THE RAPS SHEET February 2016 Retirement Association of Portland State Portland State University Post Office Box 751--RAPS Portland OR 97207-0751 Koinonia House, second floor SW Montgomery at Broadway Office Manager Carissa Ponting (503)725-3447, raps@pdx.edu Campus mail: RAPS Web: www.pdx.edu/raps Winter Term Office Hours: Monday and Thursday 9am to 5pm, Friday 9am to noon. Officers Eileen Brennan President Barbara Alberty Interim President-Elect Priscilla Blumel Past President Brian Lewis Secretary Nancy Benson Treasurer Mary Ricks RAPS Sheet Editor Larry Sawyer RAPS Representative to Regional & National Retirement Associations, Website Editor Board Members-at-Large Nancy Chapman Ansel Johnson Bob Tufts Committees Dave Krug History Preservation and Pictorial History Book Chair Terril Doherty Social Committee Chair John Cooper Friendship Chair Bob Tufts Membership Chair Nancy Chapman Scholarship Chair Ansel Johnson Awards Chair Michael Reardon to Speak February 18 From left: Dr. Wim Wiewel, PSU President; Mr. Loi Nguyen, EIU Associate President; Dr. Nguyen Van Phuc, EIU President,; Dr. Michael Reardon, EIU Co-President, and Dr. Gil Latz, PSU Vice Provost for International Affairs. Photo c. 2009. ichael Reardon will speak at the February RAPS general meeting. He received his baccalaureate degree in International Relations from Georgetown University and his Masters and Doctoral degrees in History from Indiana University. He joined the History Department at Portland State University in 1964, where he taught courses in Modern European History and European Intellectual History. He served in several administrative positions at Portland State, including Chair of the History Department, Director of the Honors Program, Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Vice Provost, Provost, and Interim President. In 1966 he married Sally Treadgold; they had two children, David and Kathleen. Sally, David and Kathleen all graduated from Portland State. Sally died in 1998. Upon his first retirement in 2000, he taught in Japan at Waseda University and Hokkaido University. Since then he has spent much of his time in Southeast Asia. In 2012, he was asked to become CoPresident of Eastern International University (EIU) and continues in that position. EIU is a new Vietnamese university located 35 miles north of Ho Chi Minh City in Binh Duong New City. The Becamex Corporation, one of the largest development corporations in Vietnam, built both the University and the New City. The February 21 meeting will be in Room 333, Smith Memorial Student Union. A light lunch will be available at noon. Dr. Reardon will speak at 1:00 pm. M
President’s Message As the new year begins with many promising activities, I am constantly reminded of all that the retired faculty and staff of Portland State do for our university, our colleagues, and our communities. The upcoming February 18 presentation by Michael Reardon about his work helping to establish Eastern International University in Vietnam is an excellent example of the ways in which RAPS members and other retirees have made leadership, service, scholarship, and mentoring an integral part of their retirement. Whether teaching classes, mentoring students or junior colleagues, organizing events, conducting research, helping to fund scholarships, volunteering at nonprofit organizations, or contributing to the cultural life of our community, retired PSU staff and faculty continue to carry out the mission of our university. Recognizing the past and continuing contributions of retired PSU faculty and staff, President Wim Wiewel will again be hosting an annual luncheon on Thursday, April 21. This event provides an opportunity for RAPS to honor those whose post-retirement work has been exceptional. Please consider submitting a nomination for the Outstanding Retired Faculty and Staff Awards, which recognize achievements in service to the community, service to the university, professional/career achievements, and service to RAPS. Forms are available in the January RAPS Sheet, and must be returned no later than Monday, March 7. If you have questions please contact Office Manager Carissa Ponting at 503-725-3447 or rapsmail@pdx.edu. --Eileen Brennan Wine Tour set for May 11 ttention, lovers of Oregon wines! Scott Burns will be leading a wine tour for us on May 11 from 10 am until 5 pm. He expects to tour several wineries in the Dundee and Yamhill/Carlton valleys, with room for 27 RAPS members/spouses/partners. We will bring our own lunches and picnic at one of the wineries. We have set the price at $90 per person, covering the cost of the bus and the tasting fees while also supporting our scholarship fund. This is still well below the price Scott charges for a tour open to the public. We expect that the tickets will be in high demand. To give everyone a fair chance we have decided to sell tickets first at the RAPS program on Feb. 18 (Michael Reardon will be our speaker). If any spaces remain, or to be placed on the waiting list, contact Carissa, our office manager, at 503-725-3447 beginning on Feb 19. --Nancy Chapman Scholarship Contributions cholarship contributions were received by the PSU Foundation from the following individuals as of December 31, 2015: Roger Alberty Nancy Chapman Susan Johnson Eileen Brennan Joan Doherty Bill Lemman Scott Burns David Krug Larry Sawyer and from the Robert W. Vogelsang Memorial Wine Raffle. Coming Events 2/18, noon. Michael Reardon, Speaker 5/11, 10 am RAPS Winery tour with Scott Burns 3/17, noon. Potluck Lunch, Susan Sokol-Blosser, speaker 5/19, noon, Ice Cream Social, Robert Liberty speaks 4/21, noon, President’s Luncheon for PSU Retirees 8/18, TBA, Annual Picnic 2 A S
RAPS Group Reports The RAPS Book Group met on January 19 at the home of Marge and Leif Terdal. We had a most interesting discussion of Elizabeth Gilbert’s historical novel The Signature of All Things. The book had many themes to explore as the woman at the center of the novel struggled to overcome the isolation of her intellectual and wealthy upbringing, and to understand both her personal and scientific world. The role of a woman in science, at the time when Darwin’s theories were being developed, provided a fascinating setting. Our February meeting, February 16, will be at the home of Eileen and Steve Brennan, 5945 SW 152nd Ave., Beaverton. Email Eileen at brennane@pdx.edu or telephone a 503-646-6297 to let her know whether you will attend. We will be discussing A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity by Nicolas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. From the back cover: “With scrupulous research and on-the-ground reporting, the authors explore how altruism affects us, what the markers are for success, and how to avoid pitfalls. In their recounting of astonishing stories from the front lines of social progress, we see the compelling, inspiring truth of how real people have changed the world, underscoring that one person can make a difference.” For those of you who like to read ahead, we will be discussing The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah at our March meeting, at the home of Felicia Wirth. The Book Group meets at 1:30 on the third Tuesday of every month. New members are always welcome. –Joan Shireman The RAPS Bridge Group will meet (or already has met) on Tuesday, February 2, 2016. We meet regularly on the first Tuesday of each month. Given the timing of the monthly RAPS Sheet let me inform you of a couple of upcoming bridge sessions: March 1, 2016 and April 5, 2016. On February 2, we will gather in Cascade Room (Room 236) of Smith Memorial Student Center at PSU. Playing begins at 1:00 pm and continues to about 4:30 pm. The RAPS Bridge Group members are friendly and are always looking for new players. If you wish to join us, please contact Steve Brennan, 503-646-6297. My email address is the.steve.brennan@gmail.com. --Steve Brennan The RAPS Hiking Group met on January 12, and six RAPS hikers braved the rain in Tryon Creek State Park. We hiked some of the loop trails in the upper part of the park as we were told those would be the least muddy. The total distance was probably less than 2.5 miles, but we decided to have an early lunch rather than hike any of the lower trails. Lunch was at an Italian restaurant in Lake Oswego. The February hike will be on Tuesday February 9, in Milo McIver State Park. Meet at the park entrance at 9:30 am. We will hike the bat barn trail at one end of the park and the trails around the disc golf course at the other end of the park. Lunch will be a sack lunch at one of the Clackamas River view points. The visitor guide with driving instructions and trail maps can be viewed at http://oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=main.loadFile&load=_siteFiles/publications/38229_mciver114 651.pdf. This is a day- use-fee park. Bring your state park pass if you have one. If you plan to attend, please contact larry_sawyer@comcast.net (there is an underscore between “larry” and “sawyer” in that email address) or call him at 503-771-1616 by Monday, February 9. --Larry Sawyer 3
The 2015 PSU Football Season: Who Could Have Predicted??? Photos and text by Steven Brenner, Professor Emeritus of Business Administration or 45 years (31 teaching and 14 retired) I have had a unique responsibility…that of volunteer PSU sports photographer. Beginning in high school, continuing in college and as a professor at PSU I have provided action photos for my relevant institutions. Here at PSU I enthusiastically supported all athletic programs, but especially the intercollegiate ones. I believed then and now that strong, competitive, ethically operated athletic programs would bring honor and community support to PSU. As the years moved on PSU had a number of good and a few great intercollegiate sports teams, but none as surprising as our 2015 football team. The 2013 and 2014 football seasons were filled with a number of disappointing losses, caused by lost fumbles and interceptions. In 2015 there was a coaching change resulting in PSU’s offensive coordinator, Bruce Barnum, being asked to serve as “interim head coach,” a move that I abhorred. Not because the coach Barnum had not performed well (his offense consistently scored a ton of points), but because the interim tag seemed to indicate a lack of institutional support. I admit that I was wrong. Bruce Barnum Rising from a 3 win-9 loss 2014 season to 9 wins-3 losses and a 5th place national ranking among Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level playoff teams, PSU achieved much national acclaim and positive publicity. 4 F
PSU’s football team was 5-1 against nationally ranked opponents. We defeated two Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams (Washington State and North Texas). A great deal of the team’s success was credited to its new head coach, Bruce Barnum who entered the season as “interim” head coach with immense pressure to succeed as PSU’s President had decreed that the team must stand on its own without traditional University financial support. By opening the season with a victory over PAC-12 member Washington State (something that PSU had never before accomplished,) attention was quickly focused on PSU by the national sports media (e.g., Sports Illustrated and ESPN.) Pressure to lift the interim label from Coach Barnum’s title soon resulted in his receiving a 5-year contract. The players were present when these changes were announced and the unrestrained team support for the upgrade was very evident. Coach Barnum (creator of the now famous “Barny Ball” team concept…that of tough, hard nosed, fundamental football) did a number of things that made him stand out as a leader. For example, given the budget constraints imposed by the University, he directed that a number of trips normally done by plane be taken by bus, to save money. Recognizing the many additional hours players would be together on the bus to Cal Poly he organized a team visit to Alcatraz and carefully selected trip movie selections. He received a small salary increase before the season began to recognize his being promoted, but kept only $1,000 of it directing the bulk of the funds be given to his assistant coaches. I can see why players appear to love playing for Coach Barnum. The team and coach earned many honors at the end of the season. Eleven players werenamed to the 2015 Big Sky All-Conference team and seven to Honorable Mention All-Big Sky status. Coach Bruce Barnum was named Big Sky and FCS National Coach of the Year. The future looks bright for PSU football as long as this past season’s accomplishments are built upon with a continuation of quality play. I must admit I never saw this season’s success coming. While I knew that Coach Barnum had produced excellent offensive numbers in recent seasons, turning around our team with two FBS games on the schedule seemed too much to expect. National playoffs and a fifth place ranking were not a realistic possibility, but it happened. My hope is that there is more to come and that PSU’s football team success will build community support for Portland State University. 5
In Memoriam: Thomas Palm, 1937-2015 homas Palm was born November 9, 1937 in Tallinn, Estonia. He died December 14, 2015 in Newberg, Oregon. He was Professor of Economics at Portland State University from 1966 to 1998. During his childhood, Tom experienced the occupation of Estonia by both Soviet and German forces. After World War II, Tom and his mother, Julie, lived in various Displaced Persons Camps in Europe before they finally were able to move to Devils Lake, North Dakota, in 1949. Tom was then eleven years old. He and his mother moved to Colorado, and Tom earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Colorado. He earned a Ph.D. in Economics at the University of Michigan. Tom and his wife, Ingrid, met while they were both in graduate school in Michigan. His entire professional life was at Portland State University. A colleague in the Department of Economics has described Professor Palm as “Mr. Everything,” because he taught such a range of economic topics, including engineering economics, environmental economics, and micro economics. He co-authored several books, including Private and Public Analysis, Studying Economics, Praktische Falle, and The Economics of Black America. As a result of the last book, which he wrote with Professor Harold Vatter, he taught a course in Black Economics. The book also led him to work on improving the preparation of teachers in inner-city schools. His course in managerial economics was one of the first distance-learning courses offered by Portland State University. With the collapse of the Soviet empire, Tom was invited to Tallinn by the Estonian Communist Central Committee to help them understand free-market capitalism. Tom, and his wife, Ingrid, made several trips to Estonia both before and after Estonian independence. He helped to educate the fledgling government and to advise them on how best to establish an economic system in the newly independent country. He found that he needed to start with the most basic economics concepts because, after generations of a "central planning economy," his students did not understand even the principle or application of "supply and demand." The Tallinn Technical University invited Tom and Ingrid to Tallinn, and, in a memorable ceremony, awarded him the title of “Honored Professor Emeritus.” Tom, with Ingrid's help, wrote a book about his life that was completed and printed just before he died. Professor Palm is survived by Ingrid. She and Tom celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary in August, 2015. A Celebration of Tom's Life was held on Sunday, January 17th, 2016, at the Latvian Hall, 5500 SW Dosch Rd., Portland. –John R. Cooper, Professor Emeritus of English In Memoriam: Charles D. Bolton, 1921-2016 harles D. Bolton received his Ph.D. from University of Chicago in 1959. He was on the faculty of the University of California at Davis before joining Portland State College in 1964. He held dual faculty appointments with the Department of Sociology and the School of Urban Studies during his tenure at Portland State University (1964-1987.) Dr. Bolton was Chair of the Department of Sociology 1965-1970, and 1977-1980, and served as Acting Dean of the School of Urban Studies 1979-1980. Professor Bolton was instrumental in creating and designing the curriculum for the Ph.D. program in Urban Studies. He published a number of articles in sociological journals and was co-author, with Kenneth Kammeyer of The University Student: a Study of Student Behavior and Values published by Yale University Press. In 1962, he wrote an article in The Nation on United States policy towards Cuba. That article was discussed in a subsequent article in The Nation that suggested that Professor Bolton’s article might have been “included in President Kennedy’s briefing papers, because in early 1963, Kennedy began to explore a ‘sweet approach” toward Cuba.” He was promoted to Professor Emeritus upon his retirement in 1987. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary. He is survived by their daughters Gail, Sue, and Jeanie, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. At his request, there was no funeral service or memorial ceremony. –John R. Cooper, Professor Emeritus of English 6 T C
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