Geography Teacher Stovall
A Favorite of UO Students
By Gordon Ross
Emerald Feature Writer
There are many hard workers
among the instructors on the
Oregon campus, but James C.
Stovall, greying, bearlike as
sistant professor of geography
and geology, is a hard man to
beat.
The established Oregon au
thority on rocks and minerals
always has his office door open
to friends, rock-hounds, instruc
tors. community workers, and
above all, his first love, the stu
dents in his classes.
He always tries to find time
for all of them, is always inter
ested, and is genuinely concerned
with their problems.
Popularity Increases
Because of his attitude to
wards others, his popularity has
grown throughout the state.
“No matter where I go in Ore
gon.” L, W. Staples, professor of
geology stated, “I find someone
who knows Jim and asks how he
is and what he’s doing. His name
is synonymous with the name of
the department.”
According to S. D. Erickson,
assistant professor of geology,
approximately one-fifth of the
freshman class has him for one
course or another each year.
Stovall, at the age of 51, stands
six feet, 2 inches tall, weighs
“too darn much,” speaks with a
careless use of the English lan
guage, and has become famous
for his easily understood lectures.
Luanne McClure, a student in
Stovall’s general geology class,
typified student opinion of his
talks when she said:
Homey Touch
“Mr. Stovall is the perfect
lecturer. He has that 'homey’
touch which reminds me of my
father.”
Staples commented that Stov
all “has a genuine interest in his
subject, and can teach it as the
student can best understand it.”
“Big Jim,” as his graduate as
sistants fondly call him, blames
his interest in the study of rocks
and minerals on his step-father,
a retired country doctor, whose
hobby is geology.
“Doctor,” as Stovall affec
tionately referred to him, “used
to take a horse and buggy to
visit patients around the Lake
view countryside, and I used to
drive for ’em.
“We’d talk about geology by
the hour, goin’ ’round and 'round
about his pet theories, which
were very radical, and which he
stubbornly held on to. Trouble
was, most of the time, he was so
disgustin’ly right.”
Stovall left Lakeview in 1923,
after graduating from high
school, and started at the Uni
versity that fall.
Mops Floors
He worked his way through
college, mopping floors in the
old Eugene hospital, chopping
wood, and clerking in stores.
His athletic career at the Uni
versity was “outstanding medi
cally.”
“I turned out for freshman
football, and ended up with an
appendicitis operation,” Stovall
related. “I was appointed pitcher
on the frosh baseball team and
got pneumonia. Another profes
sor and I became university in
tramural handball champions.
We could beat anybody at dou
bles, but at singles I always
lost."
In 1927, Stovall married a Co
burg school teacher.
He received his master's de
gree in geology in 1929.
That year they moved to
Springfield where he opened up
a flying school. The business
failed, because "everyone who
wanted to fly at that time had
learned."
Stovall then moved to Berke
ley where he was appointed a
teaching fellow at the University
of California.
Returns to Oregon
He left Berkeley a year and
a half later to return to Oregon
as an instructor of geography
and geology.
In 1940, along with his Uni
versity duties, he was given a
Civil Aeronautics association job
as co-ordinator and ground in
structor for college pilots.
When World War II broke out,
he was given the task of estab
lishing a training field at Klam
ath Falls for pilots from the
University.
He has an outstanding record
of only one “washout" among the
nearly 600 whom he taught, all
of whom went into either the
Army or Navy Air corps.
“There wouldn't be enough
room in this office, Stovall com
mented proudly, "to put up all
the medals and honors those boys
earned."
Stovall likes to keep careful
track of all the students, past
and present he can get informa
tion on. He enjoys them as much
as they like him.
Genuine Interest
His attitude towards the group
he teaches has probably been
best summed up by Erickson:
“Mr. Stovall has a genuine in
terest in his students. There is
nothing superficial about the
man. He can remember when he
was a student, and can sympa
thize with their problems.
“He tries to help them as
much as he can, even though his
Management Job
Exams Scheduled
Students interested in a man
agement career in the federal
government should file for the
U.S. civil service commission's
annual junior management ex
amination by Nov. 30.
The test itself will be given
Jan. 8, 1955, but all applications
for it must be postmarked by
Nov. 30. Instructions for apply
ing can be obtained ^from the
placement office of the U.S. civil
service commission or directly
from the Navy department in
Washington, D.C.
The examination is given to
recruit outstanding young peo
ple who are trained in the social
sciences, management, or public
affairs for the Navy depart
ment’s “civilian management
training program.
Upon satisfactory completion
of this test, the student will be
personally interviewed in early
March. Those passing the oral
interview will be eligible for this
program which is designed to
train them for top-level admin
istrative positions in the Navy
department.
LAUNDRY
SERVICE
with lots of
T. L. & C.
8 Lbs.
Washed
Dried
FOLDED!
75c
washes your clothes like Mom
used to-with lots of
*Tender, Love, and Care.
Washed, dried and FOLDED, too!
Hand-ironed shirts, starched
like you like them. *
Cords and denims starched and
pressed too. Try our personal service
this weekend.
office has probably been broken
into more often for tests than
any other professor’s on campus.
"Now Just hangs a sign on
his door saying:
" ’Please, fellows, don't bother
breaking in. There are no test
papers in here. I’ve taken them
home.' ”
Grad in Chemistry
Gets $3600 Grant
Herman Johansen, graduate in
chemistry, has been awarded a
$3600 research grant provided by
the Alcoa Aluminum Foundation
fellowship for chemistry.
Johansen, a candidate for a
Ph.D. degree, is conducting re
search on corrosion. His project
will be supervised by Pierre Vun
Rysselberghe, professor of chem
istry.
A second fellowship will be an
nounced later, according to A. H.
Kunz, head of the chemistry de
partment.
N
EWS
The following Items of In
terest to students who are vet
erans. Is submitted each week
hv K. Lawrence Whitson, of
ficer in charge of the local
Veterans Administration office.
• • •
Veterans who have changed
their marital status since separa
tion from the service, or those
who have had children since they
started school under the GI bill,
should file a "change of status"
form with the Veterans Admin
istration office.
The change of status form en
titles the veteran to a higher al
lowance rate. For the single per
son who has married it would
mean an increase from $110 to
$135 per month and for a mar
ried veteran who has had a child
the increase would be from $135
to $160.
* • •
Most important part of the
change of status process is that
the raise will rot be effective
until proof of the change has
been received by the Veterans
Administration. The raise is not
retroactive to the date the
change took place, so the longer
the delay in filing, the longer
the delay in receiving the higher
rate.
* * *
Veterans attending the Uni
versity may contact the local of
fice of the Veterans Administra
tion, 208 Hampton Building, for
questions regarding their status
and their allowance under the
GI Bill.
Smoke Out en Old Fleme end
Some Friends end Come to the
FIREMAN'S BALL
Memoriel Bldg., 8th f A, Springfield
Fridey Eve.—Adm. $1.00—Door Prises
BYOl BYOl BYOl BYOl BYOL
Campus Calendar
Noon Italian Thl 111 SU
Jr. Panhel 112 SU
■1:00 Fri at 4 Fishbowl SU
0:30 Rally 1st FI Terrace SU
9:00 Fishbowl Mixer SU
Committees Picked
By Political Party
Establishment of four admin
istrative committees for the re
mainder of the year was ap
! proved by United Independent
j Students Wednesday.
Committees approved and their 1
I membership are: organisation, |
I Gordon Rice. Carl Groth. Mama j
Gehrman. Harvey Henneman.
I Jean Miller and Kathy Morrison;
! finance, Kay Westenhouse, Dale
Bajema, Germaine LaMarche,
Loris Larson and Chuck Mitohel
more.
Other committees named are J
platform. Kip Wharton. Myrtle
, Johnson, Wes Nelson. Sam
Vahey and Jackie Warded, and
; publicity. Mary Alice Allen, Joy
Bellarts, Connie Drury and Doro
thy Her.
Governor Praises
Band Performance
The University band's Satur
day performance at the Home
' coining football game paid off
in compliments and praise from
many sources. Among the con
gratulations which the band hus
received is the following letter
from Oregon's governor Paul
Patterson to Robert Vagner,
band director:
Dear Mr. Vagner,
I certainly want to rompll
mont you and the memberH of
the University of Oregon hand
on the excellence of the per
formance during the half time
period of the Homecoming
game.
It was a thrilling demonstra
tion and one which will long
be remembered by all who wit
nessed It. The lieauty and pre
cision of movement was evi
dence of many hours of prac
tice and teamwork. My con
gratulations to the University
band for an outstanding per
formance.
Sincerely yours,
Paul Patterson
Governor.
THE WILD ONE
with Marlon Brando
-Plus
Taza, Son of Cochise
with Rock Hudson
STARTS SUNDAY
Hans Christian
Anderson
Danny Kaye
—and—
Alaska Seas
-Now Playing:
//
"THE BLACK KNIGHT"with alan ladd
PATRICIA MADINA
-ALSO
THEY RODE WEST" wi,h Robert francis,
DONNA REED
—Starts Next Thursday, November 25:
"THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS"
_g|igabeth Taylor, Van Johnson
—Starts Sunday:
"THE GREATEST LOVE"
with Ingrid Bergman
Critics and fans hail the new Ingrid Bergman for her new
power and emotional depth in the film story of a woman
who defied convention in search for love and haoniness
Directed by Roberto Rossilini.
-Starts Next Wednesday:
"GONE WITH THE WIND" with Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh
Debate Team
Enters Meet
The University’* debate team
will take part in the Western
Speech association tournament
to Is- held in Tucson, Ails., on
Nov. 22, 23 and 24.
The team will he composed of
two men and two women.
Don Mlckiewait, senior in lib
eral arts, and Dave Cass, fresh
man in liberal arts, will partici
pate in the senior men’s division.
In the Junior women’s division,
Pat Peterson and Donna DeVries,
both sophomores In liberal arts,
will make the trip.
Friday, Nov. IH
6 ;00 Dinner Hour Serenade
7:00 News Till Now
7:15 Guest Star
7 :30 Radio Workshop Players
8:00 Off the Record
9:00 Kwaxworks
11:00 Sign Off
r ■ •
rs'
JEANNE DANA
CRAIN ANDREWS
DAVID FARRAR i
COMPIfTHY
TWO COLOR HITS!
• SUNDAY ’."ouiV*"'
JACK
WEBB
IN THE FIRST
FEATURE-LENGTH
PRODUCTION OF
CHALLENGE
THE WILD'
I by Color Corp of America
860 WILIAM E1TI
4.4152
I
WI/E-/N THEATR