Seven of the guides are enhanced finding aids for collections that were previously under-described:
Farmers of the Sea Motion Picture Film Production, 1983-1984 (FV 185 – SG 2) – The Farmers of the Sea Motion Picture Film Production consist of pre-print and print film elements of the Farmers of the Sea documentary film produced in 1984 by the Oregon Sea Grant Program at Oregon State University. The film examines the most recent developments in aquaculture practices at the time, in Japan, China, the United States, Scotland, and Panamá. A digital copy of the film can be viewed here.
Froduald Harelimana Collection, 1994-1997 (MSS Harelimana) – The Froduald Harelimana Collection consists of materials documenting the campaign to bring Oregon State University doctoral student Froduald Harelimana and his son back to the U.S. after fleeing civil war in their native Rwanda. This collection contains a manuscript describing the campaign by international student advisor Irma Delson, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and a book (and the accompanying manuscript) written by Harelimana. Harelimana graduated with a doctorate in education from Oregon State University in 1998.
Lester M. Leland Papers, 1894-1938 (MSS Leland) – The Lester M. Leland Papers consist of several items from Leland’s student years at OAC including items of memorabilia, correspondence, reports, Leland’s diploma, two pieces of letterhead printed by Leland, a zoology sketchbook and organic chemistry notebook. Lester M. Leland graduated from Oregon Agricultural College in 1895 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture.
Oregon Sea Grant Communications Moving Images, 1973-1991 (FV 185 – SG 3) – The Oregon Sea Grant Communications Moving Images consist of final productions as well as extensive raw footage and film elements used in those motion picture films and others produced by Oregon Sea Grant. The motion picture films pertain to marine resources, oceanographic research, and wildlife in Oregon. Several of the final productions have been digitized from videotape versions and are available for viewing online.
John C. Scharff Collection, 1936-1995 (MSS Scharff) – The John C. Scharff Collection consists of materials documenting alumnus and conservationist John C. Scharff. In addition to a transcript of an oral history interview between Jack Southworth and John and Florence Scharff, this collection includes awards, certificates, photographs, plaques, and a scrapbook. Scharff studied animal husbandry at Oregon Agricultural College.
George A. Sense Photographs, 1930-1931 (P 249) – The George A. Sense Photographs consist of images created and assembled by Sense as a student at Oregon State College and document his student experience in Corvallis, Oregon. Sense attended Oregon State College for one academic year in 1930-1931. Images from this collection have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital.
Lulu Thornton Papers, 1893-1895 (MSS Thornton) – The Lulu Thornton Papers consist of two items created and assembled by alumna Lulu Thornton that document her student experience at Oregon Agricultural College (OAC), and training for a career in teaching. Lulu Thornton graduated from OAC in 1895 with a degree in home economics.
Two of the guides are for new collections that are now fully processed and described and available to researchers:
Portland Brewing Company Records, 1984-2021 (MSS PortlandBrewing) – The Portland Brewing Company Records includes brewing records, photographs, promotional and training materials, and ephemera. The Portland Brewing Company was incorporated by Fred Bowman and Art Larrance in 1983; it opened in 1986. Hart Brewing was founded by Beth Hartwell and Tom Baune in Kalama, Washington in 1984; the name was changed to Pyramid Breweries in 1996. The Portland brewery facility closed in 2021. At various points, these companies merged and purchased by other companies.
Ten Rivers Food Web Records, 1996-2017 (MSS TenRivers) – The Ten Rivers Food Web Records document the establishment, leadership and administration, and extensive programs and activities of this local community organization in Benton, Lincoln, and Linn Counties of western Oregon. The Ten Rivers Food Web was formally established in April 2005 as a result of a Food Summit held in Corvallis, Oregon, in late 2004 that brought together individuals involved with and concerned about food and its production and distribution. The energy and desire to strengthen local food security led to the formation of the Ten Rivers Food Web with a goal of seeing more of the food grown in the local “foodshed” (roughly Benton, Lincoln, and Linn Counties) processed and consumed locally. The collection includes extensive born-digital materials, which are available for use in the Special Collections and Archives Research Center Reading Room or upon request. Born-digital videos are available for viewing online.
One of the guides is for a University publication:
Campus Directories, 1912-2014 (PUB 002-22c) – The Campus Directories for Oregon State University provide directory information, including addresses and phone numbers, for students and employees of Oregon State over more than a century from the 1910s to 2010s. These directories were published by students and, while they include directory information for Oregon State employees, were primarily intended for students.The Campus Directory ceased publication in 2014 with the directory for the 2014/2015 academic year. Some of the items in this collection are available online in Oregon Digital.
SCARC completed 6 new or updated finding aids in April 2021. The following is a list and a little information about what we accomplished.
These finalized finding aids are available through the Archives West finding aids database, our Archon finding aids interface on our website, and the OSUL discovery system (a.k.a. “the catalog”).
All of these materials are available to researchers.
Five of the guides are enhanced finding aids for collections that were previously under-described:
Presidential Search Committee Records, 1969-1970 (RG 310): The Presidential Search Committee Records consist of materials assembled and created by the Executive Secretary of the Committee, Robert L. Phillips, in the course of the Committee’s work to conduct a search for the President of Oregon State University. This search led to the selection and appointment of Robert W. MacVicar as the 11th President of Oregon State University. The Presidential Search Committee was established by the Chancellor of the Oregon State System of Higher Education and included academic deans, faculty, students, members of the Board of Higher Education, and alumni.
OSU Masters of Business Administration Association Records, 2005 (MSS MBAA): The Oregon State University Masters of Business Administration Association (MBAA) Records consist of a presidential report and a study compiled by OSU MBAA president Justin Lacche which document the activities of the association for the 2004-05 academic year.
J. Frank Ligon Papers, 1965-1979 (MSS Ligon): The J. Frank Ligon Papers consist of materials created and assembled by Ligon in the course of a series of administrative roles for academic programs at Oregon State University – specifically his roles in the 1960s and 1970s as Director of Summer Term, Assistant to the President for Continuing Education, Curriculum Coordinator, and Assistant to the President for Community College Relations. J. Frank Ligon was a faculty member and administrator at Oregon State University from 1946 until his retirement in 1981.
Charles Burton Winne Scrapbooks, 1916-1979 (MSS Winne): The Charles Burton Winne Scrapbooks are comprised of two scrapbooks assembled by alumnus Charles Burton “Burt” Winne that document his student experience at Oregon Agricultural College (OAC) and service in the Army during War World I. Winne graduated from OAC in 1924 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering.
The James Kenneth Fleshman Photograph Album consists of images of the Oregon Agricultural College campus taken by Fleshman, likely for an Introduction to Photography class in the fall of 1927. James Kenneth Fleshman attended Oregon Agricultural College in the mid-1920s and graduated in 1928 with a B.S. degree in chemical engineering.
One of the guides is for a collection that was initially acquired in 2020 and for which an addition was received in 2021:
Josh Worden Interviews on OSU Athletics, 2020-2021 (MSS Worden): The Josh Worden Interviews on Oregon State University Athletics were recorded by Worden, an OSU alum, for syndication on a podcast titled Beaver Tales. Conducted primarily with former OSU athletes and coaches, the interviews touch on the highlights of each interviewee’s athletic career while also documenting their lives following their departure from the university. The collection includes representation of nearly every varsity sport sponsored by Oregon State, with particular emphasis on Beaver baseball. Born digital .mp3 audio files of each interview are available in the SCARC reading room or upon patron request.
Back in the school cafeteria of my Carter/Reagan-era childhood, soup was usually not on the list of offerings, unlike standards like wiener wraps, carrot “coins”, and those iconic cartons of milk. According to the 1936 Oregon State College Extension Bulletin, The School Lunch, soups and stews played a much bigger role in the past, however. Among the 15 soup recipes featured in this 32-page publication was one that deeply intrigued me: cream of peanut butter soup. So I set forth to give it a go!
Cream of Peanut Butter Soup
½ cup of peanut butter
2 ½ medium onions
½ pint of boiling water
1 quart of milk
¼ cup of flour
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of celery salt
Peel the onions and cut up into small pieces.
Add peanut butter and boiling water to onions, stir until blended and boil 15 minutes.
Heat the milk and add the thickening made from the flour and a little cold water.
Mix the salts together and add to the milk.
Combine peanut butter mixture with milk, scald and serve.
Featured in “The School Lunch,” November 1936. Oregon State College Extension Bulletin # 492 (Home Economics Series), which can be found online here.
First off, I was a little concerned over possible onion overload, so I adjusted the recipe to 1 chopped large onion. The ratio of milk to peanut butter also seemed a little skewed and the flavor that resulted was definitely not peanut dominant. It tasted like a subtle creamy soup with a hint of peanut and an oniony crunch. By itself, it tasted decent, but was sort of underwhelming. I thought of the soup’s potential as something else: “what else could I put in this?” and “can I use this as a sauce?” The concoction did taste better after a few hours of sitting around. I’m glad I satisfied my curiosity about this strange recipe and plan to re-purpose the leftover soup for a more exciting dish this weekend!
Soup in the winter months is like a receiving warm embrace from the inside. In the kitchen the lingering heat and aromas from the preparation give soup a whole other set of sensory delights.
Homemade soups played center stage in a Library tradition that took place every February as a part of the month long OSU Food Drive. This event brought together a tasty variety of meat and vegetarian soups, stews, and chilis to serve as a fundraiser lunch for the Linn Benton Food Share.
While this year we can’t share the soups in the usual way, I wanted to keep the tradition alive virtually by making one and posting about it here. To honor the motivation behind our annual soup extravaganza, I ask the reader to please consider a donation to the OSU Food Drive. Thanks!
So, without further ado, let’s get to the soup!
Icelandic Meat Soup
1 pint water
1 lb lamb meat
1 to 1.5 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons rice
8 oz beets
2-3 carrots
2-3 potatoes
4 oz cabbage
1. Boil the water in a saucepan.
2. Wash and clean meat and cut into cubes. Put the meat into the boiling water.
3. Remove the scum off the top of the soup and add salt.
4. Wash the rice and add to the soup.
5. Clean and wash vegetables. Cut up and add to the soup. Cook for 20 minutes.
*Featured in Food Fair: An International Cookbook. 1987 International Student Organization & International Cultural Service Program, Oregon State University. Recipe contributed by Margret Reynisdottir. Publication available online here.
This seemed like an ideal winter soup: hearty, full of root veggies, and from a country known to get a little chilly. Preparing this brought me a few culinary firsts: cooking with meat from a chop (lamb), boiling bones to make a broth, and using beets in a recipe. I was concerned about blandness since salt was the only spice added, so I took the extra step of making a little stock from the chop bone for a little “flavor insurance.”
The results offered up a visual feast of vibrant colors-orange, yellowish white, purple, and grey. All of this was bathed in a reddish broth tinted by the beets-quite a sight! The root mixture gave the soup an overall sweetness that was a little surprising, while the lamb helped to balance out with a savory and fatty flair that I did expect. One thing to note is that the rice and cabbage really added nothing to this in the way of taste or texture. Overall, the soup worked perfectly in warming me up during lunchtime on a cold winter Monday.
Perhaps next February during more “open” times, I can revisit this recipe and share it with others-stay tuned!
As a physics major minoring in math, it’s rare that I get to dabble in the humanities and arts. My work at SCARC is often a welcome break from the grueling number-crunching of STEM. And what better way to give my brain a break than by translating documents from Russian to English? Well… It may not be a break for my brain, but it’s certainly an enjoyable change of pace!
My Russian experience first started in high school, when I read Tom Clancy’s The Sum of all Fears which sparked my interest in the Russian language, culture, and history. Though Russian wasn’t offered at my high school (nor at Oregon State University by the time I got here), I began teaching it to myself using online resources. By the time I had the opportunity to go to Saint Petersburg to study abroad in fall 2018, I was placed in an intermediate language class. I enjoyed my time in Saint Petersburg so much that I went back again in summer 2019 and took another intensive language course (as well as art history and plasma physics). But throughout my time in Russia, I always had a particular worry brewing in the back of my mind: Would I ever be able to apply this language skill in my career?
That brings us to the present day: I’m a student archivist at SCARC and my supervisor told me that there are Russian documents in the F.A. Gilfillan Papers in need of translation – an ideal project for remote work. Francois A. Gilfillan was a chemistry professor at Oregon State University (then Oregon State College) from 1927-1939, as well as the Dean of Science from 1939-1962 and the acting President from 1941 to 1942. My excitement to tackle this project was palpable: This was the first opportunity I’d had to put my language abilities to use outside of Russia. Being able to work on this project gave me a sense of closure for the concerns that festered after studying abroad, yet also opened for me a doorway of new possibilities and learning experiences. For example, most of my prior experience with Russian has been day-to-day conversation and classroom communication. However some of the documents I translated in the F.A. Gilfillan Papers are written in a much more formal tone, which could be aptly labeled as “business language”.
The letter identified as “S02B14F06_01” was especially interesting, made even more so by the fact that these documents are all from the 1940s. As I was translating, I realized that in English I am not very conscious of how much languages can change over a handful of decades. One of the goals of my translations was to preserve the tone and formality of the original documents, which meant reflecting on how my translation of 1940s Russian into 2020s English should be translated into 1940s English. My process was to first generate a rough, relatively literal translation, and then edit to restore the same business-like inflection of the original text, but with more practice I hope I’ll be able to translate faster without an intermediate phase of editing.
This project also encouraged me to continue studying languages (not just Russian but also other languages I’m interested in such as Korean and French). Since Gilfillan isn’t a native speaker of Russian, it was really interesting to read his style of writing and reflect on how my own language abilities have grown, especially seeing some of the corrections made by Mrs. Riasanovsky in the letter from “S02B13F06_02.” I can see myself making those same mistakes a few years ago. I admire Gilfillan for putting his language abilities on display in these letters. Of course perhaps he never expected them to be read by anyone other than the intended recipient, but I myself still fight self-consciousness speaking or writing in foreign languages even to just one native speaker. When I was in Russia this was much less of a problem, as I became so used to using it as a day-to-day language, but it is difficult to keep that mentality when I am no longer completely immersed in the language.
Corrections made by Mrs. Riasanovsky to a letter Gilfillan sent on June 25, 1943
I’ve also learned more battle-hardened lessons from this project, such as reading ahead. I made the mistake of not reading ahead on one of the documents, and after translating the first couple pages I discovered that there was already a translation made by someone else. After that I made sure to read all the way through every document before starting my translation, which can also help me understand the context better. But I don’t consider my translation a waste of time. I was able to compare my translation to the previous translation and reflect on slight differences in wording and stylism. While our two translations hold the same meaning, they do not always use exactly the same words in the same order. I think it’s fascinating how subjective language can be. There’s almost always multiple ways to communicate the same idea, and sometimes those different ways can have different implications as well.
I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to apply my experience and knowledge in a way that may be helpful to our patrons. I hope I can continue to do so in the future.
This post was contributed by Genevieve Connolly, who has been a student archivist at SCARC since April 2019. She has worked on a diverse repertoire of projects including translations, video editing, transcription, and processing and description of archival collections. She will graduate with a B.S. in Physics in spring 2021.
SCARC completed 5 new or updated finding aids in January 2021. Following is a list and a little information about what we accomplished. These finalized finding aids are available through the Archives West finding aids database, our Archon finding aids interface, and the OSUL discovery system (a.k.a. “the catalog”). All of these materials are available to researchers, and some have been digitized as noted below.
Three of the guides are enhanced finding aids for collections that were previously under-described with incomplete guides:
The Beulah M. Porter Collection consists of dance cards and annotated wooden ice cream spoons collected by alumna Porter that document her participation in social events as a student at Oregon Agricultural College. Porter graduated with a degree in home economics in 1931.
The John E. Dever Photographic Slides consist of color slides taken by Dever during his student years at Oregon State University in the 1960s. The images depict campus views and events as well as local landmarks and regional events. Dever attended Oregon State University as a graduate student in botany and completed his M.S. degree in 1962.
The Walter H. Russell Papers consist of materials collected by Oregon Agricultural College alumnus Russell which document his student experience as well as his participation later in alumni reunion gatherings. This collection is made up of certificate, a diploma, event programs, grade reports, newspaper clippings, and photographs. Russell graduated in 1927 with a degee in electrical engineering.
The Prism Literary Magazine consists of issues of Oregon State University’s student art and literary magazine. The magazine includes original content — visual art, photography, poetry, short fiction, and essays — created, edited, and published by Oregon State students. Some of the items in this collection are available online in Oregon Digital.
One of the guides is an update to incorporate additional oral history interviews conducted in 2020:
The Oregon Higher Education Oral Histories Collection contains the interviews of 43 individuals sharing the histories and their experiences of 16 of the 17 community colleges in Oregon including Blue Mountain Community College, Central Oregon Community College, Chemeketa Community College, Clackamas Community College, Clatsop Community College, Columbia Gorge Community College, Klamath Community College, Lane Community College, Linn-Benton Community College, Oregon Coast Community College, Portland Community College, Rogue Community College, Southwestern Oregon Community College, Tillamook Bay Community College, Treasure Valley Community College, and Umpqua Community College. All of the interviews are available online.
The Ruth Newmyer Photograph Collection consists of photographic prints collected by alumna Ruth Newmyer during her student years at Oregon Agricultural College. Mounted on scrapbook pages, these images depict Corvallis buildings and streetscapes, OAC campus views, and Mt. Hood. Newmyer graduated with an undergraduate degree in home economics in 1916. An image from this collection has been digitized and is available in Oregon Digital.
The Thomas F. Savage Papers consist of annual reports documenting research conducted as a part of the Western Regional Turkey Research Project. Savage worked on this project for the Oregon State University Poultry Science Department, and later, for the Animal Sciences Department. Savage was at OSU from 1982 until 2010.
All of these materials are now available to researchers.
Chad Johnson was born in Miami, Florida where he attended Miami Beach Senior High School. After graduating in 1997, Johnson attended Langston University but did not play football before transferring to Santa Monica College to resume his career. While at SMC, Johnson played alongside another NFL legend wide receiver Steve Smith, and the pair played a vital role in the team’s success. After two seasons in Santa Monica, Johnson was heavily recruited by Dennis Erickson to join the Oregon State Beavers on their quest to gain prominence in the Pac-10, and Johnson helped them do just that. In his lone season in Corvallis, Johnson posted a stat line of 37 receptions for 806 yards and 8 touchdowns leading the team in the latter two categories. #80 broke the record for longest receiving touchdown in Oregon State Football history with a 97 yard touchdown grab against Stanford, solidifying himself as one of the premier deep threats of the 2000-01 College Football season. In his final game at Oregon State the standout wide receiver hauled in 4 catches for 93 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Beavers romping of Notre Dame in their first bowl game win since 1962.
In the following NFL draft Chad Johnson was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the with the 36th overall pick in the second round. Donning the number 85 once he entered the NFL, Johnson legally changed his name to Chad OchoCinco before changing it back to Johnson in 2012. Over the course of his NFL career Johnson was a 6x Pro-Bowler, 3x All-Pro, and the 2006 NFL receiving yards leader amassing 1,369 yards. After spending the first 10 years of his career with the Bengals, Johnson played his final season in the NFL as a member of the New England Patriots. He concluded his decorated career with 766 catches, over 11,000 yards, and 67 touchdowns.
Jonathan Smith, QB, #9
Born in Pasadena, California, Jonathan Smith graduated from Glendora High School in 1997. As an accomplished quarterback in high school, Smith took his talents north to Corvallis and walked-on to the team as a True Freshman under then Head Coach Mike Riley. Quickly making an impact within the program, Smith was named the teams starting quarterback halfway through his Redshirt Freshman season, leading them to a win in the annual Civil War game against the #15 ranked Oregon Ducks. Once named the quarterback, Smith never relinquished the role starting 41 games in his career as a 4-year starter. He finished his career as a Beaver with an impressive 9,680 yards and 55 touchdown passes, highlighted by the historic 2000-01 season leading the Beavers to an 11-1 record and earning the honors of MVP of the 2001 Fiesta Bowl.
After graduating from Oregon State, Smith immediately stepped into the realm of coaching, serving as a graduate assistant with the Beavers in 2002 and 2003 under Erickson and Riley.
He then served as a quarterback’s coach for multiple schools, Offensive Coordinator at Montana and Co-Offensive Coordinator at the University of Washington, before ultimately accepting the role of Head Coach at his alma mater Oregon State University in 2018. The Beavers struggled in his first season at the helm, but showed steady improvement in their 2019 campaign, winning 3 more games than they did in the previous season and finishing tied for 2nd in the Pac-12 North. Smith and the Beavers aim to build on their recent success and put together a strong season in the shorted 2020 Pac-12 play.
Ken Simonton, RB, #35
An elite multi-faceted athlete in high school, Simonton competed in both football and baseball for Pittsburg High School earning all-league honors in both sports his sophomore through senior year. Growing up in Southern California, Simonton wished to play football for USC and was being recruited by then Trojans assistant Coach of Mike Riley, but when Riley was hired as the Head Coach at OSU, he was able to convince Simonton to join him in Corvallis. The freshman running back burst onto the scene, becoming only the second running back in the history of the Pac-10 to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark as a Freshman, averaging 93.5 yards per game. Over the course of the next three seasons, Simonton surpassed 1,000 yards rushing 2 of the 3 years bringing his career total to an impressive 5,044. Simonton’s efforts at OSU did not go unnoticed, following his Junior year, the best statistical season of his career, the running back was named First Team all Pac-10 and First Team All-American as well as finishing 9th in the Heisman Trophy Voting.
Despite his outstanding performance at OSU, Simonton went undrafted in the 2002 NFL draft largely in part to the questions about his size and durability as an NFL back. He was signed briefly by the San Francisco 49er’s but was released after a short period. He received his next opportunity in 2003 with the Buffalo Bills who reassigned him to the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe where he earned league MVP honors. He returned to the United States and played one season of limited action with the Bills before his release. Over the course of the next few years he was signed for limited periods of time by a couple NFL teams, one of which was coached by his former college coach Dennis Erickson, but ultimately, he retired from the NFL in 2005.
Ken Simonton was inducted into the Oregon State University Hall of Fame in 2015 and is currently on the ballot for the College Football Hall of Fame where voting will begin in 2021.
Nick Barnett, LB, #42
A native of Barstow, California, Barnett made his debut with the Beavers as a Freshman in 1999 season with limited playing time. In his Sophomore season he started 5 of the 12 games he played in, beginning to create a name for himself and creating momentum for a big leap into his Junior season. In his third year as a Beav, Barnett recorded 73 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, and 4 pass break ups. A solid player up to this point in his career, Barnett asserted himself as an elite strong side linebacker in the Pac-10 his senior season recording 121 tackles to lead the conference, 21 tackles for loss, and 6 sacks earning him First-Team All-Pac-10 selection.
A breakout season as a senior earned him a selection in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft (29th overall) by the Green Bay Packers. The Packers signed Barnett to a 5-year, $6 million rookie contract, which he far outperformed and was signed to an additional 6 year, $34.85 million contract in 2007. After spending his first 8 seasons with Green Bay, Nick rounded out his NFL career with 2 seasons in Buffalo with the Bills and his final with the Washington Redskins. 2005 marked the best statistical season of Barnett’s career, recording 138 tackles marking 13th best in the league.
Barnett was a part of the Super Bowl winning Packers squad in 2011 who defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers but was unable to play in the game due to injury.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR, #84
After dropping out of Barstow High School, T.J. Houshmandzadeh elected to pursue his dream of football by attending Cerritos College, a local Junior College. T.J. excelled on the field, playing wide receiver and kick returner he earned consecutive First Team Mission Conference Selections which was enough to earn him an offer from Coach Erickson at Oregon State University. Upon arrival at OSU, he teamed up with fellow receiver Chad Johnson to form one of the most dynamic 1-2 punches in all of college football. The 6’2 205-pound standout reeled in 42 passes for 656 yards and 6 touchdowns en route to an 11-1 season, the best finish in the history of the program. In the 2001 Fiesta Bowl T.J. hauled in a touchdown grab as the Beavers handled the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 41-9.
Following his season at OSU, T.J. was drafted alongside his running mate Chad Johnson by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 7th round (204th overall) of the 2001 NFL draft. T.J. was used by the Bengals in a similar fashion to his time at Cerritos College, being utilized as both a receiver and a returner, setting a Bengals team record of 126 punt return yards in a single contest. In 2009 T.J. was lured away from the Bengals by a 5-year $40 contract from the Seattle Seahawks but was released only a year later. He served short stints with the Baltimore Ravens and Oakland Raiders in the following two seasons before announcing his retirement.
This post is the last in a series contributed by SCARC Student Archivist Greyson Wolff, a senior Business Administration student who has worked in SCARC since August of 2019.
Coming off a 7-5 season and their first trip to a bowl game in 35 years, the expectations for the Beavers of Oregon State was building in Corvallis as Dennis Erikson lead them into the 2000 football season. Led by a dynamic backfield pairing of all-time great Beaver running back Ken Simonton and future OSU Head Football coach Jonathan Smith, coupled with a rapidly improving Beaver defense the coming season looked promising, but nobody could’ve imagined what was yet to come.
The Beavers opened their season at Reeser Stadium on September 2nd when Eastern Washington University came to town. Entering the games as heavy favorites over the Eagles, members of the FCS Big Sky Conference, the Beavers got off to a slow start to the game in front of their home crowd, entering halftime with a 7-3 lead. In a classic old-school football game, the Beavers relied on their workhorse Ken Simonton and the big guys up front to grind away at the Eagles Defense, amassing 200 yards on the ground for the day. The Beavers offense demonstrated the struggles that come with early-season games, turning the ball over 4 times and creating favorable field positions for the Eagles. The defense was able to prevail, holding EWU to 19 points on the day and 197 yards of total offense. A 14-yard rushing touchdown from Simonton with 4:26 to play, his third of the day, proved to be the difference as OSU held on for a 21-19 victory, marking their 4th consecutive season with an opening day win. The game will be most notably remembered as the game that Ken Simonton became the school’s all-time leading rusher only one game into his Junior Season.
The following week the Beavers ventured down to Albuquerque, New Mexico to pay a visit to the New Mexico Lobos, one of only 4 road games on the schedule. UNM was led by former Beavers Defensive Coordinator Ricky Long, who was in his third season of rebuilding the Lobos football program as Head Coach. Following suit to the week before, the Beavers offense struggled, yet their defense flourished. The Lobos held a 20-14 lead at halftime after capitalizing on a blocked punt for a touchdown and using a short field to tack on another. A 32-yard interception returned for a touchdown by defensive end Ladairis Jackson in the second quarter kept the game within reach for the Beavers and a steady diet of Ken Simonton in the second half allowed OSU to prevail to a 28-20 victory. Simonton finished with 182 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground, and quarterback Jonathan Smith added another touchdown pass to wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The defense imposed their will in the second half, holding the Lobos to 2 first downs and 0-13 on third down in the second half leading the Beavers to a 2-0 start to the season.
Following a bye week, the Beavers were poised to play in their last non-conference game of the season, hosting the San Diego State Aztecs. With an additional week of practice in the books, the Beavers aimed to get their offense on track but were again faced with a slow start and a 3-0 deficit after 1 quarter of play. However, the offense ignited in the second quarter after a 26-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jonathan Smith to Junior College transfer and future first-round draft pick Chad Johnson. The Beavers tacked on an additional 2 touchdowns in the quarter with a fumble recovery by linebacker Nick Barnett and a 2-yard rush from Simonton. The defense went on to pitch a shutout in the second half of play, as pressure from Richard Seigler and Delawrence Grant served as a catalyst leading to 4 sacks from the pair and forcing the opposing quarterback to throw 4 interceptions leading to a 35-3 route.
After 3 non-conference opponents to begin the season, the Beavers were faced with their first true test of the year as #8 USC came to town. The Beavers hadn’t beat the Trojans since 1967 and needed a victory to cement themselves as contenders for the Pac-10 title. After a back and forth first half, and a couple of touchdowns from Chad Johnson and Ken Simonton, the two teams found themselves deadlocked at 14-14 at the intermission. Following a scoreless third quarter, the Beavers were 15 minutes and a few plays away from a monumental upset. The Beavers opened up the scoring in the 4th quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run from Simonton, his second of the game, and quickly followed it up with a Ryan Cesca 41-yard Field Goal 3 minutes later, providing them a 10-point advantage. The Trojans refused to roll over, adding a touchdown of their own with 2 minutes to play, but Simonton struck again, this time from 36 yards to ice the game and give the Beavers their first 4-0 start since 1957. A day in which the Beavers performed in all facets of the game, the offense put up 31 points and the defense picked off future Heisman winner and NFL quarterback Carson Palmer 3 times, Oregon State was victorious. Terrance Carroll served as a defensive catalyst all afternoon for the Beavers, recording 9 total tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception returned for 75 yards. Simonton finished the day with 234 yards and 3 touchdowns, marking the most rushing yards the USC Trojans had allowed since the 1996 season.
Following the win over USC, the Beavers entered the following week ranked #23 nationally for the first time since the end of the 1968 season. OSU was faced to square off with the #13 University of Washington Huskies, a team who handed them their worst loss of the season a year ago, losing by 26 points. 73,145 were in attendance in Seattle to witness the top 25 matchup and the fans would not be disappointed. A back and forth first half led to a 6 point advantage for the Huskies at the break, a lead that they would quickly lose as Jonathan Smith connected with T.J. Houshmandzadeh on an 11-yard touchdown strike to retake the lead at 21-20 in the third quarter. Yet the Huskies demonstrated why they were deserving of the #13 ranking, as they rattled off two touchdowns in the 4th quarter to take a commanding lead. But the Beavers weren’t out of it yet, with 7:22 remaining Jonathan Smith hit Chad Johnson down the field for an 80-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 3. The defense was able to hold off UW and give the ball back to the offense who marched down the field with the time winding down setting up Kicker Ryan Cesca for 46 yards with 14 seconds remaining. But the kick sailed wide right and the Huskies remained undefeated as the Beavers fell to 4-1. It was a career day for OSU quarterback Jonathan Smith, racking up 314 yards and 3 touchdowns in the defeat, and a day to forget for the defense, surrendering 504 total yards.
In the week to follow the Beavers maintained their #23 ranking despite the loss, demonstrating the national respect for UW, and consequently for the Beavers for the game they played against them. The Beavers refused to let the loss define their season and rebounded strongly against the Stanford Cardinal with a resounding 38-6 victory. The offense recorded an impressive 471 total yards, and Smith followed up his previous performance with another game of over 300 yards passing and 2 touchdowns, one of which went for 97 yards to Chad Johnson, an Oregon State Football record. The defense bounced back strongly, led by Darnell Robinson with 11 total tackles they totaled 2 interceptions and 1 fumble recovery. Ryan Cesca also responded to a disappointing previous week by hitting a 49-yard Field Goal, the longest of his career.
Back in the win column, the Beavers hit the road to take on #23 UCLA while boasting a #19 ranking of their own. Aiming to sweep the Los Angeles schools for the first time ever in a single season, the Beavers were in for a dog fight. Another gritty back and forth Pac-10 match up resulted in a game down to the wire, requiring a 23 point 4th quarter effort to pull out the win 44-38. Smith continued his hot hand, eclipsing the 300-yard mark for the 3rd game in a row to go with 4 touchdown passes, each to a different receiver (Johnson, Houshmandzadeh, Prescott, Maurer). Simonton reached his usual 100-yard mark and was partnered with fellow running back Patrick McCall who ran for 146 yards and a 66-yard touchdown with 1:52 to put the game away. The Beavers were now 6-1 heading into the back half of their Pac-10 schedule.
In a coveted season of Pac-10 play, the Beavers faced yet another ranked opponent, this time in #18 Washington State. The previous 3 of their 4 last games had been nail biters down to the wire, but this ranked match-up would not follow in a similar fashion. Oregon State came out swinging and hit early and often, leading to a 39-9 romping of the Cougars. The team reverted back to its DNA and came out with an explosive running game and swarming defense. WSU quarterback Jason Gesser entered the game as the Pac-10 leading passer, but the Beavers defense enforced their will, holding him to 104 yards and forcing 2 interceptions. The offense rushed for 267 yards, 169 of which came from Ken Simonton. Simonton finished the contest with 2 touchdowns and became the first player in Pac-10 history to rush for 1,000+ yards in their Freshman, Sophomore, and Junior seasons.
In the weeks leading up to the most highly anticipated civil war matchup in the history of the state, OSU faced a trap game in unranked California. The #14 Beavers visited Berkeley in pursuit of their first 8-1 start ever but wouldn’t find it to come easily. The Golden Bears had a late-season resurgence, beating USC and UCLA in the two previous weeks, and were riding a hot streak into the matchup. Coming off a historic week, Simonton opened the game in typical fashion, with 2 rushing touchdowns on the Beavers opening two drives. The Bears hung around, ensuing in a 21-12 halftime lead for the Beavers, before tacking on 3 more points in the 3rd quarter to cut the deficit to one possession. But the balanced rushing attack between Simonton and McCall proved to be too much in the 4th quarter, and the Beavers hung on to escape with a 38-32 road victory.
The final obstacle before squaring off against Oregon, the #10 Beavers faced the University of Arizona Wildcats in Tucson, Arizona. Another balanced attack on offense, Smith went 12-21 in the first half, connecting with Johnson 6 times for 106 yards and a touchdown. Throughout the course of the game, Simonton and McCall combined for 130 yards and 2 touchdowns and the defense recorded 6 sacks, 3 of which came from Ladairis Smith en route to a 33-9 victory and setting up a top 10 matchup between the Beavers and the Ducks.
November 18th, 2000, the #8 Oregon State Beavers hosted the #5 Oregon Ducks in the most anticipated Civil War in the history of the rivalry. With the Pac-10 title on the line, a win for the Ducks meant a trip to the Rose Bowl, and a win for the Beavers paired with a loss from the University of Washington in the Apple Cup meant the Beavers were headed to Pasadena. Jonathan Smith got the ball rolling early for the Beavs, connecting on touchdown passes of 31 and 49 yards in the first quarter, both to Robert Prescott. Ryan Cesca added a field goal in the second quarter to take a commanding 17-0 lead in the game. A Joey Harrington touchdown run midway through the second quarter cut the lead heading into halftime, but Ken Simonton ran for a touchdown of his own in the third quarter to assert a commanding 23-7 lead heading into the final quarter of play. Oregon was able to cut the lead after a 1-yard touchdown to open the fourth, but a failed two-point conversation left the score at 23-13, which would be the final. Defensive Back Jake Cookus was making only his second start of the season in the showdown against the Ducks and proved the decision to be a good one as he recorded 3 of the Beavers 5 interceptions and went on to be named Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week. The conclusion of the Civil War wrapped up the Beavers season at an impressive 10-1, the first time in program history. But ultimately their Rose Bowl hopes were dashed as UW beat WSU and earned the right to play in the Granddaddy of them all.
Despite the Beavers missing out on the Rose Bowl, as the #5 team in the nation OSU earned a bid to the Fiesta Bowl on January 1, 2001, against the #10 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. On gameday, Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona hosted 75,428 fans, the bowl’s third-largest crowd in history. A highly anticipated matchup, the first half played out slow, highlighted by a 74 yard Chad Johnson touchdown, and the Beavers took a 9-3 lead into the locker room. But at the start of the third quarter, the Beavers took full control and never looked back. The Beavers rifled off 29 consecutive points, starting with a T.J. Houshmandzadeh 29-yard touchdown catch, followed by a 45 yard Terrell Roberts punt return for a touchdown, another touchdown reception for Johnson, and capped by a 4-yard rushing touchdown from Simonton. In total, the Beaver offense tallied 445 yards while holding ND to a staggering 155. In the post-game awards ceremonies, Linebacker Darnell Robinson was presented with the Fiesta Bowl Defensive MVP award for his forced fumble and interception, both of which led to OSU touchdowns. Quarterback Jonathan Smith received Offensive MVP Honors for his 305 yards and 3 touchdown passes. On a relatively quiet night by Simonton’s standards, he posted 85 yards and 1 touchdown on 18 carries. But more importantly, he broke his own OSU single season rushing record as he finished the year with 1,559 yards on the ground.
Undoubtedly the greatest single season in Oregon State Football history, the Beavers finished the season at 11-1 with a Fiesta Bowl Championship and 5 wins over ranked opponents.
Following their monumental victory over Notre Dame, many of the media members proclaimed OSU as the best team in college football for the 2000-01 football season where they finished #4 in the rankings. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 11-1 Beavers of Oregon State, we have yet to see a season mirror their success, but the blueprint remains, and the Beaver loyalists stand tall.
This post is the second in a series contributed by SCARC Student Archivist Greyson Wolff, a senior Business Administration student who has worked in SCARC since August of 2019.
To understand the significance of the 2000-01 football season for the Beavers of Oregon State, it is first necessary to understand the history of the program over the course of the 30 years leading up to this historic season. Between 1969 and 1998, a year before the hire of Dennis Erickson as the Head Football Coach of Oregon State University, the program amassed a total of 6 winning seasons, never finishing higher than 4th in their respective conference, and without a single appearance in a postseason bowl game. For decades the Beavers were the cellar dwellers of the Pacific Conference, finishing dead last 13 times over a 30-year span. They had been dominated by the likes of USC, UW, and UCLA for years, yet virtually overnight, the Oregon State Beavers transformed into a juggernaut. The addition of a gritty, hard-nosed football coach, a handful of Junior College transfers, and a complete cultural overhaul led them to an 11-1 record, a share of the Pac-10 Conference title, and a berth to the BCS Fiesta Bowl, their second appearance in a bowl game since the 1964 Rose Bowl.
The departure of former Head Coach Mike Riley for the NFL opened the door for the hire of Dennis Erickson. In his 13 years of coaching at the collegiate level prior to OSU, he boasted a record of 113-40-1 (.737), highlighted by 2 national championships while serving as the Head Coach at the University of Miami. He had been awarded coach of the year in 3 different conferences, and was the third quickest coach in the history of college football to win 100 games, doing so in only 137 contests. In his first year at Oregon State, he led the Beavers to a 7-5 record, ending an NCAA record of 28 straight losing seasons, and setting the tone for the season to follow.
But with all the accolades and accomplishments, arguably the most important skillset Erikson brought to the table for the Oregon State football program was his eye for talent and recruiting ability. In his first year at the helm for the Beavers, they posted a 7-5 record, a positive step in the right direction as it marked their first 7 win season in 31 years. But during the offseason is where Erikson really made his mark. The Oregon State coaches scrounged the Junior College ranks to find talented football players ready to make an instant impact on the field, and they found just that. Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh were two diamonds in the rough brought in by Erikson to contribute to the 2000-01 football season. Johnson was a standout at Santa Monica College, with the prototypical size and speed of an NFL receiver, he was destined to be a large contributor in the upcoming season. Like Johnson, Houshmandzadeh was also a former Junior College player, where he attended Cerritos College in Norwalk, California, and was recognized as a 2x first-team all-conference receiver. The pair was poised to be a dynamic duo and a much-needed boost to their depleted receiving corps.
In addition to their two talented wide receivers, the team already boasted 2015 Oregon State University Hall of Fame inductee Ken Simonton. The two time All-American running back was a focal point for the Beavers offense as a 4-year starter between 1998-2001 in which he amassed over 5,000 yards and 59 touchdowns on the ground, setting multiple OSU records.
In 1998, the keys to the offense were handed over to current OSU Head Football Coach Jonathan Smith at Quarterback. Smith, a former walk-on, was named the starter midway through his Redshirt Freshman season, taking control of the reigns for the duration of his career as a 4-year starter. Smith was the focal point for creating big plays down the field, as he marked a career-high in yards his Sophomore year with 3,053 yards, and touchdowns his Junior season with 20. This quartet led the Beavers to some of their highest offensive production in decades, posting 33.3 points per game and over 400 yards of total offense.
The identity of these Oregon State Beavers was built on hard nosed running and back breaking defense. Led by 5 future NFL players, Nick Barnett, DeLawrence Grant, Richard Siegler, Darnell Robinson, and Dennis Weathersby the OSU defense reigned supreme among the Pac-10, leading the conference in points per game, total yards allowed per game, and total interceptions. The total team defense of the beavers transcended the Pac-10, earning them a spot in the top 20 scoring defenses in all of college football, ranking 11th among power-5 conferences.
The 2000 football season for the Beavers of Oregon State is undoubtedly the best season in the history of the program, an 11-1 record capped by a memorable stomping of a college football powerhouse will remain in the memory of Beaver loyalists forever. A perfect culmination of football genius in Dennis Erickson, a high octaned well balanced offense, and the best defense in the Pac-10 resulted in a lot of wins, national notirety, and the season of a lifetime for the Beavers.
This post is the first in a series contributed by SCARC Student Archivist Greyson Wolff, a senior Business Administration student who has worked in SCARC since August of 2019.
