In Memoriam: Donald W. Tyree, 1938-2014 meritus Professor of English Donald W. Tyree, born May 23, 1938, died January 25, 2014, from complications of pancreatitis. Friends and family members honored him at a memorial service at Riverview Cemetery on January 31, 2014. After earning a BA degree in English at Carson-Newman College, Franklin, TN, (1960), Don pursued graduate studies in religion, theology, and literary criticism at the University of Chicago Divinity School and Duke University (1960-1963). Subsequently he completed MA (1964) and Ph.D. (1980) degrees in English at the University of Chicago, and earned a Certificate in Victorian Literature (1966) at the University of London. Prior to joining the PSU faculty in 1970 as an assistant professor of English, Don had served as a research assistant (1965-66) at the University of Chicago and as editorial associate and instructor in English (1967-1970) at Northwestern University. At PSU he taught highly popular Victorian Literature courses and pioneered in offering innovative classes dealing with Native American studies. He successfully introduced the use of diagrams and graphics to support problematic concepts embodied in the material content of literature coursework dealing with folklore, legend and myth. His heavy undergraduate and graduate student advising workload included campus-wide multicultural outreach that attracted many Native American students. In 1994-95 he participated as a volunteer in “Project Connect,” a Student Activities program that provided mentoring and advising for underrepresented minority students. He actively engaged with the PSU campus Native American Student and Community Center, and regularly made outreach presentations informing public schools and metropolitan area organizations about its services and functions. He assisted various tri-county Native American organizations and served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Portland Urban Indian Council and the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission. Professor Tyree served on several significant campus-wide faculty governance and search committees, including the Minority Affairs Council, Affirmative Action, and Human Subjects Research Review. His able departmental service included, but was not limited to, Library, Curriculum, Promotion and Tenure and Graduate Committees. He actively participated in and contributed scholarly findings to several professional organizations, including the American Indian Culture and Research Journal. He chaired two departmental support groups, the “Friends of English” and the “Kellogg Committee.” In 1979 Don advanced to Associate Professor and upon retirement in 2003 was designated Emeritus Professor. In retirement he continued his many contributions to advancing our institutional mission to serve the metropolitan community. For these activities we owe Professor Donald Tyree our everlasting gratitude. Professor Tyree’s wife, Teresa (“Tisa”), died at age 45 in 1998. To his survivors: children, James, Joshua, and David, as well as four grandchildren, and his sister, Judy, we extend our heartfelt sympathy for their loss. All who knew him would concur with a colleague who remembers him as “a very kind man, a true gentleman and scholar.” An obituary and guestbook appeared in the Oregonian, January 28, 2013. His family suggests that donations honoring his memory be made to: “Native American Honor Day,” c/o Dean Azule, Diversity and Multicultural Student Services, PSU, 710 SW Jackson Street, Portland OR 97201. --Emeritus Professor of History, Victor C. Dahl, with assistance from Professor Hildy Miller, English Department Chair E 6
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