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The “Colegio César Chávez: The Legacy Lives On / El legado sigue vivo” exhibit at the Oregon Historical Society

Colegio César Chávez, Oregon Historical Society Exhibit Website

The Oregon Historical Society is hosting the Colegio César Chávez: The Legacy Lives On / El legado sigue vivo exhibit!

Dates: January 10 – April 27, 2025
Location: Oregon Historical Society, 1200 SW Park Ave, Portland, Oregon 97205
Audience(s): Free for Members, Family-Friendly, Researchers, Teachers
Description: Located in Mt. Angel, Oregon, and in operation from 1973 to 1983, Colegio César Chávez was the first independent, four-year accredited Chicano/a college in the United States. Rooted in the Chicano/a notion of “familia,” the college offered a unique and innovative educational philosophy that incorporated a holistic, integrated, community-based approach for students whose needs were not being met by traditional educational institutions. This bilingual exhibition highlights Colegio César Chávez’s significance and legacy by exploring the national and local context for its establishment, its educational philosophy and structure, as well as and the challenges it faced and how it overcame them.
Credits and Online Access: Colegio César Chávez: The Legacy Lives On / El legado sigue vivo was curated by Natalia Fernández, Associate Professor and Curator of the Oregon Multicultural Archives and OSU Queer Archives within the Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center. Digital copies of the exhibition panels are available via Oregon State University’s digital asset management system Oregon Digital.
More Information: Oregon Historical Society Colegio César Chávez: The Legacy Lives On / El legado sigue vivo exhibit website (note: this link will not be active once the exhibit closes)

We have numerous blog posts related to the Colegio César Chávez exhibit and related events – be sure to check them out!

Exhibit Photos

New Finding Aids: October – December 2024

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SCARC completed 2 new finding aids and updated 1 finding aid October – December 2024; as of the end of September, SCARC has 1151 finding aids in Archives West. And, all three collections happen to be a part of the OSU Queer Archives!

These finding aids are available through the Archives West finding aids database, the SCARC website, and the OSU Library discovery system a.k.a. “the catalog.” The links below are to the guides in Archon, SCARC’s finding aids website.

New or updated collection guides created this quarter:

Queer History Research Collection, 1960-2024

The Queer History Research Collection (QHRC) is an artificial collection containing items of interest about LGBTQ+ communities within Oregon State University and to a lesser extent, the city of Corvallis, the state of Oregon, the United States, and the World. The digital folders described in this collection are available upon request.

Queer Theatre Collection, 1974-2015

The Queer Theatre Collection is an artificial collection containing theatre materials or educational materials that have queer subjects or characters. The materials were donated to the Oregon State University (OSU) Pride Center by OSU Theatre Professor Charlotte Headrick.

OSU Rainbow Continuum Records, 1993-2021

Abstract: The Oregon State University (OSU) Rainbow Continuum Records document the administrative and outreach activities of this student group, which has been active at OSU since 1976. The purpose of the Rainbow Continuum is to provide a social and educational space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other gender or sexuality diverse (LGBTQ+) members of the OSU community and their allies. Most notably, the Rainbow Continuum hosts OSU’s annual Queer Pride Week celebration in May.

OSU Faculty Oral History Interviews, SOC 318 Assignment

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During fall term 2024, SCARC collaborated with Dr. Dwaine Plaza’s course SOC 318 Qualitative Research Methods on an assignment for students to conduct oral history interviews with Oregon State University Faculty. Early in the term, the students came for an instruction session held in the SCARC Reading Room and we shared the SCARC resource Oral History Interviewing Methods & Project Management. We now have 7 new oral history interviews available for public access!

Additions to the Voices of Oregon State University Oral History Collection

Selina Heppell, College of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences
Katherine MacTavish, College of Health, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences
Robert Mason, College of Science, Department of Integrative Biology, J.C. Braly Curator of Vertebrates
Richard Mitchell, College of Liberal Arts, Department of Sociology

Additions to the Oregon Multicultural Archives Oral History Collection

Itchung Cheung, College of Science, Department of Integrative Biology, Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC)
Dana Sanchez, College of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences
Sandy Tsuneyoshi, (retired) Director, Asian & Pacific Islander American Student Services, Intercultural Student Services

“The Living Legacy of Colegio César Chávez” A Documentary by OPB

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“The Living Legacy of Colegio César Chávez” OPB Documentary Artwork

The Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) documentary “The Living Legacy of Colegio César Chávez” (17 minutes) is now available online to the public!

Documentary producer Alicia Avila interviewed Colegio César Chávez co-founders Sonny Montes and José Romero, Anthony Veliz of PODER: Oregon’s Latino Leadership Network, and Colegio César Chávez: The Legacy Lives On / El legado sigue vivo exhibition curator Natalia Fernández, just to name a few of those included as part of the film. Additionally, the documentary features materials from the Oregon Multicultural Archives related to the Colegio César Chávez. Note: while the documentary is in English, there is a Spanish language accompanying article “El histórico colegio Chicano de Oregon continúa a inspirar a la comunidad Latine a luchar contra la borradura de su cultura”.

OPB has some additional plans in the works for 2025 including an English and a Spanish episode of a podcast about the history and making of the documentary, as well as screenings of the documentary, especially for K-12 students. One such screening is already planned for January 22nd in Portland, OR!

“The Living Legacy of Colegio César Chávez” Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion

Wednesday, January 22, 2025 6PM – 8PM
Oregon Historical Society (1200 SW Park Ave Portland, Oregon 97205)
Free and open to the public
More Information: “The Living Legacy of Colegio César Chávez” Documentary Screening and Panel Discussion

Join us for a screening of OPB’s new Oregon Experience documentary The Living Legacy of Colegio César Chávez. The event will include a panel discussion led by documentary producer Alicia Avila, Colegio César Chávez co-founders Sonny Montes and José Romero, and Colegio César Chávez: The Legacy Lives On / El legado sigue vivo exhibition curator Natalia Fernández, which will be on view at the Oregon Historical Society in 2025. They will share a behind-the-scenes discussion about the film, the significance of Colegio’s legacy today, and open the conversation to the audience for questions.

Our Town, Mt. Angel Publishing, a 3-part series

A local reporter in Mt. Angel, Melissa Wagoner, published a 3-part print series about Colegio!

Gone but not forgotten – Looking back at Colegio Cesar Chavez; November 13, 2024
Colegio Cesar Chavez legacy continues; November 29, 2024
Language learning specialists continue spirit of Colegio Cesar Chavez; December 16, 2024

BONUS! A few behind-the-scenes photos filming the documentary in the SCARC reading room in summer of 2024. Alicia Avila and her team interviewed Sonny Montes, José Romero, and Anthony Veliz.

Thank you to OPB for this amazing opportunity!

Living Legacy, Colegio Cesar Chavez (collage). Courtesy Oregon Public Broadcasting

“Plans and Profiles of Oregon Rivers” Exhibit, 2024-2025

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The “Plans and Profiles of Oregon River Maps” exhibition highlights the earliest maps and figures in SCARC’s Plans and Profiles of Oregon Rivers archival collection. Surveyed and hand-drawn in the 1920s as part of the Department of Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey, the twelve (reproductions of) images on display showcase the two types of schematics in the collection: plans (aerial, topographic maps of rivers and surrounding landscape) and profiles (visualizations of stream surface level over a given area).

When: The 2024-2025 academic year (Fall 2024 – Summer 2025); Special Open House Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 10:30am-1:30pm in the SCARC Reading Room

Where: The Valley Library 5th Floor SCARC Exhibit Alcove (across from the Reading Room and open during The Valley Library’s open hours)

Historical Context: Congress established the U.S. Geological Survey in 1879 and charged it with the “classification of the public lands, and examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of the national domain.” In the aftermath of World War I, the Survey shifted focus towards identifying new energy resources, including hydropower. The maps on display, therefore, show current and potential dam sites in plan and profile. The display of these maps today honors the end of the dam century in the western US.

Cartography: Functional and Beautiful

In the early 20th century, cartography was an extreme endeavor. Surveyors traveled across rugged terrain in wooden boats, on foot, and on horseback – lugging plane tables and telescopic alidades up mountainsides and down canyons. Transferring field data to paper was a similarly physical process, one which captured the personalities and particular interests of the mapmakers, even within the highly standardized genre of the topographic map. Bishop Moorhead included ranger stations, canneries, and ferry crossings in his map of the Rogue River and animated rapids with blue strokes. E. S. Rickard rendered the confluence of the Sandy and the Columbia with a sinuous, less demonstrative hand, and marked the water itself as negative space.

Consider the pieces on display as art, as objects made with aesthetic intention. While these maps are created primarily for functionality and to serve the bureaucratic purposes and politics of the Department of the Interior, they become creative forms meant to communicate and shift the perspective of the viewer.

Photos of the Exhibit

Additional Information and Collection Notes

Bonus Exhibit!

Vanport Traveling Exhibit, October – December 2024

The Vanport traveling exhibit tells the story of the City of Vanport through four pull-up banners. Vanport was the largest wartime housing development in the nation and the second largest city in Oregon before it was destroyed by floodwater. Although Vanport had a short history from 1942 to 1948, thousands of people called the city home.

New Finding Aids: July – September 2024

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SCARC completed 2 new finding aids July – September 2024; as of the end of September, SCARC has 1149 finding aids in Archives West.

New collection guides created this quarter:

Cathy Dark Papers, 1952-2019

The Cathy Dark Papers consist of materials generated and collected by Oregon State University professor Cathy Dark that document her instruction of dance coursework and coordination of the OSU Ballroom Dance Club and Cool Shoes performance group. This collection contains photographs, event programs, posters, scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, plaques, publications, correspondence, and course materials. Dark joined the faculty of the College of Health of Human Performance in 1990. She retired in 2019.

OSU Here to Stay Club and Dreaming Beyond Borders Resource Center Records, 2017-2024

The Oregon State University (OSU) Here to Stay Club (HTS) and Dreaming Beyond Borders Resource Center (DBB) Records detail the work of the club and resource center which aim to support undocumented students at OSU and in the surrounding areas. This includes providing resources related to financial aid and professional development; providing education on how to better support undocumented students; and by hosting social events and maintaining a physical space for the students. The entire collection is digital and fully available upon request.

SCARC Anti-Racist Description Activities Exhibit, 2024-2025

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SCARC’s 2024-2025 exhibit “Anti-Racist Description Activities in OSU’s Special Collections and Archives Research Center” is now on view! The exhibit showcases the context, behind-the-scenes processes, and various projects reflecting SCARC’s anti-racist description activities over the past several years.

When: The 2024-2025 academic year (Fall 2024 – Summer 2025)

Where: The Valley Library 5th Floor SCARC Exhibit Cases (open during SCARC’s open hours, Monday – Friday 10am-4pm)

The PDFs of the exhibit are available online via Oregon Digital

Community Response to the Exhibit!

OSU Today Story: “OSU library exhibit documents archivists’ anti-racist description work” by Molly Rosbach on Oct. 15, 2024

OSU’s Office of Institutional Diversity (OID) Featured Post on Instagram, November 15, 2024

Exhibit Tour for Members of OLA’s EDIA Committee, November 18, 2024

The mission of the committee is to “encourage an inclusive environment that promotes freedom of speech in conjunction with strong policies that protect patrons and library staff of all gender, national origin, ethnicity, religion, race, sexual orientation, disability, income level, age and all other personal, social, cultural and economic perspectives.” The host the podcast Overdue: Weeding Out Oppression in Libraries featuring EDIA work in libraries from across Oregon.

Colegio César Chávez Exhibit ~ Latinx Heritage Month 2024

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PODER’s Hispanic Heritage Month Breakfast & Summit: Higher Education Summit

The Colegio César Chávez exhibit and a panel presentation about the university’s history and legacy were featured at the September 13th, 2024 Higher Education Summit at the Salem Convention Center.

Colegio Documentary (forthcoming!)

In the morning, Oregon Public Broadcasting Documentary Producer Alicia Avila spoke about her forthcoming short documentary about the legacy of the Colegio César Chávez. The documentary is planned to be available online in mid-October.

Alicia Avila speaking about her OPB Colegio documentary

Panel Presentation

As part of the summit, the afternoon panel provided the historical significance of the Colegio César Chávez from 1970 to 1983, focusing on issues and personal successes during Colegio’s most difficult period. Discussion around Colegio’s historical impact and catalyst for equal educational opportunities for Chicano and other minority students also took place. In addition, the panelists shared some personal stories about César E. Chávez and the lessons they learned from their involvement with the Colegio.

The Colegio panel was a part of the Higher Education Track for the Summit:

Moderator: Natalia Fernández, Curator of the OSU’s Oregon Multicultural Archives & OSU Queer Archives.

Panelists: José Romero, Co-founder of the Colegio César Chávez and Colegio’s Director of Academic Affairs & Sonny Montes, Co-founder of the Colegio César Chávez and Colegio’s Director of Administrative Affairs. José is a retired educator, administrator, and community activist for social justice and equality, and he is a life-long advocate for the well-being of the Chicano/Latino community. José taught Chicano Studies at Lane Community College and at Colegio Cesar Chavez. Along with José, Sonny co-founded the Cesar E. Chavez Student Leadership Conference in 1990. Sonny was also a member of the Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard Committee in Portland, Oregon that was successful in renaming 39th Avenue in honor of Cesar Chavez. In 2010, he received the Distinguished Latino Educator Award from the Oregon Association of Latino Administrators.

The Exhibit

Colegio on Tour

The exhibit is on view to the public from mid-September to mid-October at the Newberg Public Library (503 E Hancock St, Newberg, OR 97132). If you are in the area, be sure to visit!

Bonus

A muralist spoke about his art and included a photo of a mural he worked on for OSU!

Celebrating Queer History Month 2024: Queer Books Written By and For Oregonians

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This exhibit is the second in a series of exhibits created in honor of a new page on the OSU Queer Archives website created to showcase the LGBTQIA+ rare books within the rare books collection, and can be found in the display case outside of the reading room on the 5th floor of the library!

While the first exhibit “Celebrating Pride 2024 Exhibit: The spectrum of representation in SCARC’s rare books collections” — which was on display throughout summer of 2024 — was looking at different types of queer representation in rare books, this exhibit features books that were written by Oregonians, published in Oregon, or contain events or themes from Oregon.

Included below is a picture of the display as well as a copy of the statement about the display:

Queer Books Written By and For Oregonians

These materials from the rare books collections include a songbook, comic, magazine, and books that contain queer themes and topics surrounding the central theme of Oregon. Some of these are associated with Oregon just through the author being born here, such as with Gale Wilhelm’s books The Strange Path and We Too Are Drifting. Some are written about events in Oregon such as It Could Happen to You and Queer Corners. And some have parts of the story that take place in Oregon, such as Come Out Comix or Turned On Woman’s Songbook.

These materials come from SCARC’s rare book collections, and are available for all to use. Access to materials is provided by appointment only; email scarc@oregonstate.edu to set up an appointment.

~Jozie Billings, Student Archivist, 2023-2024

New Finding Aids: April – June 2024

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SCARC completed 2 new finding aids April – June 2024; as of the end of June, SCARC has 1147 finding aids in Archives West.

New collection guides created this quarter:

Edith Yang Papers, 1940-2009

The Edith Yang Papers consist of materials generated and collected by Edith Yang. In 1954, Yang, as a Chinese-American Woman, was the first woman of color to be licensed as an architect in Oregon. Yang predominantly worked within Benton County, Oregon, with the majority of her work taking place within Corvallis and the Oregon State University campus. The collection documents her architectural work in four areas: commercial, residential, and OSU, as well as World War II-related projects. Also included are biographical and other materials reflecting Yang’s community engagement within the Corvallis community.

Irwin Stone Papers, 1902-1984

Irwin Stone was a biochemist and chemical engineer who was known for his groundbreaking research on ascorbic acid, more commonly known as Vitamin C. He championed the use of Vitamin C for food preservation and human health throughout his career, influencing how Vitamin C was used by nutritionists, biochemists, medical professionals, and the pharmaceutical industry. Materials document his research and career as a biochemist, public speaker, and author and relate to Vitamin C’s effects on diseases such as cancer, stress, wound healing, AIDS, and drug addiction. Access to Box 12 Folder 13 and Box 11 Folder 57 is restricted due to the presence of confidential information.