The University Archives has teamed with the Retirement Association of Portland State (RAPS) and other campus stakeholders in an ongoing effort to capture the first-person insight of those instrumental to the development and success of Portland State.
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Interview with School of Health and Physical Education Faculty
Chuck Becker, Alice Lehman, Jack Schendel, Maxine Thomas, Cristine Paschild, and Steve Brannan
Three emeritus faculty members from Portland State's School of Health and Human Performance met for this oral history interview: Chuck Becker, Alice Lehman, and Jack Schendel. Accompanying them were two former School of Education faculty, Maxine Thomas and Steve Brannan. Together, their oral histories recall the development, growth, and achievements of Portland State's School of Health and Human Performance, which evolved from the university's Department of Physical Education. Chuck Becker discusses the department's founding years at Vanport and its differentiation from the Athletics program, for which he also served as a football coach. Alice Lehman describes the program's move downtown from cramped quarters in the former Lincoln High School into the new Health and Physical Education building (Peter Stott Center) in 1966, and the development of women's collegiate athletics programs at PSU and in the state. Jack Schendel, Dean Emeritus of the School of Health and Human Performance, describes the mission and achievements of the School in providing specialized professional training for students in various fields of health education, and the circumstances leading to the closure of the School in 1992.
University Archivist Cris Paschild conducted the interview, which was held at the Portland State University Library on February 12, 2014.
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Interview with Margaret Dobson (Part 1 of 2)
Margaret J. Dobson and Michael O'Rourke
Michael O'Rourke interviewed Dr. Margaret Dobson on November 22 and 29, 2010, at the Portland State University Library.
This recording is part 1 of 2.
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Interview with Margaret Dobson (Part 2 of 2)
Margaret J. Dobson and Michael O'Rourke
Michael O'Rourke interviewed Dr. Margaret Dobson on November 22 and 29, 2010, at the Portland State University Library.
This recording is part 2 of 2.
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Interview with Charles Le Guin
Charles Le Guin and Heather Oriana Petrocelli
Dr. Charles A. Le Guin is Professor Emeritus of History at Portland State University, where he taught for over thirty-five years.
In this interview with Heather O. Petrocelli on May 16, 2017, Dr. Le Guin recalls his experience as a member of the Portland State faculty starting in the 1950s. He describes his view of Portland State's development from a small college to a large urban university, the professional, social, and cultural environments of the downtown campus, and the founding of pioneering academic programs such as University Studies and the Honors College.
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Interview with Bill Lemman (2019)
Bill Lemman and Clarence Hein
In this interview, former Oregon University System Vice-Chancellor and Portland State University administrator Bill Lemman discusses his career in higher education in Oregon with Clarence Hein.
This interview was held on February 21, 2019, at the Portland State University Library.
W.T. “Bill” Lemman has been affiliated with Portland State from its inception. As a Vanport Extension Center student, he had close relationships with many faculty, including VEC founder Stephen Epler. After earning his degree in Business Administration at the University of Oregon in 1949, he returned to Vanport in 1950 as Assistant Business Manager. He returned again in 1959, eventually becoming Vice President for Business and Finance for Portland State College. As the college’s chief fiscal officer, Lemman fostered partnerships with city and federal governments to develop the downtown campus and worked to bring student housing to Portland State.
Lemman left PSU in 1974 to become Vice Chancellor of the Oregon University System and served with the office for over 15 years, including acting as interim chancellor from 1987 to 1988 and interim president of Oregon Institute of Technology from 1990 to 1991. He is an emeritus member of the Alumni Board and a founding member of the Friends of the Library. In 2004, Lemman was granted an honorary doctorate from Portland State University. This interview was recorded at the Portland State University Library on February 21, 2019.
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Interview with W. T. "Bill" Lemman
W. T. "Bill" Lemman and Michael O'Rourke
In this interview with Michael O’Rourke, Mr. Lemman discusses his experiences and accomplishments from his undergraduate years at Vanport until his administrative position in Oregon higher education, and remembers faculty, students, and administrators with whom he worked to grow Portland State into an urban campus of almost thirty thousand students. Highlights include student life and media at Vanport Extension Center, the Vanport flood of 1948, urban renewal in Portland that facilitated the establishment of the campus during the 1960s and 70s, student housing, and collective bargaining with faculty and staff unions.
This interview was recorded in two sittings on September 23 and September 27, 2010. Some portions of the interview have been edited for relevance to PSU history. The unabridged recording and transcript are available through Portland State University Archives at the PSU Library. Acknowledgements and thanks to RAPS, Retirement Association of Portland State University, for biographical information on Mr. Lemman.The abridged transcript of this interview is available for download.
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Interview with Judith Ramaley
Judith A. Ramaley and Clarence Hein
Dr. Ramaley discusses her career and accomplishments as President of Portland State University (PSU) from 1990-1997, with emphasis on the development of PSU's general education program, productive collaboration between students, faculty, and the urban community, and growing Portland State as Oregon's urban university.
A transcript of this interview is available for download.
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Interview with Michael Reardon
Michael F. Reardon and Clarence Hein
Dr. Michael Reardon discusses his career at Portland State from his start as an Assistant Professor in the Department of History in 1964 through his many administrative roles to his eventual service as Interim President of the University from 2007 to 2008.
A transcript of this interview is available for download.
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Interview with Charles White
Charles White and Michael O'Rourke
Dr. Charles White, Professor Emeritus of History at Portland State University, was interviewed by Michael O'Rourke at PSU on March 16, 2011.
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Interview with Wim Wiewel
Wim Wiewel and Chris Broderick
Wim Wiewel was interviewed on August 2, 2017, by Chris Broderick, at Portland State University.