Category: Students

Clifford F. Johnson: Groundbreaking Master’s Thesis on Racial Bias in Newspaper Reporting

clifford f johnson cropped oregana 1947 pg 155
Clifford F. Johnson 1946 UO Track Oregana 1947

Clifford F. Johnson is our third feature in our series honoring Black History Month that highlights the work of historian Herman L. Brame. Johnson was raised in Illinois and decided to join the US army after graduating from high school. While in the army, Johnson served at Fort Lewis, Washington during World War II. During his time there, he faced racial segregation. Recreational facilities and the chapel were segregated and he, along with a large number of other African Americans, felt restricted while at Fort Lewis. However, in 1945, a basketball team comprised of Johnson and other African Americans beat the visiting Harlem Globetrotters in two out of their three games. In 1946, Johnson was honorably discharged as a chief warrant officer and became an undergraduate student at the University of Oregon in the same year. There he would have a successful academic career that would land him national attention. Continue reading →

Life of Resilience: Maxine Maxwell and the First Protest Against UO Discriminatory Housing Regulations

maxine maxwell beaver 1929 pg350
Maxine Maxwell’s freshman photo The Beaver 1929

“My family has always had to fight, and we have maintained a creditable position in Salem, where I have lived all of my life. I do not feel that I am a “foreigner” and that I should be segregated from other students, although I do not want to make trouble for anyone.” – Maxine Maxwell, Eugene Register, October 2, 1929

Continuing our series highlighting the work of historian Herman L. Brame in honor of Black History Month, we bring you the story of Maxine Maxwell. She was raised in Salem, Oregon and was a member of a resilient family that was highly respected and well known. Her father, Charles Maxwell, was a successful businessman who operated the restaurant “Fat Boy Barbecue” and a shoeshine shop in the Hollywood district of the city. He also ran a small neighborhood publication that enabled him to have significant political influence among the African American community. Despite his success, not everyone was enthused about his accomplishments. The 1920s were the heydays of the Ku Klux Klan in the state of Oregon, and Mr. Maxwell’s success drew their attention. In 1922, Mr. Maxwell received a letter from Klansmen that stated, “We have stood you as long as we intend to stand you, and you must unload, if you don’t we will come to see you.” However, Mr. Maxwell had no intention on leaving his home and responded by allowing his letter to be published in the Capitol Journal. He bravely called out the Klansmen and declared himself unafraid of their threats. His daughter, Maxine Maxwell would show similar courage and resilience when she attended the University of Oregon. Continue reading →

Nellie Louise Franklin: The First African American Woman to Graduate from the UO

Nellie Louise Franklin's 1932 Senior Photo Oregana
Nellie Louise Franklin’s senior photo
Oregana 1932

In honor of Black Heritage Month, the UO Special Collections and University Archives is highlighting the work of historian Herman L. Brame and his research examining individuals who are considered the “firsts” or are honorable figures in the context of African American history at the University of Oregon. Our first feature in our series is Nellie Louise Franklin. Similar to the first African American student at the University of Oregon, Mabel Byrd, Franklin lived in Portland, attended Washington High School, and would eventually attend the University of Oregon. However, what sets these two historic women apart is that Franklin would eventually become the first documented African American woman to graduate from the UO.

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Paths of Life: How Modern UO Graduation Compares to 19th Century Commencement Ceremonies

Class of 2014 (Tristan Fortsch/KVAL.com)
Class of 2014 (Tristan Fortsch/KVAL.com)

This week we are presenting a three-part series highlighting the history of graduation at the University of Oregon. Part one (Tuesday) takes a look back at commencement ceremonies from the the 19th century, part two (Wednesday) features a recent donation of graduation memorabilia, and part three (Thursday) highlights commencement speeches over the years. Congratulations to the Class of 2015!!

 

On Monday, June 15, the University of Oregon will host the Duck Walk from Johnson Hall to Matthew Knight Arena in the lead-up to the 138th annual university graduation ceremony. From 9:30 to 11:00 am, the ceremony will honor the commencement of studies and the conferment of degrees for over 4000 students. In addition, 41 schools of the university will hold departmental ceremonies across campus throughout Sunday and Monday, affording a more intimate setting to recognize students within their major.

The Class of 2015 continues a tradition of grandiose commencements held at the University of Oregon. Today we will take a look back at the graduation ceremonies of the 19th century, putting in perspective the modern festivities with the earliest classes who celebrated the culmination of their time in Eugene.

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Student Job Positions: Research Assistant and Intern

We are pleased to announce that we have two exciting new student job positions available for the 2014-2015 school year.

The first position is for an Archives Research Assistant that will focus on the “Documenting UO History Project” that aims to research, document, and disseminate major portions of university history. This position will be responsible for conducting in-depth historical research of significant university history, writing detailed historical overviews, and providing basic descriptions of collection contents. The full job description and instructions for applying can be found here.

We are also doing a search for an Archive Intern for the 2014-2015 school year. This position will focus on providing the student with a learning environment experience to assist in preparing them for a professional archive position. The Archive Intern will be responsible for performing a variety of tasks in arrangement and description, outreach and instruction, and communications. The full job description and instructions for applying can be found here.

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