“Palmer Patton recognized as earliest identified African American graduate, faculty member at Oregon State” Life at OSU February 20, 2020
The unveiling of Palmer Patton’s unique life story took place Feb. 24th at the Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center. Larry Landis (Director of OSU’s Special Collections and Archives Research Center) and Dwaine Plaza (Professor of Sociology) presented together to unveil the story of Palmer Patton, who attended Oregon Agricultural College from 1916-1920 as an African American male who “passed” throughout his student life as a white male. Patton ultimately graduated from OAC with a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the School of Agriculture and served as a faculty member in agriculture during the 1920-1921 academic year.
Event Recording and Full Transcription: Shades of Color at OAC 1916-1921: The Untold Story of Palmer Patton
Larry Landis’ presentation is available via OSU’s ScholarsArchive
