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.
The materials in the Abram Goldman-Armstrong Papers reflect his work as a writer, interest in sustainability, research on beer styles and breweries, and participation in the brewing community. Goldman-Armstrong is an author and former owner of Cider Riot!, a hard cider company in Portland.
The Shirley Dow Stekel Collection consists of biographical materials, essays, and photographs documenting alumna Shirley Dow Stekel’s student experience at Oregon State College. This collection also contains materials relating to Stekel’s career as a physics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Stekel studied physics at OSC and earned undergraduate and masters’ degrees in 1958 and 1961, respectively. Stekel is among the first women to earn a graduate degree in physics at OSU.
The Don Younger Beer Publications Collection is comprised of periodicals and newsletters collected by Younger about brewing in the United States. Don Younger bought the Horse Brass Pub in Portland, Oregon in 1976. He was a strong supporter of local beer and a mentor for other publicans.
Two guides are enhanced finding aids for collections that were previously under-described with incomplete guides:
The Merton Lane Papers consist of materials generated and collected by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) entomologist Merton Lane, and include article reprints and drafts, correspondence, reports, publications, research materials, and photographs. Most of these records pertain to wireworm and pest control research. In his four decades working for the USDA, Lane worked in a number of locations in the Pacific Northwest, including Forest Grove, Oregon, and as the head of the USDA’s Pacific Northwest Wireworm Project worked with OSU Entomologist Louis Gentner in the identification of insects.
The Oregon State University Retirement Association (OSURA) Records consist of materials generated by OSURA that document the administration of the association and activities organized for its membership. In addition to newsletters, these records include meeting minutes, a membership list, newspaper clippings, and an announcement regarding a workshop sponsored by OSURA.
Another recipe flashback perfect for fall! The pumpkin in these dodgers really ups the flavor of a bread similar to corn bread. This recipe is based on an old southern recipe handed down through several generations, and could go either savory or sweet.
Pumpkin-Corn Meal Dodgers
1½ cups cooked pumpkin
1 teaspoon salt
1½ cups corn meal
3 tablespoons shortening
2 tablespoons syrup
To the pumpkin, which has been cooked very tender and mashed free from lumps, add the salt, syrup, melted shortening, and corn meal and mix thoroughly.
Have mixture just soft enough to take up by spoonfuls and pat into flat cakes in the hand.
Place on a griddle or greased baking sheet and bake about 20 min. in a hot oven (I did 350*).
If desired, the corn meal may be added to the hot pumpkin and allowed to steam with it for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients.
Also cooked or baked sweet potato may be used as a substitute for pumpkin.
Featured in the “Farmers’ Bulletin,” 955 Use of Wheat-Flour Substitutes in Baking, March 1918
These we so quick and easy to pull together! Everything was something I have on hand in the fall. The only change I would make is the cook them in a skillet. I don’t think the baking sheet I use browned them enough. Cooking them on the stove in a bit of oil would also be good!
As an added bonus, they also reheated nicely in the toaster and were delicious with the Raspberry-Apple Butter I also made 😉
We wish we could enjoy a meal together with you to celebrate Oregon Archives Month, but since that’s not an option this year, serve this delicious fall recipe up for your friends and family at home. As an added bonus, this was even better as leftovers for lunch the next day…if you have some left!
Potato Chowder
6 Medium sized potatoes, sliced
1 lb. salt pork, diced
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 pint milk (2 cups)
1 pint water (2 cups)
1 teaspoon salt
Fry the pork and onions together until they are a delicate brown.
Put a layer of the sliced potatoes into a kettle, then a layer of the pork and onions, and sprinkle with salt.
Repeat this until all materials are used.
Pour over them the grease from the pan in which the pork and onions were fried and add the water.
Cover and simmer 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Thicken the milk with flour mixed with the butter and pour it over the potatoes.
Stir carefully, so as not to break the potatoes.
Serve very hot.
Farmers’ Bulletin 712 School Lunches March 1916
Oh. My. Goodness. This chowder hit the spot! It has gotten cooler here these past few days and this came together for a quick, warm, and filling dinner. I used a mix of bacon and ham instead of the salt pork, along with a whole onion (my guess is that the chopped onion in this recipe was actually dried onion). I also used more water, as the two cups listed barely covered my pot, let alone the potatoes!
‘Tis the season for pumpkin everything! This pie is just the one to give you all the fall feelings. And the best part is that it is SUPER easy to pull together!
Pumpkin Pie Chiffon
1 can pumpkin
1 package of instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup milk
1 cup whipped cream
Mix pumpkin, pudding mix, milk and spice to taste.
Mix in whipped cream. Place in pie shell and chill for 1 hour.
From: “Kent House Cookbook.” OSU Archives-Memorabilia Collection.
This pie came together so quickly! Although it has all the flavor of a traditional pumpkin pie, I loved that this was silkier and not as dense. This might be my go to fall dessert and pumpkin pie recipe now!
Described by the Oregon Agricultural College Extension Service as a “war cake,” this recipe is a flashback to 1917 and then again to 2008 when it was discovered and recreated for the “Taste of the ‘Chives” Recipe Showcase.
Not remembering much about the 2008 version, I approached this first as a curiosity and then as a challenge to make something other than a dense “prune brick.” It would be my first time cooking with prunes or lard.
Eggless, Butterless, Milkless Cake
2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups hot water
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons lard (or other shortening)
1 teaspoon cloves
2 cups of raisins or dried prunes or dried apricots
4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Cook everything together, except the flour and soda, for 5 minutes until it begins to bubble.
Cool mixture and then add flour and soda sifted together.
Bake in 2 loaves for 45 minutes at 350 degrees (this is not clarified in original recipe).
Best after standing a week.
(Featured in the Oregon Agricultural College Extension Service Boys’ and Girls’ Industrial Clubs Extension Bulletin 242, November 1917.)
What emerged from my oven (after only about 25 minutes) was dense, but also sweet and moist. Not brick like at all! The pairing of prunes and apricots worked well to keep everything solid and moist, while lending a tasty fruity texture to the cake. It has the feel of a more-filling cousin to Mom’s legendary banana bread. Autumn is a good time to warm up and rediscover this cake, which will give you an excuse to haul out all those holiday aromatics-cinnamon, brown sugar, and cloves.
