Portland State Magazine, Spring 2021

Grit and Guts 9 PIECES OF HISTORY Tis mountaineering ice axe from the mid- to late-1960s is a relic of the Portland State Outdoor Program’s earliest inventory. How it survived this long without getting lost, stolen or broken is a mystery. Te axe was connected to the Outdoor Program by the number 11 imprinted on the handle, which is in series with the numbering on ice axes pictured in this photo from the 1969 Viking year- book.Te photo was likely taken on the south side of Mount Hood during a program trip. Printed above it is a poem that includes the lines: Somewhere amid bruises / and sore muscles and minor traumas, / you fnd strength. / On the outside, it’s know-how. / On the inside, its guts. Established in 1966 and celebrating its 55th anniversary this year, the Outdoor Program was the frst of its kind and has served as a model for university programs across the nation. Today, it’s housed within Campus Recre- ation and ofers guided trips, workshops and rental gear, as well as an indoor Climbing Center. You can even rent an ice axe, albeit a newer version, for your next adventure. —BRITTANY GOLTRY 26 // PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 8 Whiz Kids Jim Westwood ’67 was barely 20 when he and his teammates, Robin Freeman ’66, Larry Smith and Michael Smith smashed expectations for the little-known Portland State College with a record-breaking run on a nationally televised quiz show. Led by the legendary Profes- sor Ben Padrow, the team won fve contests in a row in the “intercol- legiate battle of brains”—the General Electric College Bowl. Before that frst trip to New York City in 1965, Westwood had never fown on a jet plane. Soon he and the team were fying back and forth weekly to compete.Te frst time they returned victorious to Portland, a small group came out to congratulate them. By the last time, they were met by a crowd. “It could have gone to my head,” Westwood jokes. “It did.” When the fnal buzzer sounded, they’d racked up $13,200 in scholarship money (roughly $88,000 in today’s dollars) and clinched the College Bowl trophy. But they’d achieved something else, too— they’d put Portland State on the map. After their victory splashed across national media, the state legislature invited the team to Salem, and Westwood addressed the Senate and House. “Te idea was to show Portland State had arrived in the big leagues and that the legislature could send more money our way,” he says. Applications skyrocketed and three years later the college gained university status. Unknown to most, team member Michael Smith was battling cystic fbrosis even as he competed each week. After his death in 1968, Smith Memorial Student Union was named in his honor. It’s a rare example of an American university building named not for a benefactor or ofcial, but for a student.Tat’s where the team trophy etched with all their names is usually on display. Westwood, now a retired attorney, asked to pose with it outside the building in Smith’s memory.Te last surviving member of the team, he wore the letter- man’s jacket he received after their victory and held that trophy in his hands for the frst time since 1965. —SCHOLLE McFARLAND