Viking_Yearbook_47

PHIL PUTNAM On a winter day in 1946, two men with a plan stood looking over a section of the war-born city of Vanport , Oregon. Phil Putnam is essentially a man of anion . Others were eulogizing veterans, insisting upon rights and benefits for them, de­ manding facilities for education, but Phil Putnam had an opportunity co do some­ thing about it. To a very large degree Phil Pucn:\m has been responsible for the orderly devel­ opment of the school within less than :\ year to a point where it can offer all quali­ fied veterans accredited scholastic training. Putnam was born at Custer, South Da­ kota in 1908. He completed his seconu.try schooling in the Hot Springs, South Da­ kota, high school and received his B.S. de­ gree in 19.) I from the Black Hills Te,\cher College at Spearfish, South Dakota. Putnam's present interest in spores and other extra-curricular activities has been sustained from his college days where he was a four leerer man in fOOlbal1. He was active in dramatics and sang in the glee dub, He was voted president of his senior dass_ For the twO years immediately following graduation from Teacher's College, Putnam taught in the Norris, South Dakota, high school. For the next three years, until 1936, he was principal of Hamill High School. He served as superintendent of schools at Ravinnia until he left in 1937 to assume the same post in Prairie City, Oregon. For the following twO years he held the superintendency in Oakland, Oregon_ In 1932, Putnam married Maye Harris_They have one son, Jere Ky, born January, 1947. The next year and a half he spent at Stanford as a graduate student and ,\ssistant instructor. While there, he completed the work for a doctor's degree in education except for writing his thesis. In 19.17, with a thesis on "Rating Scale for Elementary Principals," he had earned from the University of Oreglln his M,S. The summers of 1938, '39, and '40 he spent at the University of Southern California. The year 1942 brought Putnam a different occupation_ He enlisted and was sent as a casual to New Gu:nea where he was assigned to the I.E. Section. After completing officer's training at Camp Columbia, Brisbane, Australia, Putnam was stationed with the replacement command in Manila, where he served as head of the returnee division, After twenty-six months overseas, he was discharged in June, 1946, as a first lieutenant, having served for thirey-three months, Putnam did not long delay in resuming his former work. When asked to assist in secring up a new college for veterans he responded eagerly_His duties have grown with the college. He is now, in addi­ tion to being assistant director, general trouble shooter and father confessor.