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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 20, 1982)
Library displays letters A glimpse of presidents in painting and manuscript By Marna Broekhoff O* ttm Emarald A rare glimpse into the lives and personalities of past Amer ican presidents is being offered students with an exhibition of presidential letters now on dis play in the Special Collections section of the University library. The letters were collected and donated by E P McKean Smith, of Coquille, who was a journalism student at the University during World War II. Most of the letters are original manuscripts of most U S. presi dents. The collection of presidential Specialists in Classical Records & Tapes Monday through Saturday 9:30-5:30 808 Charnel ton 345-6197 The ASUO Survival Center is the student environmental action center on campus. We coordinate and channel the efforts of the large number of U of O students who are concerned about the quality of the environment, and more importantly, that feel a need to turn this concern into action. Research, education, and action on environmental issues are the major function of the Center, with an emphasis on active student involvement in the different processes which affect the environment in Oregon. Students can get involved by volunteering a few hours a week, enrolling in the Center’s SEARCH course, or by working for credit on specific issues. ISSUE AREAS Whales Non-nuclear energy Wilderness protection Wildlife protection Pesticides y letters has been shown on several previous occasions, in cluding the Bicentennial Now the letters will be displayed chronologically, on a rotating basis, eight at a time, along with a more recently acquired col lection of presidential portraits The portraits, by Lawrence Wil liams, were donated by Lester Johns in memory of his parents, B P and Helen Johns of Port land. The letters and portraits are in the Special Collections hallway on the second floor of the li brary, accessible by the north stairs Open hours vary, but are usually 8 a m - 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, when the University is in session The current display includes letters and portraits of the first eight presidents from 1789-1841: George Washing ton, John Adams, Thomas Jef ferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson and Martin van Buren In brown ink, on aged parch ment, the letters provide revealing glimpses into pres idential lives and personalities Washington, in one letter, uses a 70-word sentence concerning the rights to a deed. John Adams, in a letter, admonishes his son — future president John Quincy — who was then in The Hague, to extend hospitality to Eliphalet Fitch, whom he calls a "gentleman of Fortune." In a later letter of his own, with a palsied script, Adams declines an invitation to speak to the Boston Unitarians because of his "engagements of public du ty,” but asks the group to "please accept assurance of my fervent prayers for the advance ment of liberal religion." Writing c°ntinued>r°mpa9e18 The English department does not focus just on preparing its own writing teachers It also has rigorous courses for those who plan to teach language arts in the public schools. For those who are already teaching in the schools, the Oregon Writing Project, lead by Nathaniel Teich, former director of compostion, has received wide recognition This federally-assisted summer instititute enables experienced teachers to learn new theories and methods for teaching composition and to improve their own writing. Research in composition and rhetoric is the third front on which the University is waging war on poor verbal skills. More than 10 years ago, rhetoric and composition became a specialty for the Ph D in English, and several dissertations are being written in this area The English department now boasts six faculty members in composition and rhetoric, all of whom have conducted research, developed curricula, and published widely John Gage, the University's new composition director this fall and a member of the executive committee of the national Confer ence on College Composition and Communication, says that writing has been getting more scholarly focus and prestige in recent years He cites academic employment trends and the recent upsurge in membership of the CCCC to indicate that English departments are recognizing the value of research in composition to complement their literary studies For the foreseeable future, writing instruction at the University is likely to remain excellent "Our writing programs are extremely cost-effective,' Malarkey says "The money is damn well spent." Literacy is improving But Albert Kitzhaber, a professor emeritus in English, with veteran wisdom, doubts that the literacy crisis is new "If you go back 50 or 100 years," Kitzhaber says, "you’ll find that people have always thought writing was in a state of decay " # THE BAVARIAN GERMAN RESTAURANT A BIER KELLER A TRADITION IN EUGENE SINCE 1963 SERVING EUGENE’S LARGEST SEIECTION OF IMPORTED BEERS! OVER 70 KINDS FROM 23 COUNTRIES (Ask about our boor tasting classes) Every Wednesday is Bratwurst Nite! $2 95 Bratwurst, German bread, sauerkraut, beer cheese soup. HOMEMADE SOUPS. SANDWICHES. DINNERS AND DESERTS .1 kit from Sth Si Public Market at the »outh end of the Furry Hi Bridge SO nth csmtus 11 am -1 am Monday-Saturday 4 p.m, -10 p.m. Sunday 444 East 3rd Ave. 345-9815 ... s *\
