By George P. Edmonston Jr.

As many Eclips readers already know, OSU has a new president. He is Dr. Edward John Ray, who was chosen to lead the university by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education on June 5 to succeed Dr. Timothy White. White has been serving as interim president since the departure of Paul Risser in early January, the latter resigning to become chancellor of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education. Dr. White will now return to his position as provost and executive vice president of OSU.

Dr. Ray from OSU This Week newsletter.

Ray, who is currently executive vice president and provost at Ohio State University, has been at Ohio State since 1970, where he is a member of the economics faculty. He served as chairperson of that department from 1976 to 1992 and received the University Distinguished Chairperson Award in 1989.

Dr. Ray’s research interests include the history of protectionism in the U.S., the role of financial reform in economic development, and foreign and direct investment in the U.S. and abroad. He has been published in numerous leading economics journals, including the American Economic Review, the Journal of Political Economy, and the Quarterly Journal of Economics. He has also written chapters for an extensive and impressive list of books and has enjoyed research support from the U.S. Departments of Labor and Commerce, U.S.A.I.D., and the Office of Technology Assessment, among other agencies. He currently serves on the Ohio Inter-University Council of Provosts, the Consortium for Institutional Cooperation, and the John Glenn Institute for Public Service and Public Policy Board of Directors.

He received his undergraduate degree from Queens College, City University of New York, in 1966, and his M.A. (1969) and Ph.D. (1971) degrees in economics from Stanford University. Born in Jackson Heights, N.Y., OSU’s new president lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife Beth, and the two share three children and two grandchildren.

In celebration of President Ray’s appointment, let’s now turn to a review of all who have served Oregon State University in its highest administrative office. Depending on how you count them, Ray will be OSU’s 14th president, if you don’t include "acting" presidents, or the 19th, if you do.

Photo of Rev. Finley from the Orange & Black.

1. Rev. William A. Finley (1865-1872): A minister with advanced degrees, Finley was sent to Corvallis by the Methodist Episcopal Church-South from its headquarters in northern California to take charge of the infant Corvallis College (which the church owned) in the summer of 1865. In less than three years, Finley transformed what had essentially been a pioneer preparatory academy into a valid liberal arts institution with a four-year curriculum and a coeducational student body of 86 men and 81 women. In the main, his efforts made it possible for the young institution to qualify for the federal land grant first established by the Morrill Act in 1862. In 1868, the state legislature chose Corvallis College over Willamette University in Salem as "the agricultural college of Oregon," an appointment that would remain in dispute until 1886. Blaming his wife’s health, Finley resigned his presidency in 1872 and moved back to California, where he was active as an academic until his death in 1912.

Photo of Rev. Emery from OSU Archive website.

2. Rev. Joseph Emery (1872-Acting): Finley’s departure left the college with a faculty of four, with only Emery experienced enough to serve as acting president until a replacement could be found. Emery had joined the faculty in 1867 as professor of mathematics but eventually taught a wide range of other classical and practical subjects. He also served on the Board of Trustees and helped raise money to purchase OSU’s original college farm, known today as Lower Campus.

Photo of Arnold from the Orange & Black.

3. Benjamin Lee Arnold (1872-1892)

Chosen to succeed Finley by the bishops of the M.E. Church, Arnold, a Virginia native, was a Confederate veteran of the Civil War who claimed his entire life to have served with Pickett at the Battle of Gettysburg and who taught at several colleges in the South after his discharge from military service in 1865. Lacking precedents, it was his task to organize a land-grant college within the vague requirements of the Morrill Act. Limited by meager funds, he set up a cadet corps (with uniforms of Confederate gray) and began courses in agriculture. In his 20-year term, second in tenure only to later OSU President William Jasper Kerr, Arnold helped define the role of the land-grant college in the nation’s educational system. A widower when he moved west, he later married one of his students, Louisiana native Minnie White, and the two bore a son shortly after. He also guided the college through a difficult transition from church to state control. He died in office in 1892.

Photo of Letcher from the OSU Archive website.

4. John D. Letcher (1892-Acting): The Regents’ unanimous choice as acting president, Letcher was a highly respected professor of mathematics and engineering and commandant of the Cadet Corps. A friend of Arnold’s at the time of his appointment, Letcher’s father was the Confederate governor of the state of Virginia during the Civil War. Expected by many to be named president, his health became an issue, and he lost in close balloting to John McKnight Bloss. Letcher stayed on at Oregon State for another two years before moving to Eugene and the University of Oregon in 1894. He later returned home to Virginia where he died in 1938 at age 85.

Photo of Bloss from the Orange & Black.

5. John McKnight Bloss (1892-1896): Bloss’ previous experience was in the public school systems of Indiana, where he had been state superintendent, and in Kansas, where he had served as a classroom teacher. Though not a professor, Bloss was a gifted administrator, carrying out Arnold’s expansion plans, increasing faculty, and obtaining funds from the state for new buildings and equipment. Under his administration, Oregon State launched the sports of track and field and football, the latter under the direction of his son "Will" Bloss, OSU first head coach and quarterback. His greatest claim to early fame was as a Civil War hero with the Union Army, gaining national acclaim in September 1862 as the "Finder of Lee’s Lost Order 191" before the Battle of Antietam, still one of the greatest security leaks in American military history. A familiar figure on campus, Bloss was well liked by the students, who voted early in his presidency to change the color of Cadet Corps uniforms from gray to blue. Failing health forced him to resign in 1896. Returning to his Indiana farm, he died in 1905.

Photo of Miller from the Orange & Black.

6. Henry B. Miller (1896-1897): One of the most controversial presidents in Oregon State history, the Board of Regents chose one of its own members to replace Bloss. Miller was a successful businessman in both lumber and fruit and had served in the state legislature. There was some opposition to his appointment because he lacked any academic experience, so one of his first acts was to appoint a distinguished faculty member, Frederick Berchtold, to be "dean" of the college. Miller strengthened research in agriculture and established institutes and short courses for farmers. After leaving Oregon State, he served as a U.S. counsel general to China, Japan and Ireland before moving back to Portland, where he died in 1917.

Photo of Gatch from the Orange & Black.

7. Thomas M. Gatch (1897-1907): The quintessential academic, Gatch held many honors and had served West Coast colleges for 40 years--15 years as president of Willamette University and 10 as president of the University of Washington--before coming to Oregon State to succeed Henry Miller. His experience was welcomed at a land-grant college still seeking its place in higher education. Required to stress agriculture and "mechanics," Oregon State was considered by many to be nothing more than a "school for farmers." But Gatch had concerns about the total education his students would receive and enhanced the curriculum with new courses in English, history, political science and other subjects not connected to agriculture or engineering. He retired in 1907 to an estate near Seattle, where he died in 1913.

Photo of Kerr from the Orange & Black.

8. William Jasper Kerr (1907-1932): Highly respected as the president of two colleges in his home state of Utah (Utah State and BYU) before moving to Corvallis, Kerr in 1907 became OSU’s longest-serving president. During his 25-year administration, Kerr laid the foundation for OSU to become a great national university. He was a national leader in changing the role of land-grant colleges from a secondary "vocational" status to one of "service" to business, industry and agriculture. A strong competitor for state funding, he doubled the size of Oregon State by adding 23 buildings to the campus. He also established the schools of Agriculture, Engineering, Home Economics, Commerce, Mines, Forestry, Pharmacy, Education, and Health and Physical Education. Kerr retired in 1932 to become the first chancellor for the Oregon State System of Higher Education, a position he held until 1935. He lived in Portland until his death in 1947 at age 83. Kerr is considered by many to be OSU’s greatest president of the 20th century.

Photo of Peavy from the Orange & Black.

9. George Peavy (1932-34-Acting; 1934-40 as President): Two challenges faced George Peavy during his administration: the Great Depression of the 1930s and a mandated reorganization of higher education that moved all liberal arts to the UO and the sciences to Oregon State, leaving both campuses unable to offer students a complete education. His task was to cope with changes in curriculum and severe reductions in funding and staff and to help the state revitalize its stagnant economy. Dean of the College of Forestry since its inception in 1910, Peavy chose to remain acting dean throughout his entire presidency. After his retirement in 1940, he was active in Corvallis community groups and served as mayor of the city from 1947 until his death in 1951.

Photo of Ballard from the '41 Beaver.

10. Frank Ballard (1940-41): The first graduate of Oregon State (Class of 1916) to become president, Ballard served only briefly due to an illness that necessitated delegating his duties to an administrative council under the chairmanship of Francois A. Gilfillan. Before taking office, he had enjoyed a long career with the college’s Extension Service and was nationally known as an innovator of federal extension methods. After his recovery, he returned to his old job until retiring in 1961. He died in Corvallis at the age of 80 in 1971.

Photo of Gilfillan from the '42 Beaver.

11. Francois A. Gilfillan (1941-42-Acting): After several months chairing the administrative council during the illness of President Ballard, Gilfillan was made acting president just as the nation was plunged into World War II. Remaining dean of science, he at once began research in synthetic rubber, learned the Russian language to read scientific journals in the field, and formed an ROTC program to teach students Russian and Chinese. He stayed dean until 1962 and was particularly proud of both introducing the study of oceanography at OSU and helping to found the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) in Portland. Known to his friends as a "renaissance man," Gilfillan lived an active life until the age of 90. He died in 1983.

Photo of Strand from the '43 Beaver.

12. August L. Strand (1942-1961): As Oregon State College’s president during the World War II years, Strand was faced with its heavy impact on the institution both during and after the conflict. Enrollment dropped from 4,619 in 1939 to 1,983, as men and women left to serve in the armed forces, making it difficult to maintain programs and academic standards. In addition, the Army took over many campus facilities for the training of soldiers in technical college courses. After the war, as veterans swelled enrollment to 8,000, Strand added 25 buildings and promoted research to further Oregon State’s technical reputation. At the end of his term in 1961, he was pleased to see OSC’s name changed to Oregon State University. After retiring, Strand served as a county commissioner and was active in community affairs. He lived in Corvallis until his death in 1980.

Photo of Jensen from the '68 Beaver.

13. James H. Jensen (1961-1969): A highly respected scientist in plant pathology, Jensen was also a talented administrator. Both skills served him well in coping with the greatest period of growth in OSU’s history, as well as the student unrest and tensions caused by the Vietnam War. The time was also right for his expanding liberal arts education at OSU to include degree programs in music, history, economics, languages, psychology, art and sociology. Jensen’s love of science led him to maintain a strong emphasis on research. In 1968, OSU became one of the nation’s first Sea Grant universities. After his retirement, Jensen spent several years in Thailand and Iran as a scientific advisor. He died in Bellevue, Wash., in 1993.

Photo of Young from the '70 Beaver.

14. Roy Young (1969-1970-Acting): Dr. Young began his career in plant pathology and was dean of research at OSU when he was asked to serve as acting president of OSU. Following Jensen’s lead, he continued OSU’s emphasis on research and, after stepping down as acting president, was made vice president for research and graduate studies. He left OSU in 1976 to become chancellor of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, and later directed special research at Cornell. He returned to Corvallis in 1986 to serve as director of the Office for Natural Resources. He remains active in scientific affairs and activities of the OSU Alumni Association.

Photo of MacVicar from the '72 Beaver.

15. Robert MacVicar (1970-1984): Known affectionately as "Mac" to a generation of faculty, staff, students and alumni, Dr. MacVicar came to OSU with degrees in biochemistry and considerable experience in administration at both Oklahoma State and Southern Illinois universities. He headed research at both schools and served as chancellor of SIU. During his long administration, OSU added the schools of Oceanography and Veterinary Medicine and expanded its participation in the international community with foreign study programs in eight countries. Teaching, research and extension assistance were made available to groups in Mexico, South America, North Yemen and Tunisia. After his retirement, Mac continued to participate in scientific groups and in many community affairs throughout Benton County and Corvallis. Born in Minnesota, Dr. MacVicar was educated at the University of Wyoming, where he received an appointment as a Rhodes Scholar in 1939. He passed away Dec. 26, 1998, at age 80.

Photo fo Byrne from the '88 Beaver.

16. John V. Byrne (1984-1995): After a distinguished career in oceanography, including 20 years on the faculty at OSU, Byrne returned to become president after heading the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) during the Ronald Reagan administration. His plans for development and expansion were suddenly affected in 1991 by Oregon’s Ballot Measure 5, which reduced OSU’s state funding by $12.5 million. In downsizing, the College of Education was merged with the College of Home Economics, and the Honors Program was eliminated, as were the departments of journalism, religious studies and general science. Byrne was able to bolster the athletics program, establish a minority affairs board and establish a new undergraduate degree in international studies, one of the first in the country. He also helped raise money for a $40 million expansion of the library and a renaming of the facility from Kerr Library to The Valley Library. Another highlight of his administration came in 1991 when OSU was designated one of the nation’s first Space Grant universities. He continues to maintain an office on campus, works around Corvallis as a volunteer with numerous community organizations and serves as a consultant for the Kellogg Foundation.

Photo of Risser from the 2000 Beaver.

17. Paul G. Risser (1996-2002): Replacing Byrne was Paul Risser, who came to Oregon State after serving for three years as president of Miami of Ohio in Oxford, Ohio. From 1986 to 1992, Risser had served at the University of New Mexico, first as vice president for research and then as provost and vice president for academic affairs. A botanist by training, he was chief of the Illinois Natural History Survey from 1981-1986. He was on the faculty at the University of Oklahoma from 1967-1981, serving his last four years there as chairman of the department of botany and microbiology. During his tenure at OSU, Risser built the first residence hall at the university in 30 years, helped develop marketing strategies that resulted in record student undergraduate enrollments, and watched the Beaver athletic program once again become one of the most respected in the Pac-10 conference, the highlight of which was the football team’s 11-1 finish in 2000 (best in school history) and its smashing, season-ending victory over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. At the time of his departure, construction was at the midway point of a $19 million expansion of the Dixon Student Recreational Center and just beginning on a new Hilton Garden Inn hotel project on Western Boulevard. And last September, Risser held a pre-groundbreaking ceremony for the $48 million Kelley Engineering Center, scheduled to open in 2005. Earlier in 2002, Risser launched an internal self-examination called "OSU 2007," a futuristic plan designed to focus the institution’s efforts on areas of excellence. Risser was also instrumental in giving birth to OSU’s first branch campus with the opening in 2001 of the OSU-Cascades Campus in Bend.

Photo of White from the 2000 Beaver.

18. Tim White (2003-Acting): Dr. White came to OSU in 1996 to serve as dean of the College of Health and Human Performance, recently renamed Health and Human Sciences. He had previously served as professor and chair of the department of human biodynamics at the University of California-Berkeley, his alma mater. He has also been a member of the faculty at the University of Michigan. He was named OSU’s interim provost and executive vice president by Risser in 2000 and six months later was appointed to the position on a full time basis. As interim president, White has been key participant in helping the university continue the OSU 2007 process and has played a vital role in assisting OSU’s new branch campus in Bend get off to a healthy start.

George Edmonston Jr. is editor of the Oregon Stater and Eclips. This feature was compiled from stories published in the Oregon Stater.