Oregon State University (OSU) is a four-year research and degree-granting public university, located in Corvallis, Oregon in the United States. Total student enrollment (undergraduate and graduate) is more than 19,000. 81% of students are Oregon residents, while 5% hail from other countries. Over 200,000 people have attended OSU since its founding.

OSU offers more than 200 academic degree programs and is most noted for engineering, environmental sciences, forestry, oceanography and pharmacy. In recent years, however, OSU's liberal arts program has grown significantly, with the College of Liberal Arts now the largest at the school. The university has more majors, minors, and special programs than any other college in Oregon. In a 2005 study conducted by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranking the world's top 500 universities by academic merit, OSU placed within the category of 101st-152nd place. ^*

The 2005 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education lists OSU as "Comprehensive Doctoral with Medical/Veterinary", one of only three such universities in the Pacific Northwest. In 2006 Carnegie also classified the university as having "very high research activity", making OSU the only university in Oregon to hold that honor. ^* It receives more research grant funds annually than the rest of the Oregon University System schools combined.

The 577-acre (2.34 km²) main campus, in the middle of the fertile farmland of Willamette Valley, provides a location ideal for agricultural programs. Corvallis, with nearly 53,000 permanent residents, is noted for its extensive public library and rich community life. In 1994 OSU was rated the "Safest campus in the Pac-10" in a study by the University of Southern California. OSU has a branch campus, the OSU-Cascades Campus, in Bend.

Research is done by the university at many locations throughout the state, including its Seafood Laboratory in Astoria, Food Innovation Laboratory in Portland, and at the Mark O. Hatfield Marine Science Center on Yaquina Bay in Newport. OSU manages approximately 14,000 acres (57 km²) of forest, including the McDonald-Dunn research forest.

History

---

Early years

The university traces its roots back to 1856, when Corvallis Academy, the area's first community school for primary and preparatory education, was founded. In 1858 the school's name was changed to Corvallis College and it was formally incorporated. The school offered its first college-level curriculum in 1865, under the administration of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

October 27, 1868, is known as OSU Charter Day, the day that the Oregon Legislative Assembly designated Corvallis College as the "Agricultural College of the State of Oregon" and the recipient of Land Grant fund income derived from the sale of 90,000 acres (364 km²) in southeast Oregon. Many consider this the founding date, despite Corvallis College being formally incorporated in 1858. As part of this designation, the college was required to comply with the requirements set forth in the First Morrill Act. The name was changed to Corvallis State Agricultural College and was then authorized to grant the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Master of Arts degrees. The first graduating class was in 1870, granting Bachelor of Arts degrees.

Oregon Agricultural College

In 1890 the college became known as Oregon Agricultural College (OAC). Orange was adopted as the school color, with black as the background. The Olmstead Brothers developed the first Campus Master Plan in 1909, emphasizing trees and an architectural harmony showcasing basic classical forms in brick. The current campus stays mostly integrated to this original plan, laid on a grid of wide, tree-lined streets with the well-spaced buildings highlighted by open lawns and tall, clustered trees.

The Army ROTC became active in 1917, replacing the original Cadet Corps formed by students studying Military Science.

OAC began a horticultural products processing program in 1919, the first of its kind in the United States. A new brine method which led to the modern maraschino cherry was developed by the program in 1925 by Prof. Ernest H. Wiegand. Accreditation was granted in 1924 by the Northwest Association of Higher and Secondary Schools.

Oregon State Agricultural College

1927 marked yet another name change, this time to Oregon State Agricultural College. The Oregon Unification Bill passed by the Legislative Assembly in 1929 placed the school under the auspices of newly formed Oregon State Board of Higher Education.

Doctoral education was first provided in 1935 with the conferral of four Doctor of Philosophy degrees, three in Agriculture and one in Science. This year also saw the creation of the first summer session, starting a system of year-round operation for the college. The growing diversity in degree programs offered warranted yet another name change in 1937, when the college became Oregon State College.

Naval ROTC, and the program of Naval Sciences, were added to the existing Army ROTC program in 1946. The Air Force ROTC program was included in 1949, making Oregon State one of only 33 universities in the country to offer officer training for all branches of the United States Armed Forces.

Although OSU's focus was solidly on agriculture, engineering and other vocational subjects, the novelist Bernard Malamud spent the 1940s and 1950s teaching English Composition there. His experiences as a professor were the basis for his novel A New Life. He was also awarded the 1967 Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Fixer, named after a store in downtown Corvallis.

Linus Pauling, Class of 1922, became Oregon State's first alumni Nobel Laureate in 1954 when he received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work studying atomic bonds; six years later he receives the Nobel Peace Prize for his campaign against nuclear weapons testing. This made him one of only two people ever to receive the Nobel Prize in two fields (the other being Marie Curie), and the only person to be awarded two unshared prizes.

Oregon State University

The current name was adopted on March 6, 1961 by a legislative act signed into law by Governor Mark Hatfield.

The National Sea Grant College Program began in 1966, selecting OSU as one of the original three universities to participate in the program when it became operational in 1968.

In 1967 the Radiation Center was built at the edge of campus, housing a 1.1 MW TRIGA Mark II Research Reactor using Uranium-235 for fuel. Rankings published by U.S. News & World Report in 2005 placed Oregon State ninth in the nation in graduate nuclear engineering.

OSU was designated as a federal Space Grant institution in 1991, making the university one of only 13 in the United States to serve as a Land Grant, Sea Grant, and Space Grant designate. In 2003 it was designated as a federal Sun Grant institution, one of only two universities (the other being Cornell University) and the only public institution with all four designations.

In 1999 Oregon State rededicated the new $40 million 'Valley Library', selected by The Library Journal as their 1999 Library of the Year, the first academic library so named.

An aerial view of the campus can be found on Google Maps.

Organization

---

Colleges and Schools

The academic programs are divided among twelve colleges and two schools, each with a dean responsible for all faculty, staff, students, and academic programs. Colleges are divided into departments administered by a department head or chair. Each department is responsible for academic programs leading to degrees, certificates, options, or minors.

University Presidents

The position of President was created in 1865. From 1868 to 1929 the president reported to the institution's own Board of Trustees/Regents. Since the creation of the Oregon University System (OUS), the president has reported to the OUS chancellor.

List of presidents:

1. William A. Finley (1865-1872)
2. Joseph Emery (1872, acting)
3. Benjamin L. Arnold (1872-1892)
4. John D. Letcher (1892, acting)
5. John M. Bloss (1892-1896)
6. H. B. Miller (1896-1897)
7. Thomas M. Gatch (1897-1907)
8. William Jasper Kerr (1907-1932)
9. George Wilcox Peavy (1932-1934, acting) (1934-1940)
10. Frank Llewellyn Ballard (1940-1941)
11. Francois Archibald Gilfillan (1941-1942, acting)
12. August Leroy Strand (1942-1961)
13. James Herbert Jensen (1961-1969)
14. Roy Alton Young (1969-1970, acting)
15. Robert William MacVicar (1970-1984)
16. John V. Byrne (1984-1995)
17. Paul G. Risser (1996-2002)
18. Timothy P. White (2003, acting)
19. Edward John Ray (2003-present)

Notable alumni & faculty

---

Some of Oregon State University's notable alumni include two-time Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling, Heisman Trophy winner Terry Baker, 9-time NBA All-Star Gary Payton, "Iron Man" A.C. Green, NBA guard and 1996 Slam Dunk champion Brent Barry, high jump gold medalist and Fosbury flop inventor Dick Fosbury, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Anderson, Pulitzer Prize winner George Oppen, NASA astronaut Donald Pettit, computer mouse inventor Doug Engelbart, U-Haul founder Leonard Shoen, NVIDIA co-founder and CEO Jen-Hsun Huang, actor Michael Lowry, Manhattan Project staff member Paul H. Emmett, 2000 Playmate of the Year Jodi Ann Paterson and Playboy July 2006 Playmate Sara Jean Underwood.

Entrepreneurship

---

Oregon State University has recently focused on entrepreneurship, and has been the first college to dedicate an entire building, Weatherford Hall, towards the subject. Weatherford Hall is a dormitory located in the middle of campus, and is home to the Austin Entrepreneurship Program, also known as AEP TICK They incubate many student businesses, and they are a part of the OSU Society of Entrepreneurs [http://www.osuesociety.com/.

Student life

---

Although the fifth largest city in Oregon, Corvallis is still a relatively small community, and many of the local events have a strong connection to the university. Oregon State offers over 300 student groups, the most of any university in the Oregon University System. OSU students are only a few hours drive away from any number of outdoor recreation opportunities in natural recreation areas, including the Cascade Range, a rugged coastline, several large forests, a desert, and many rivers. Portland, Oregon's largest city, is 85 miles north of the campus.

Oregon State University's on campus housing includes 13 residence halls, in which each resident is part of an organization called the Residence Hall Association (RHA). The Residence Hall Association elects five people, known as the RHA Exec, to manage this organization and to oversee the hall government for each hall.

The LaSells Stewart Center is the Conference and Performing Arts center at the Corvallis campus. The Corvallis/OSU symphony frequently plays in Austin Auditorium. Many famous speakers have graced the stage in Austin Auditorium, as well as many Fraternity and Sorority philanthropy functions. The OSU Office of Conferences and Special Events is located within.

The University is host to a radio station, KBVR 88.7 FM, and a television station, KBVR TV 26, as well as an award-winning student newspaper, The Daily Barometer.

Athletics

---

In 1893, "Jimmie" the coyote was chosen as the college's mascot. This was replaced by the beaver in 1910 (the beaver remains the school's mascot today). In 1915, the college became one of the four charter members of the Pacific Coast (Athletic) Conference.

The current costumed mascot Benny Beaver made his first appearance in 1952. The next year, 1953, saw the opening of the football facility, Parker Stadium (now named Reser Stadium). 1962 saw OSU's (and the west coast's) first Heisman Trophy winner, quarterback Terry Baker. The University of Oregon is often seen as the school's key athletic rival, with the annual Civil War football game between the two teams being one of the nation's longest-lived rivalries.

Trysting Tree is the name of Oregon State's golf course, dedicated in 1988, and has been recognized by Golfweek magazine as one of the top five collegiate golf courses on the West Coast. Its name is traced to a tree near Benton Hall where student couples would meet (or "tryst") and make dates.

Basketball is held in Gill Coliseum, named after former Beavers coach Slats Gill. The Civil War is one of the most contested rivalries in the nation, and OSU holds the NCAA record for the most wins against a single team from all their matchups against the Ducks.

The OSU baseball team won the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship on June 26, 2006, taking the best-of-three series from North Carolina after losing the first game. They were the first team to win the College World Series after having lost two games during the tournament. It was the second consecutive trip to the CWS for the Beavers after a drought of over fifty years, and only their second national championship in any sport, the first having come in cross country in 1961.

Points of interest

---

• Peavy Arboretum

References

---

External links

---

• Oregon State University website
• Official athletics website
• Official wiki
• Campus map
• The Daily Barometer, OSU's Official student newspaper
• Oregon State University's RHA website
• OSU Choirs website

1858 establishments | Benton County, Oregon | Corvallis, Oregon | Land-grant universities | Oregon State University | Pacific Ten Conference | Sea-grant universities | Space-grant universities | Sun-grant universities | Universities and colleges in Oregon | Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Oregon State University | Oregon State University | オレゴン州立大学 | Oregon State University