego, Oregon, Hoen met a fellow Navy veteran who recommended Lewis & Clark College. The next day, Hoen embarked on a visit to the college, and “fell in love with the place.” He promptly applied for admission and enrolled, joining the class of 1954, but the Korean War also broke out in 1950. Hoen was recalled back into the navy for two years of service after his freshman year. He remembers taking extra classes during the summers to catch up with his original class, and he almost caught up completely; he graduated just six months after the rest of the class of ’54. Hoen took business courses, and he spent much of his spare time in employment to pay for his schooling. In the interview, Hoen frequently referenced his membership in a fraternity as a meaningful part of his life at Lewis & Clark. He lived with his parents in nearby West Linn during his freshman year. After his second discharge from the navy, Hoen rented a “cabin” very close to campus with one of his fraternity brothers. After graduating from Lewis & Clark, Hoen married and took on a career in sales. He owned a car dealership in Newberg, Oregon, for a period.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Ray Hoen, conducted by Jarrett Gibson on March 17, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140317

Dolores Wiley Chenoweth was born in Portland, Oregon in 1940. Her father was a union worker glazier, and her mother a stay at home mom. Dolores grew up in Portland and attended Multnomah Elementary School and Wilson High School before attending Lewis & Clark. She had an older brother who graduated from Lewis & Clark in 1958. When it came time for her to enter college, Dolores applied and was accepted to Oregon State and Pacific University but ultimately decided to attend Lewis & Clark after having seen what great experiences her brother had at the college. Dolores began her career at Lewis & Clark in the Fall of 1948 and graduated in 1962 with degrees in journalism and sociology. Though she lived at home with her parents during her time of attendance to the school, Dolores was greatly involved in the schools community. In addition to working on campus, Dolores was part of a sorority and eventually worked her way up to become the editor of The Pioneer Log her senior year. Following graduation, Dolores married and moved to Eugene, Oregon where she began her career. Initially she pursued a career in social work before working for Pacific Power and Light in Portland where she was one of only 3 women in a company of 3,000 who held a non-clerical position. Before her retirement Dolores ran her own consulting firm.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Dolores Wiley Chenoweth, conducted by Sophia Lee on March 20, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140320

Mr. Morrell grew up in Portland, living close to Jefferson High School, which he would later attend. His father worked as a machinist and cab driver while his mother stayed home, parenting her three children full time. Morrell began trumpet at an early age, setting himself into a lineage firmly embossed in brass – his brother, father, grandfather and great grandfather were all trumpet players. This musical thread wove deep, leading Morrell to pursue a music degree at Lewis & Clark, paying his tuition with money earned in music jobs played in town. His education was interrupted by a two-year term in the U.S. Marine Reserve in which he played in the Marine Corps Band before being deployed to Korea. He returned, completed his degree and launched into a lifetime of music education, serving as a director for numerous high school bands. Morrell still loves and teaches music today.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Larry Morrell, conducted by Ted Jamison on March 21, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140321

Donna Macklin Lawrence was born in Salem, Oregon, and enrolled at Lewis & Clark College at the age of 17 in 1948. She is married to Frank Lawrence (’52) whom she met in an English class with Professor William Stafford. She graduated with a double degree in Education and Music in 1952 and was offered a place in an all-women’s orchestra headed by her instructor and founder of the Portland Chamber Orchestra, Boris Sirpo.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Donna Macklin Lawrence, conducted by Trushaa Castelino on March 22, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140322

A Portland native, Frank Lawrence enlisted in the Navy after high school in order to pursue his dream of higher education. After serving several years, he returned to Portland and enrolled in Lewis and Clark’s business administration program on the GI bill. As a commuter student, Lawrence’s on-campus activities included serving as head of chapel services and a fraternity membership. It was on campus where he met his future wife Donna Macklin, who invited him to one of several dances that shaped his social experience at Lewis and Clark. The financial skills he learned in the business administration program proved useful when he later secured a lifelong accounting career at Crown Zellerbach.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Frank Lawrence, conducted by Josh Freeman on March 22, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140322

Raised in Stockton, California, Eloise Wood moved to Portland at the behest of her grandfather, a prominent physician, in order to attend Lewis & Clark College. Initially an education and counseling major, she later changed her course of study to sociology. A popular and active member of the Alpha Gamma sorority, she met her first husband Tom Hannah on-campus, where he was a member of the Sigma fraternity. After graduation, Eloise moved to Beaverton with her husband, where she later earned her education degree and worked as a schoolteacher until her retirement in 1991.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Eloise Cole, conducted by Josh Freeman on April 3, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140403

Jim Cole graduated from Lewis and Clark College in 1954, having enrolled following junior college in 1952. He was born in Portland into a middle-class family and attended Glenhill Grade School and Benson Polytechnic High School. After the Korean War broke out, Cole joined the Air Force National Guard so as to avoid being drafted into the military. During this time, he visited Lewis and Clark several times to borrow books from the library and play in the band. After leaving the Air Force, Cole got into Lewis & Clark thanks to special offers made by the college. He majored in business administration, while living at his parent’s house, and went on to work in realty and insurance.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Jim Cole, conducted by Deane Rynerson on April 3, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140403

Jim Stell grew up in Milwaukie before enrolling at Lewis & Clark in 1956. As an undergraduate, He lived off-campus with his family, commuting to school in his black 1949 Ford. He pledged a fraternity as a freshman, where he worked as secretary and record-keeper, met older GI’s from the Korean War and made lifelong friends. Over the summer, he gave tours through the Oregon Caves, along with 60 students from colleges across the nation. Just after the creation of the Associated Students of Lewis & Clark, Stell represented the senior class as one of its two senators. During senior year, he met a blonde, incoming freshman who became his wife. Stell majored in education, and his student teaching experience landed him a job in the Milwaukee school district for 32 years as a teacher, and later principal. He recently retired.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Jim Stell, conducted by Caleb Diehl on April 3, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140403

Larry Petersen grew up in Eugene where his mother and father were poultry farmers in a Danish community. After attending University of Oregon for a year and then transferring to Lewis & Clark in 1955, Larry Petersen graduated with the class of 1958 with a major in business and a minor in psychology. He was very active in his fraternity of Theta Chi and was a Resident Advisor in Platt Hall for several years. He and his girlfriend taught dance classes and he played many inter mural sports. After serving several months in the national guard, he and his college girlfriend, Mary Zoe Petrik, were married. After several years of Larry working as a business manager and Mary Zoe as a teacher, they opened an optometry office with Mary Zoe’s brother. Larry and Mary Zoe now live in Gresham, Oregon where Larry coached competitive youth soccer.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Jack Petersen, conducted by Emma Hoch-Schneider on April 4, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140404

Mary Zoe Petrik graduated Lewis & Clark College in 1959. She would commute from NE Portland to school every day with a set of twins (Backstrom) she attended Jefferson High School with. Her grandmother and mother were both teachers. Mary Zoe was an Education major, which has since been discontinued at the undergraduate campus.

Lewis & Clark, according to Mary Zoe, was a “great place” to be—well rounded and personal. She liked having camaraderie with professors, who often stopped her on campus to chat. When asked, Mary Zoe’s favorite professor was Dr. Eugene N. Kozloff of the marine biology department. Mary Zoe was active within the Presbyterian Church (Lewis & Clark was affiliated with the Presbyterian Church at this time).

Post-graduation found Mary Zoe married to Larry Petersen (they dated in college but waited to marry) and teaching elementary school. A transfer through Larry’s job brought them to Seattle, Washington (where they coincidentally ran into Dr. Kozloff every so often)—Mary Zoe stopped teaching officially to focus on her school-age children, although she continued to substitute teach. They are now settled in Gresham, Oregon. Mary Zoe and Larry continue to put their ballroom classes to use—they still love to “cut the rug.”

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Mary Zoe Petersen (nee Petrik), conducted by Jasmine Graze on April 4, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140404

Rod Downey was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and moved to Downey, California for elementary school. As a sophomore in high school, he moved again to Sherwood, Oregon, where he graduated from Sherwood Union High School. After his time in the United States Navy, he attended University of Oregon on the G.I. Bill at age 20. He transferred to Lewis & Clark a year later in 1947. Mr. Downey was a commuter student, an Education major, and a member of Sigma Alpha Sigma at Lewis & Clark. He was a guard on the basketball team and brought Lewis & Clark to their first sports championship in 1949. After graduating in 1950, Mr. Downey was a teacher for third through eighth grades, a vice principal, and a basketball referee for 20 years. He has been married to his wife for 65 years, and has 2 children. Mr. Downey is currently active at Lewis & Clark in the Albany Society and the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Rodney Downey, conducted by julia Withers on April 5, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140405

Hugh Harcourt was born in Portland, Oregon as the son of a physician father. After a period of financial difficulties, his mother was invited to the faculty of Lewis & Clark College as a speech therapist by President Morgan Odell, a family friend. Because of that, Mr. Harcourt was able to attend the College free of charge. While here, he primarily studied sciences, including biology and psychology, convinced he was supposed to enter into the medical field like his father. However, his interests were really piqued by a philosophy class, though he did not know at the time this is what he should have pursued. Although he lived off campus, he was involved in various groups associated with the College including the campus choir, water polo team, and a local fraternity. In this oral history, he notes many of the interesting campus dynamics, from the dearth of women in athletics to the unspoken presence of gay students. He graduated in 1952 with a degree in psychology, and later went on to graduate school at the Universities of Copenhagen and Edinburgh, and for much of his life taught philosophy at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. Due to the civil war there, he later returned to Portland where he briefly taught at Portland State University. He is now retired and lives with his wife in Portland.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Hugh Harcourt, conducted by Russ Allton on April 5, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140405

Barbara Getty was born in Portland, Oregon in 1934. Her father was a cabinet-maker and her mother was a dressmaker. She attended Grant High School until she began her time at Lewis & Clark in 1952. She commuted for three years before winning a grant in aid so she could live on campus her senior year. She began her time at Lewis & Clark majoring in Business but changed to Music her junior year due to her love for the piano and the organ. During her time at Lewis & Clark, Barbara sang in the choir, which she considers to be her most rewarding and memorable college experience. She was also in a sorority, a music organization, and was the treasurer of the Associated Women of Lewis & Clark. After college, Barbara worked at a bank and taught elementary school. She eventually returned to Lewis & Clark where she taught calligraphy. Calligraphy and Handwriting have been a large part of Barbara’s life. Barbara has published a book about handwriting and traveled the country hosting workshops on handwriting for medical professionals. These workshops even took her to Florence, Italy and Copenhagen, Denmark, where she gave a presentation for the World Health Organization. Barbara has traveled extensively. She taught 3rd grade in Ankra, Turkey for a year and has also taken various trips around Europe with her friends and family. Barbara speaks very positively of her professors at Lewis & Clark and believes that Lewis & Clark “made her a human."

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Barbara Getty, conducted by Marlena Williams on April 6, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140406

Janice Cox grew up on a farm close to Mt. Angel, Oregon as an only child. She attended Lewis & Clark College for two years from the fall of 1951 to the spring of 1953. Mrs. Cox entered the college as a philosophy major until she changed her course focus to Business. In September 1951 she met Bill Cox, an Education major in the class of 1952, and the two of them married in September 1953. Mrs. Cox left Lewis & Clark when they married in order to make home for her family. Bill Cox went on to receive his Bachelor’s in Education, Bachelor’s in Business, and a Masters in Education from Lewis & Clark College. Mrs. Cox has been an active supporter of the college and has helped with the alumni fund.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Janice Cox, conducted by Haley Best on April 7, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140407

Born in Eugene, Oregon, Euphama Hayes and her family moved to Portland at the beginning of World War II so her father could work. She attended Grant High School and graduated in June of 1948. Initially, she planned to attend Oregon State, but the fees were steep, so her family decided she could attend the then very new Lewis & Clark College. So, she took the entrance exam, passed, and in September of 1948, she started her career at Lewis & Clark College. At the time, no one lived on campus, so she commuted from home every day. She pledged Alpha Gamma sorority her freshman year and her social life was centered around that. She became very close with these girls and they still try to get together every year to this day. During her sophomore year Euphama met her future husband, Bill Partlow (class of 1951), who was a JV football player and discharged veteran. She did not graduate because she wanted to get married and get some real work experience. She became a bank teller and worked her way all the way up to regional manager, the first woman to hold that position. Later, she became very politically involved with the League of Women Voters. In 1996, she became an ordained minister in the Unity faith and is currently the minister of a church in Gresham. She has four children, ten grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Euphama Hayes Partlow, conducted by Cassidy Cook on April 9, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140409

Donna Manning received her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the college in 1961. She was raised in Albany, Oregon, and went to high school next to Lewis & Clark’s original Albany College facility. Donna’s visits to the classrooms of her great aunts inspired her to become an elementary educator. She grew up Presbyterian, which was a leading factor in her decision to attend Lewis & Clark. Donna grew up in a working-class family who couldn’t financially support her education. Thanks to her wealthy family in Portland, who could house her and pay her tuition, she was able to attend Lewis & Clark. She was a commuter student. After receiving a car her 3rd year, she became more involved in campus activities like her sorority and choir. In this interview Donna speaks largely about her experiences in classes, social life and her career. After her time at Lewis & Clark she became an educator at Portland Public Schools and eventually a principal.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Donna Manning, conducted by Taylor Wayne Patterson on April 16, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140416

John Marandas was born in Portland to Greek immigrant parents. He was raised in Northeast Portland and went to Grant High School. His father was a restauranteur, which was one of the only options available to many Greek immigrants, and his mother was a homemaker. His older brother attended Lewis & Clark, and since Marandas wanted to stay close to home, he did too. He majored in Political Science and was involved in school politics both at Lewis & Clark and in high school. After college, Marandas went to law school at Willamette University and became a lawyer.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus John Marandas, conducted by Amy Sutton on April 22, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

John Marandas was born to Greek immigrant parents in Portland, Oregon. He was raised in Northeast Portland and went to Grant High School. His father was a restaurateur, which was one of the only options available to many Greek immigrants, and his mother was a homemaker. His older brother attended Lewis & Clark, and since Marandas wanted to stay close to home, he did too. He majored in Political Science and was involved in school politics both at Lewis & Clark and in high school. After college, Marandas went to law school at Willamette University and became a lawyer.

20140422

Marlene Haldors grew up as Marlene Monteji in Sandy, Oregon with her parents and two brothers. While living in a small, rural town, Marlene was fortunate enough to have grown up with the resources to travel and to be able - and encouraged by her parents - to go to college. In 1950, Marlene joined the Lewis & Clark College class of 1954. Marlene graduated with an undergraduate degree in business administration. During her time at Lewis & Clark she was both a class and student body officer as well as a member of Delta Phi Gamma. Marlene met her husband, Steve Haldors ('54), while at Lewis & Clark. The couple married days after they graduated in the spring of 1954. Although her husband passed away in 2010, Marlene continues to find a sense of belonging at Lewis & Clark College and within the Albany Society thanks to her experiences and memories at the college.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Marlene Monetji Haldors, conducted by Sofia Knutson on April 24, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20140424

Arleigh Dodson was born in 1932 in McMinnville, Oregon. He moved with his family to Michigan after his parents graduated from Linfield College. Dodson graduated from Redlands High School before attending Kalamazoo College. He received his Ph.D. from University of Michigan before joining the Lewis & Clark chemistry department as a professor from 1960 to 1990. He was highly involved within the school, becoming the Dean of the College, athletic director, national eligibility director for the NCAA, and the head of the chemistry department during his time at Lewis & Clark. He has continued to pursue his passion for education since his retirement, working with struggling students at high schools and in numerous volunteer positions. He currently lives with his family in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark Professor Arleigh Dodson, conducted by Nick Ellis on October 8, 2014. History Department, Fall Semester, 2014.

20141008

Jean Ward was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon. She received an Undergraduate and Master’s Degree from the University of Oregon and was an active debater and debate coach. In 1964, she began teaching in the Speech Department at Lewis and Clark College, remaining true to the renamed Communications and Rhetoric and Media Studies Department until 2006. She also coached the forensics program at Lewis and Clark College and helped to found and direct the Gender Studies Symposium and Gender Studies Interdisciplinary Program. She gained her Ph.D. from the University of Oregon in the 1980s and then taught in Eugene for two years before returning to Lewis and Clark College. She was married and has two sons and is a lover of birds.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark Professor Jean Ward, conducted by Hannah Swernoff on October 14, 2014. History Department, Fall Semester, 2014.

20141014

Don Balmer served in the United States Navy during World War II. Throughout his service he completed classes in civil engineering; however, after his release from the Navy following the conclusion of the war, his academic interests shifted to political science. After completing his PhD, Balmer joined the Political Science department at Lewis & Clark College, where he taught from 1952 to 2000. Along with two other professors, Balmer crafted the Education & Discovery program. Additionally, Balmer helped to establish the College’s early study abroad programs by facilitating class trips to Canada. Outside of the College, Balmer’s passion for academics led to his contributing to the Valley Migrant League and the Governor’s Committee on Migrant Children’s Education.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark Professor Don Balmer, conducted by Melissa Dean-Treseler on October 15, 2014. History Department, Fall Semester, 2014.

20141015

Edgar Reynolds grew up in Oakland, California, and he attended his first two years of higher education at Whittier College. He then attended the University of Texas at Austin for his junior and senior years, as a theatre major. He got his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley in 1971, though before that he worked as a professor at Stanford. There he taught through the Vietnam War protests of the late 1960s. After receiving his Ph.D., he taught at a number of universities, including the University of Colorado, Northern Arizona University and Oregon State. In 1980 he came to Lewis & Clark to teach Theatre Studies. He stayed for fifteen years, before retiring in 1995. Since retiring, he has directed plays in Vietnam and appeared on television series such as Leverage and Grimm. Professor Reynolds described his time at L&C as the “crown of his career,” and he still keeps in contact with many of his former students.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark Professor Edgar Reynolds, conducted by Julia Hernandez on October 15, 2014. History Department, Fall Semester, 2014.

20141015

Mary Lou Hunter was born in Portland, Oregon, where she attended elementary school. She became interested in horseback riding and saved money to buy herself a horse. Her family lived in Northeast Portland at the time, and decided to move to a ten-acre farm in Happy Valley, Oregon, where she could keep her horse. At fourteen, her family moved again to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she would attend high school. After she graduated from high school, she came back to Oregon to enroll at Lewis & Clark College. She majored in physical education and minored in art, graduating from Lewis & Clark with honors. During her time as a student at the College she participated in most intramural sports, and took a few dance classes. After graduation, she went on to graduate school at Oregon State University. She then came back to Lewis & Clark to teach physical education, becoming a coach of women’s basketball and volleyball. She was able to help establish the Outdoor School Education program, becoming the main teacher of the program’s classes. She now lives in Lake Oswego, where she is enjoying her retirement, painting and being as active as she can.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumna Mary Lou Hunter, conducted by Aurora Garrison on October 6, 2014. History Department, Fall Semester, 2014.

20141016

Klaus Engelhardt was born in Germany in 1936 and moved to Munich in 1945 at the age of nine years old. He attended the University of Munich for both undergraduate and graduate school, earning a Ph.D. in Romance Languages, specifically French. Aside from speaking his native German, he speaks Latin, English and French and has picked up bits of other languages over the years. He received a job offer from George Sinclair, the head of Lewis & Clark College’s Foreign Languages Department to teach French and German. Shortly afterwards, both he and his wife, Marie, moved to Portland in 1969. He has two children, a son and a daughter. His daughter was part of Lewis & Clark’s graduating class in 2000. Over his years at the school, Professor Engelhardt served as a program director for many of L&C’s overseas and abroad programs, as a faculty advisor for SAAB, and also as the Foreign Language Department Chair. He retired in 2002 and is now listed as a Professor Emeritus. He continues to teach German to children at a local community center.

Professor Engelhardt remains active on campus through his visits to the library and the gym, as well as through continued involvement with the Overseas Office and the Alumni Office.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark Professor Klaus Engelhardt, conducted by Heather Schadt on October 16, 2014. History Department, Fall Semester, 2014.

20141016

Rich Peck worked as an Associate Professor of International Affairs at Lewis and Clark from 1974 until 2008. Before this, he attended graduate school at Yale and completed his undergraduate degree at the University of California Berkeley. While at Lewis and Clark, Professor Peck was primarily involved with teaching courses on Africa and Southeast Asia. It was during this time that he helped the LC study abroad program expand into East Africa. He led students on trips where they studied African culture and Swahili in Nairobi and other areas in Kenya. Professor Peck still lives close to the Lewis and Clark College campus and he has remained involved with the school by hosting foreign exchange students for the past several years.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark Professor Rich Peck, conducted by John Hanton on October 16, 2014. History Department, Fall Semester, 2014.

20141016

Roger Nelsen was born in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. He attended DePauw University in Indiana where he majored in math before going to graduate school at Duke University. While working on his dissertation, he lived in France for a year, from November of 1967 to November of 1968. He began as a math professor at Lewis & Clark in the fall of 1969, where he continued to teach until he retired in 2009. He was married once and has no children. While teaching at Lewis & Clark, he led overseas programs to Denmark, France, and Spain. He has also traveled extensively for overseas math conferences and PhD committees. He lives just a few blocks away from Lewis & Clark and keeps an office on campus in the math department where he makes the coffee, works on math problems, and writes math textbooks.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark Professor Roger Nelson, conducted by Nora Sackett on October 17, 2014. History Department, Fall Semester, 2014.

20141017

Professor Emeritus of Health from 1967-1991& 1998-2004.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Dell Smith, conducted by Jeremy Biskind on October 21, 2014. History Department, Fall Semester, 2014. TRANSCRIPTION PENDING

20141021

Dinah Dodds spent her formative years in Oakland, California, and attended a high school for girls in Berkeley. Upon graduation she pursued a Zoology major at Pomona College, which led her to accept a position as a lab technician in a Zoology lab at the University of Göttingen in Germany. During her three years there, she discovered her great passion for German literature and decided to change her academic focus. When she returned to the United States, she began graduate school in German Literature at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she got a Master’s Degree and Ph.D. Dinah Dodds came to Lewis & Clark College in 1972 upon completion of her Ph.D. program and taught German in the Foreign Languages department, later serving as Chair of the department for a number of years until her retirement in 2008. She returned for an additional two years as Chair of the Music department. Dodds remains deeply involved with the Lewis & Clark community, largely through the Dinah Dodds Endowment for International Studies created in her name.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark Professor Dinah Dodds, conducted by Kate Wackett on October 22, 2014. History Department, Fall Semester, 2014.

20141022

Richard Adams was a professor at Lewis and Clark College from 1976 to 2000. He was born in Yakima, Washington, and moved all over the state until the age of twelve. When Adams turned twelve, he moved to India with his family and lived there until the age of seventeen, attending boarding school while also taking a year off to spend time with his family and truly experience India. He then moved back to McMinnville, Oregon, at seventeen for his senior year of high school. After graduating high school, Professor Adams attended Hillsdale College in Michigan. While at Hillsdale, Professor Adams majored in Sociology with a focus on South Asian studies. He then went to Duke for graduate school on a South Asian fellowship for sociology. His first teaching job was at Hollands College in Roanoke, Virginia. He then moved to a teaching position at Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, Oregon. Then Adams applied for a teaching job at Lewis and Clark College and was hired. Adams taught at Lewis and Clark College for twenty-four years until 2000, when he decided to retire from teaching and take a bigger role in his non-profit organization called the Zimbabwe Art Project. He was Executive Director of Zimbabwe Art Project from 2000 to 2010 until he officially retired from everything. He spends the days reading up on conquered people in historical empires, what happens to them, and what becomes of them. He also gives back to a variety of charities such as Habitat for Humanity. He also builds balsa and tissue model airplanes, for himself and his grandchildren. Adams is happily married with two daughters from a previous marriage and two grandchildren.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Richard Adams, conducted by Blake Howell on October 22, 2014. History Department, Fall Semester, 2014.

20141022

Steven Hunt came to Lewis & Clark in 1973. He was a Director of Forensics for his entire career as an educator. He also picked up a JD (law degree) at Northwestern School of Law 1985. He served in many positions at Lewis & Clark including Chair of the Department of Communication (now RHMS), Chair of Curriculum Committee, Chair of Academic Advising, Admissions, and Financial Aid Committee, Faculty Parliamentarian, and Dean of Social Sciences. In the forensics community, I have edited Pi Kappa Delta’s The Forensic for four years and been President of the National Cross Examination Debate Association.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark Professor Steven Hunt, conducted by Spencer Lymburn on October 24, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20141024

Lee Garrett was introduced to organ music in his family’s Episcopal church at age three. Animated by the grandeur of that sound, he dedicated his life to mastering and teaching the instrument. When he encountered Lewis & Clark’s Casavant, the world’s largest circular hanging organ, it struck him as confident and restrained, assertive and gentle. Garrett stayed at Lewis & Clark for twenty-nine years, teaching private organ lessons and courses in music theory and music history. He witnessed the presidencies of John R. Howard and Jim Gardner. In addition to teaching and chairing the music department, he offered consults on organ design to Portland churches and played the Casavant at Lewis & Clark’s special events. Garrett now serves as curator of the organ, maintaining the $1.5 million instrument.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Lee Garrett, conducted by Caleb Diehl on October 27, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

20141027

Harold Schleef taught economics at Lewis & Clark College from 1983 to 2013. He grew up in the state of Illinois. After receiving a bachelor’s degree, he was drafted into the army and served in the Panama Canal Zone during the Vietnam War. After his service, he completed his master’s degree, and then a Ph.D. His first teaching position was at the University of Oregon. He came to Lewis & Clark as a member of the Business program, which was then replaced by the Economics department. During his time at Lewis & Clark he served as Dean of the Social Sciences Division in addition to his faculty role. In his retirement, he is currently serving as the school board president of the Portland Lutheran School.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark Professor Harold Schleef, conducted by Jacob Fong-Gurzinsky on October 28, 2014. History Department, Fall Semester, 2014.

20141028

Larry Sams grew up in the Portland, Oregon, area and Connie Sams grew up in Los Angeles, California. Larry attended Clackamas High School while Connie went to school in Eagle Rock. Connie, coming from an Occidental College family, was the rebel for going to Lewis & Clark, where her grandfather, Morgan Samuel Odell had been dean for a number of years. Larry came to Lewis & Clark because he was recruited by the basketball coach, Dean Semper. Larry and Connie met during orientation week their freshmen year and have been together ever since. They have two children together – Julie and Peter. Larry was a biology major and Connie was a sociology major. Larry went on to be a veterinarian and Connie was a secretary for an elementary school.

20150223

Henry Pete was born on a farm in Glendale, Oregon in 1920. Skipping two grades, he graduated High School at 16, and then attended Albany College (later Lewis & Clark) on a half tuition athletic scholarship. While at Albany College he majored in history and government and participated in a variety of sports and athletic activities, especially baseball and basketball. He also witnessed the transfer of Albany College from its campus in Albany, Oregon, to its temporary downtown Portland campus, and attended classes in both locations. Mr. Pete graduated in 1941, and soon after joined the army at the outbreak of the war. Upon his return home, he enrolled in the newly renamed, and again moved, Lewis & Clark College, and received a Masters of Education in 1951. He worked in the educational field for the rest of his life. He started first as a coach, and later was school superintendent in Philomath, Oregon. Finally, Mr. Pete was President of Rogue Community College.

20150224

Sue Knoll was born in White Salmon, Washington and moved with her family to the colony of Hawaii when she was twelve. Two years later, she moved to Oregon City where she completed high school. Mrs. Knoll came into Lewis & Clark a very focused performance major having been playing the violin since she was four years old. During her time here, Mrs. Knoll was a part of the Theta Kappa sorority and lived in Stewart for three of her years on campus. Her senior year she served as a house counselor in the newly built Ruth Odell dorm. Mrs. Knoll met her husband in high school and the two attended Lewis & Clark College becoming engaged in a Quonset hut on campus their junior year. After graduating in 1960, Mrs. Knoll taught elementary aged students and eventually worked part time with special needs children. Mrs. Knoll and her husband currently reside in Portland with both of their children living in the area.

20150226

Dave Albertine spent his early years growing up in Gary, Indiana, which is a suburb of Chicago. His father’s name is Alexander Albertine. His mother’s name is Bernadette Cogozzo. In 1961 at the age of ten his family moved to Sherwood, Oregon. He graduated from Sherwood Union High School and was able to go to Lewis & Clark College with the support of his mother. He was an active member of Lambda Phi Epsilon and was an R.A. while attending Lewis & Clark. Lewis & Clark is also where he met his wife, Peggy. After graduating with his history degree, he became a teacher. He has recently retired and his kids have either graduated or are in college. He never moved from Portland and is still connected with the campus and other alumni living in the area.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Dave Albertine, conducted by Dean Rieniker on February 27, 2015. History Department, Spring Semester, 2015.

20150227

Susan Olson was born in 1953 and lived in Los Angeles, California, until age thirteen when she moved to Eugene, Oregon. She began her freshman year at Lewis & Clark in 1971. She was the team manager for the men’s track team, a recreational piano player, and an enthusiastic French student. In 1974 she participated in a Lewis & Clark overseas trip to the UK. After earning her bachelor’s degree in biology and graduating Lewis & Clark in 1975, she entered the medical school graduate program at Oregon Health and Science University (1978- 1984) to pursue cytogenetics. She married her husband, Bill Nelson, in 1988 and they have three daughters. She is currently a professor and director of two labs at Oregon Health and Science University. One of her roommates from Lewis & Clark has been working with her in the lab for more than two decades. Susan is certified in scuba diving, does international folk dancing for fun, likes going to the symphony with friends, and is currently working on practicing piano again.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Susan Olson, conducted by Aubrie Rakus on February 27, 2015. History Department, Spring Semester, 2015.

20150227

Katie Byrnes was born and raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She graduated from Lewis & Clark College in 1979 with a degree in Education. While attending Lewis & Clark, she had the opportunity to study abroad in Turkey, an experience that she cites as a defining moment in her life. She has many fond memories of her time at Lewis & Clark (even if the food wasn’t that great), which include attending events on campus and pulling pranks on her friends. After graduating from Lewis & Clark, Katie worked for many years as a teacher in the Portland area. Katie and her husband Mike, who also graduated from Lewis & Clark, were high school sweethearts and are still together today! They have four children—three sons who attended Colorado College, and a daughter who attends Lewis & Clark—along with one granddaughter. Katie is very involved with alumni activities at Lewis & Clark and still keeps in touch with many of her friends from college

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Katie Byrnes, conducted by Allie Collins on March 3, 2015. History Department, Spring Semester, 2015.

20150303

Bettina Chew was born in Portland, Oregon in 1928. She began attending Lewis & Clark College in 1945 and attended for two years before dropping out to take a course in medical tech at a local hospital. During those two years, she worked to pay for her schooling and was part of a sophomore organization called Sacagawea, headed by Morgan Odell’s wife. She married Weldon Gedrose, a Lewis & Clark student himself, soon after becoming a medical tech. Upon his death, she married Norman Chew. During the course of these two marriages, she had four children, lived in Canada for a while, and then in Indianapolis, before coming back to Oregon. She returned to Lewis & Clark after the death of her second husband and completed her degree in international affairs, which allowed her to volunteer at the World Affairs Council after graduation.

20150303

Bob Phillips was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. He attended primary and secondary school here, graduating from David Douglas High School in 1968. Mr. Phillips attended Lewis & Clark College until 1972, when he graduated with a degree in education. While attending he lettered in football all four years, worked as a cook in the cafeteria and worked multiple jobs off campus. Upon graduating, Mr. Phillips worked in the Portland area as an elementary school teacher until his retirement in 2002. He returned to Lewis & Clark to receive his master’s degree in teaching, graduating in 1986. He met his wife of 22 years while attending Lewis & Clark, and has two daughters. Since retirement, Mr. Phillips has enjoyed spending time outdoors, mountain climbing, volunteering at local elementary schools and spending time visiting his children and grandchildren.

20150304

Jan Vlahos was born in Yakima, Washington, and moved to Spokane, Washington, when she started grammar/primary school. Before attending Lewis & Clark, she went to secretarial school, Whitworth College, for a year. She transferred in as a sophomore in 1960, and went on the school’s first ever overseas program to Japan in 1962. In addition, she also worked as an R.A., and worked in the admissions office as a student secretary. She met her husband Peter (a former associate dean of students) here, and has been active in the community throughout her life. After graduating, she worked for U.S. Bank, Clackamas Community College, and also for an engineering firm. Both of her children attended Lewis & Clark, and she considers the school to be a second home.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Jan Vlahos, conducted by Cade Brewster on March 5, 2015. History Department, Spring Semester, 2015.

20150305

Paul Knoll was born in a small farm town outside of Spokane, Washington, and lived there until the fourth grade, when his family relocated to Oregon City. In 1956, he enrolled at Lewis & Clark College. Mr. Knoll lived on campus all four years of his time at Lewis & Clark, serving as freshman and senior class presidents, and a resident advisor, among other posts. After exploring more majors than most students even consider, Mr. Knoll decided to major in foreign language, German and Greek specifically. He also attended Lewis & Clark with his then-to-be wife, Susan Lathrop Knoll, whom he had known since high school. Following his graduate work in history at the University of Colorado, Mr. Knoll went on to work for the Advanced Placement testing company, University of Southern California, and other academic institutions.

20150306