Portland State University Alumni News Spring 1986 Inside 40 years of great teaching / 3 Mike Tichy teaches his students fitness skills that change their bodies and their lives Memories of the 1950. / 4 Five alums and faculty remember the 19505 at Portland State Stalking new energy sources 1 6 Carl Wamser and co·researchers look to photosynthesis for a new source of energy A possion for learning / 7 PSU's oldest and youngest students share a passionate quest for knowledge PSU's sensational summer / 10 Summer Session, Summer Festival Theater and Haystack '86 provide innovative summer schedule The two lives of Anthony Armstrong / 12 Anthony Armstrong ('781 combines a sales career with a dynamic stage presence Preserving the past 1 14 Janice Rutherford ('81 MAl advocates for the preservation of historic buildings Campus News / 8 Alum Notes / 13 foundation News 1 16 Sports 117 Calendar / 19 On the cover: English calligraphy by Lawrence Wheeler of the PSU Honors College; Chinese calligraphy by Chang Min Shen. The calligraphy of Lawrence Wheeler is featured in the 1986 Summer Session catalog. - - - - - - ~ ~ ~ ~ - - ~ Students gather in the Park Blocks in front of Lincoln Hall in 1958 From extension center to college PSU granted a future ion the 1950s by Clarence Hein In June 1956, the first students to graduate with bachelor's degrees from Portland State walked across the stage of Lincoln Hall, shook hands with college president John F. Cramer, and quietly took their places in the University's history. It was almost 10 years to the day since the college first opened its doors for summer session as Vanport Extension Center. The 1940s ended with the legislative approval of the Wilhelm-Logan Bill (originally drafted by Vanport student John Hakanson), establishing a permanent lower-division college in Portland and authorizing purchase of the old downtown Lincoln High School building. The college remained at the Oregon Shipyard site, purchased from the General Services Administration for $12,000 (or two more years pending completion of the new lincoln High building. But the Vanport students retained their excitement and enthusiasm for their school. They voted to change the name to "Portland State Extension Center," taking the initiative to insure a student voice in selection of a name. The State Board approved their choice two years later. In the spring of 1950, new State Board chairman Edgar Smith told a Vanport assembly, "If you were to bet that Portland would have a four-year state supported college in the not too distant future, you wouldn't lose any dough." And events did move rapidly in the development of Portland's state college, but never fast enough for students or staff. Lobbying effort kept PSU alive The move downtown in 1952 gave the college its permanent campus and, thanks to intensive lobbying by Portland Staters and their supporters, matters continued to move in the legislative arena. The 1953 legislature, while it defeated a four-year college bill, did approve a plan allowing Portland State to provide three·and-two-thirds years toward bachelor's degrees in teaching. Students would take the final term at one of the other state campuses. But the writing on the legislative wall was so clear that the State Board, in late 1954, agreed to take the initiative in the next legislative session on a four-year bill for Portland State. It was one of the first pieces of legislation adopted in 1955 and, on February 11, Governor Paul Patterson signed the bill into law, creating Portland State College. Student body President Ron Denfield climbed a ladder to remove the words "Extension Center" from the side of Lincoln Hall, leaving the name, " Portland State." There was' a six-block long car parade of celebration through downtown Portland. " ••• you ain't seen nothin' yet!" Joh n F. Cramer, who had served as Dean of the Extension Center, was named first Portland State College President. His inauguration was in October, along with the formal dedication of Portland State College. In his convocation address, Cramer said, "The history of Portland State is still before us. All that is past is prologue." To which the Vanguard added, "And you ain't seen nothin' yet!" They were right. Before the decade was over, construction would begin on three buildings (the first sections of Cramer Hall and Smith Center, and the DCE building), degree programs would expand and enrollment would grow to 8,500 day and evening students. In late 1958 President Cramer resigned his post for health reasons. A national search brought Branford P. Millar to the campus as second president. An English scholar, Millar spoke to the students about the intellectual challenges facing them and the need for the college to broaden its educational horizons as it entered the 1960's. It was to be another decade of promise and progress for Portland State. ~ ~ " ~ a .s l
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