Three Chemistry Alums attend “Men of Bowerman” Reunion

Posted on by Leah O'Brien
three smiling men
Chemistry majors Jerry Christian (BS ’59), Victor Reeve (BA ’63), and Gary Christian (BS ’59), at the 2025 Lame Ducks reunion.

On June 13, during the NCAA Track & Field Championship in Eugene, the “Lame Ducks” held their yearly reunion. These University of Oregon runners from the 1950s and ’60s were coached by the legendary Bill Bowerman and gather annually to reconnect.

The reunion was organized by Chemistry Department alumni Jerry Christian and held at the home of Roscoe Divine. Jerry Christian ran for Bowerman alongside notable teammates including Bill Dellinger, Jim Bailey, Jim Grelle, and Otis Davis. His twin brother, Gary Christian, is also a Chemistry Department graduate and former runner. Jerry used to run relays with Phil Knight, the founder of Nike who was also part of this distinguished group. While Phil Knight attended the 2024 reunion, he missed this year.

Host Roscoe Divine made his mark as a senior, ranking second for the Ducks with a 3:56.3 mile that famously beat Steve Prefontaine—making him one of the only runners to accomplish this feat. His sub-4-minute mile still ranks him fifth all-time for the Ducks.

Victor Reeve is another Chemistry Department graduate who attended class of 1963. Reeve ran on the Oregon 4-mile relay team that shattered the world record by 15 seconds in 1962, and Keith Forman, who also broke the 4-minute mile barrier with a 3:58.3 in 1962 under Coach Bowerman. Another Lame Duck chemistry major is Doug Basham ’57, who passed away in 2010.

“Doug was a ferocious hurdler,” said Jerry.

Brothers Gary and Jerry Christian along with Abe Perlstein and Martin Ovitz, started the  Kuntz-Swinehart Scholarship in honor of professors Adolf Kuntz and Donald Swinehart, whose instruction, influence, and inspiration had a significant impact on their career paths.

article and photos: Vanessa Salvia

two smiling men and a open book on the table in from of them
Pat Tyson prepares to sign the Kenny Moore book “Bowermen and the Men of Oregon” for Jerry Christian. Tyson has been the director of cross country and track & field and the head men’s coach at Gonzaga University for 17 years. At the UO, Tyson was a teammate and roommate of Steve Prefontaine and competed in three NCAA Cross Country Championships leading to 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-place finishes.

 

a smiling woman and man seated in a living room
Victor Reeve’s wife, Janice, and Gary Christian enjoy some conversation in the home of Roscoe Divine as part of the 2025 Lane Ducks reunion.

 

two men talking as they lean against a rail on the porch
Victor Reeve, left, and Bruce Mortenson, chat at the 2025 Lame Ducks reunion. As a junior in 1965, Mortenson became the school’s first national champion in the steeplechase, and was All-American twice. Mortenson won back-to-back 2-mile races in the annual dual meet with Oregon State in 1965 and 1966. In 1966 Mortenson competed at the World Cross Country Championships in Morocco. Reeve ran on the Oregon 4-mile relay team that shattered the world record by 15 seconds in 1962.

 

a group of men pose for a picture outside on a deck with a river in the background
The Men of Oregon. Left to right, back row: Mike Crunican, Dean Southam, Roscoe Divine, Pat Tyson, Sam Taylor. Middle row: Bruce Mortenson, Hal Jackson, Glen Small, Victor Reeve, Jerry Stubblefield. Front row: Clayton Steinke, Keith Forman, Jerry Christian, Gary Christian, Mike Lehner.

 

the back of a green t-shirt featuring a photo of four runners and their coach with stopwatches and a track in the background
Keith Forman, who ran under legendary University of Oregon track coach Bill Bowerman, wears a shirt highlighting the 4-mile relay team he was a part of that set a world record in 1962.

 

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