Lewis & Clark College

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

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

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

Brendan Peterson grew up in San Francisco to a mother and father who were both writers. The influence of his parents would drive him to pursue writing himself by working for the Wallenberg High School newspaper while he was a student there, writing movie reviews, a hobby he continues to this day. After high school, he continued his academic career and attended Lewis & Clark College. Here, he pursued a communications major and was heavily involved with the KLC radio on campus. During his time at Lewis & Clark College, he participated in the study abroad trip to Hungary in the fall of 1987. He graduated in the year 1989 with a degree in communications, and continued his passion in radio for a little while after graduation. He eventually moved on to pursue his lifelong passion for writing, writing training books, as well as fiction on the side. He currently lives in his hometown of San Francisco with his family.

20151019

Henry Pete was born in 1920, in Glendale Oregon. He came to Albany college in 1936 at the age of 16, having skipped the first and sixth grades. The youngest of his brothers, education was stressed to him at an early age from his Finnish parents, where education is a high societal priority. When he came to Albany, it was still down in the city of Albany itself near Corvallis, and when the school began offering classes at their temporary campus in downtown Portland in 1938, he began taking classes and playing football, basketball, and baseball there. He briefly attended night classes after the College purchased the Frank Estate from the Frank family, and after he graduated in 1941, the school made the full jump to the Estate. After college he went to study Russian for the Army in New York, and then was sent to fight in North Africa and Europe in 1944. After the war he went to study in Britain under a U.S. Army initiative that offered soldiers classes, he came back to the Portland area after eight months in Britain to teach history, and went on to become a superintendent of a school district in Phoenix, Oregon. He has always shared a love of reading and sports, and the main thing that he enjoyed the most out of attending Albany College was the lessons of hard work and dedication, as well as always striving to be competitive.

20150309

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

Clifford Jenne was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1925 where he lived with his mother, father, and
sister. He worked for the railroad company in Portland as an engine operator before joining the
military at 18. After completing basic training at Aberdeen, Maryland and briefly working in a
military chemical plant in San Francisco, he participated in World War Two in the Pacific
theatre. He arrived in Japan after the surrender, and was present for the American occupation
following the war. After returning home and finishing high school, he began studying at Lewis
and Clark in 1946. During his time at Lewis and Clark, he met his wife at a Presbyterian youth
group in Portland. He graduated in three years with a business degree and began working for the
Oregonian as a photo developer. After a short time there, he moved with his family to
Willamina, OR to work for the Union Oil Company, which would be his primary career for the
remainder of his adulthood. During his retirement, Jenne worked for Trimet training future
drivers. He is now fully retired in Portland, OR.

2018-03-03

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

Rodney Downey was born in Atlanta, Georgia and moved around a few times with his family before settling in Sherwood, Oregon. He was in the Navy during World War II right out of high school, working as a signalman on a light cruiser. Afterwards, he attended University of Oregon for one year. He played on the basketball team at University of Oregon before he transferred to Lewis & Clark in 1947. Downey continued playing basketball at Lewis & Clark, where his team was the first athletic team at Lewis & Clark to win the Northwest Conference championship. Downey got married while still finishing up his undergraduate education and then graduated in 1950 with a health and physical education major. He currently resides in Sherwood with his wife Susie of 66 years.

20160217

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Cole grew up and went to Benson High School in Portland, Oregon. He attended a junior college in 1948 before joining the army during the Korean War in 1950. He then joined the air force and occupied a desk job, keeping record of each war. He never experienced combat because his superior didn’t want to lose him and his good work ethic. Jim found out about Lewis & Clark College through his girlfriend who attended the school. When his tour of duty was done, Jim Cole enrolled in Lewis & Clark College in 1952. He majored in business and was very active on campus, becoming a member of a band and of a fraternity. He went on to get a Masters degree and work in insurance companies. He has two children and four grandchildren. Twenty years after his wife passed away, he remarried a Lewis & Clark alumni. He met her at the 50th Class of 1954 reunion. Jim Cole is now part of the Albany society, which is an active alumni group. In 2009, he was elected president of the Alumni Society and is now its treasurer.

20160217

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

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

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

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

Lynwood May grew up in Willamette, Oregon. He attended Westmont College in California for one year before transferring to Lewis & Clark College to graduate with a degree in Physics in 1955. During his time at the school he was involved in service organizations as well as University Christian Fellowship, in which he met his wife Carol whom he became engaged to during his senior year. Following graduation he enlisted in the Navy, where he received training in piloting a variety of aircraft, eventually settling upon blimps as his focus. For two years he maintained blimp patrol along the coast of Florida, before switching to a teaching position within the Navy. After teaching physics in California he was a research assistant until his retirement. He now lives in Salinas, California.

20160317

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

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

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

David Sellers grew up all over the continental United States as his father often moved for better business opportunities. He attended Lewis and Clark College beginning in 1951 for three years until he was drafted into the Army in 1954. After basic training he was assigned to be a clerk-typist, and because of his ability to speak French, was assigned a position in Europe instead of in Korea or Japan. He was assigned to a position in Germany, where he spent the majority of his two years of service in the army. After being discharged he returned to Lewis and Clark to receive his degree in Psychology in 1957. He then worked with the Central Intelligence Agency until his retirement. He now lives in Whidbey Island, Washington.

2018-03-09

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

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

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

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

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

Born on November 20, 1936, Sandra Groven attended Lewis & Clark College from 1956 to
1960. She was the first member in three generations of her family to graduate from college.
Sandra grew up in Sellwood and Lake Oswego, Oregon as the oldest of three siblings. During
World War II, her father served in the Coast Guard while her mother built boats in industrial
shipyards. To pay her way through college, Sandra worked twenty hours a week at the First
National Bank. Years after graduating with a degree in history, Sandra returned to Lewis and
Clark to obtain a master’s degree in arts and teaching. Sandra later earned a library degree from
Portland State University. Until her retirement, Sandra was employed as a high school librarian
in the Portland school district.

2017-03-07

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

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

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

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

Ann Stuller, formerly Ann Baudin, was born and raised in Portland, OR, and lives
in the area to this day. She grew up visiting the Lewis and Clark campus for church
picnics and fell in love with the college. She started going to school here in 1957 and
graduated in 1961 with a Foreign Languages degree, with a focus in French. She chose to
continue her education at Lewis and Clark and received a Masters Degree from the
graduate school in education, specifically teaching Foreign Languages. She married Ed
Stuller in 1967 and became the mother of his two daughters. In the mid-1990s, she
became involved in disability activism regarding the closing of the Fairview Training
Center, a state-run facility for people with disabilities, where her elder daughter, Mary,
was housed. During the process of closing Fairview, she continued to be active in the
disabled community, serving on a committee to ensure quality control for people leaving
Fairview, and seeing the benefits and drawbacks of new ideologies coming to the
forefront of care for the mentally-handicapped. She and Ed now live in King City, OR.

2018-10-08

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

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

Nancy Winfield Muller was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, but spent many of her childhood sumers in Tillamook, Oregon. It was because of this connection to her childhood that she decided to pursue an education in Oregon, attending Lewis & Clark College from 1958 to 1962, graduating with a bachelor's degree in history. She then set about getting her teaching credentials and moved back to Southern California to teach in the Orange County School District, as well as others in the L.A. area. She retired from teaching at the age of 55 and moved back to Oregon, settling in Lake Oswego.

2016-10-26

Judy Huddleston (born Judy Smith) grew up in Portland, Oregon. She graduated from Lewis & Clark College as an elementary education major in 1963. She began dating her soon-to-be husband Hallie “Bud” Smith her junior year of college and they were soon engaged and married. She was a teacher in the Portland public school system for most of her life. Hallie joined the Air Force and was deployed to Vietnam in 1968 after completing flight school in South Carolina and a first assignment in England. Shortly after his deployment, his plane malfunctioned and crash-landed into a cliff. Judy temporarily stopped teaching in Portland and became a vocal advocate for POW-MIA Vietnam soldiers, working with Governor McCall and traveling to France to speak with North Vietnamese representatives. Hallie’s remains were never recovered. She remarried and has one child. She currently spends her time acting as a grief counselor for a local Presbyterian church as well as gardening and spending time at her beach house on the Oregon coast.

20160218

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

Margaret Louis Bookwalter grew up in Portland, Oregon to a military family. She went to Lewis and Clark College in 1960, graduating in 1964. She majored in Languages with a focus on French and Latin, and a minor in Secondary Education. As a freshman, Ms. Bookwalter would eventually meet her future husband, a senior, Sumner Bookwalter. After a divorce, Ms. Bookwalter rekindled her relationship with Sumner, and they have been together ever since. At the age of 24 Ms. Bookwalter attended nursing school at Saint Luke’s in San Francisco. She graduated in the summer of 1970, where she was immediately sent to Vietnam. After spending a year in Vietnam, Ms. Bookwalter continued as a nurse in the army, serving at a variety of bases in the United States. After twenty years of service, Ms. Bookwalter retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. She currently lives with Sumner and her dog in San Diego.

20160315

Margaret “Margi” Brown was born in Portland, Oregon, and was raised in a Presbyterian family
in Lebanon, Oregon, until they moved to Laguna Beach, California, where she attended high
school. In Lebanon and Laguna, her father kept an optometry practice, and her mother was his
office manager, having gotten only a little bit of higher education before marrying. After
returning to Portland in 1960 to attend Lewis & Clark College as an undergraduate, Margi
graduated with the class of 1964 with a degree in elementary education. At Lewis & Clark,
Margi was active in her sorority and in the college’s theater department in her senior year, even
putting on a play in the city’s Rose Festival. She returned to Laguna immediately after
graduating, where she met her husband Don Brown, who was a parole officer for the California
Youth Authority. They had two daughters, born in 1968 and 1970. In 1971, their new family
picked up and moved back to Portland. There, Margi began to get involved in the desegregation
of Portland public schools through the Desegregation Monitoring Advising Committee (DMAC)
as her daughters were entering middle school in the early 1980s. She has since been extremely
active in the Presbyterian church for twenty-five years of her working life, and is also an active
member of the Democratic Party. Margi and Don now live in Northwest Portland. Their two
daughters are grown, and living in Portland and Florida respectively.

2019-10-01

After finishing his Portland-area service in the armed forces, Sam Macon toured colleges around Oregon before eventually settling on Lewis & Clark. He based his decision on the beauty of the campus, enthusiasm expressed by the school’s football coach, and a negative experience while taking the SAT at University of South Carolina. Macon lived on campus for a total of three and a half years on the third floor of Platt Hall. He is a four year letterman and an avid fan of the Pioneer athletic program. Macon studied Health and Physical education with a minor in Speech. During his time at Lewis & Clark he met his wife, to whom he has remained married. As one of the few African-American students at the time, Macon fondly remembers Lewis & Clark as a prejudice-free haven.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Sam Macon, conducted by Lucas Trimble on April 14, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.

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

Although he started his college career at Portland State University, John Newton Hickox transferred to Lewis and Clark College in the August of 1962 amidst of the Vietnam War. During his initial year as a sophomore on campus, John declared as an economics major and served as the president of the business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi. His time on campus connected him with Bob Pamplin Jr,who motivated John into a committed effort to avoid the war time draft. After his graduation in 1965, John Hickox gradually became more politically active,and would go on to serve as a chaplain in the Portland Veteran Affairs office. He then committed himself to humanitarian work abroad via religious seminary studies in 1994.

2018-03-18

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