PSU Magazine Spring 1989

Russian scholar launches new • lecture series I nternationally recognized speakers will share their expertise in history, music, science, language and politics in a new lecture series beginning this spring. The series is sponsored by the Portland State University Women's Association (PSUWA) and University Special Events. PSUWA is a service organization which has been supporting the University with cultural, social and fund- raising events for 40 years. The first speaker is Elizabeth Crownhart-Vaughan , '70 MS, Russian scholar and executive director of the Oregon Historical Society's newly formed North ?acific Studies Center. She will pre– sent "Northwest ?assages," a focus on three centuries of Russian presence in the North ?acific. The luncheon-lecture will be held May 4 in Smith Memorial Center, Room 338. "We are delighted to have Sherry Vaughan as our inaugural speaker," said Spoken like a native Russian scholar Elizabeth Crownhan- 11.iughan will speak on May 4 at a lecture-luncheon sponsored by the PSU Womens Association. PSU 22 I n 1970 when Elizabeth Crownhart– Vaughan and her husband were on a research excursion in the Soviet Union , a Russian library administrator pulled her aside and cautioned her about traveling with an American. "He had simply assumed that I was the official translator for my husband ," said a still amused Crownhart-Vaughan . Her mastery of the language was so convincing that he mistook her accent for one of the many native dialects. Learning to speak Russian was a natural outgrowth of Crownhart-Vaughan's fascination with the country's history and more particularly with Imperial Russia's exploration of North America. She is recognized internationally as a Russian scholar (even in the Soviet Union) and has written more than a dozen books and papers on the subject. Crownhart-Vaughan's expertise is being put to good use as the first executive director of the North ?acific Studies Center, a subsidiary of the Oregon Historical Society where her husband Thomas Vaughan has been director since 1954. The new studies center will further research , publishing and public education in the history and cultures of the nations bordering the North ?acific Ocean. The Historical Society has been doing this kind of work since 1968, and with a recent $2 PSUWA President Ulku Erzurumlu. "By attracting such distinguished speakers we hope to bring further recognition to our university and eventually make this event a fund - raiser for scholarships." Lectures will continue fall, winter and spring terms of the 1989- 90 academic year. Cost for the May 4 luncheon- lecture is $20 and reservations may be made by calling University Special Events, 464-4910. D million grant from Congress has been able to formalize their research . It was an initial trip to the Soviet Union in 1968 and enrolling in Russian classes at Portland State that thoroughly involved Crownhart-Vaughan in Russian exploration of the ?acific Northwest. She earned a master's degree in Siberian history in 1970 and attributes much of her success to PSU history pro– fessor Basil Dmytryshyn and language in– structor Col. M .J. Poniatowski -d'Ermengard. According to Crownhart-Vaughan , ob– taining material about early Russian ex– ploration has not been easy because of the Russian obsession for secrecy. But through the years she has been allowed to see many original diaries, letters, official reports, scientific reports, and diplomatic correspondence - much of which was labeled secret. In her official capacity, Crownhart– Vaughan has been affiliated with the American Committee on U.S. - Soviet Relations and the American Association of Slavic and East European Studies. She also has a long record of community in– volvement serving on the boards of First Interstate Bank of Oregon , Nordstrom, Inc. , Oregon Independent College Founda– tion , Portland/Oregon Symphony Associa– tion and Chamber Music Northwest. D