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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 2004)
University history museum begins lecture series The Museum of Natural and Cultural History launches 'Uncommon Treasures' and honors a late history professor BY HALEY GORDON FREELANCE REPORTER A crowd buzzing with excitement sat in the Knight Law Center on Fri day to listen to the story of one man who came to Oregon to preach but found himself digging in the dirt for fossils. Director of the Condon Collection Dr. William Orr presented slides and told stories about different fossils and specimens housed in the University’s Condon Collection. The lecture kicked off the Univer sity’s Museum of Natural and Cultur al History annual archeology lecture series, “Uncommon Treasures: Stories from the University of Oregon Museum and Library Collection.” Thomas Condon was Oregon’s first geologist and the University’s first natural history professor. Condon was a “rapacious collec tor,” who acquired large amounts of specimens and material, Orr said. Both Condon and his wife initially traveled to Oregon to preach Chris tianity. “He was very religious, but had no problem with evolution. He saw it as God’s way,” Orr said. According to Orr, 1,500-1,700 out of the 75,000 specimens in the Condon collection originally belonged to Condon. Condon’s im pact on the study of natural history in Oregon is apparent in the many buildings named after him: The pri mary visitors’ center of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monu ment is named in recognition of Condon, as is the University’s Con don Hall, which houses the geology department’s offices. Condon’s children sold his collec tion to the University after he died in 1907. Currently, modern bones, used for comparative research, make up one tenth of the collection, and the rest is roughly half animals and half plants, Orr said. The lecture touched on the vast va riety in the collection and also dis cussed what paleontologists and New York Times reporter David Cay Johnston promotes his book about the in equities of American tax law, “Perfect ly Legal," at the Knight Law School on Saturday afternoon. Tim Bobosky Photographer $ Pftj# Johnston: Writer pleads for voter involvement Continued from page 1 it," Johnston said. Johnston also alluded to the poten tial for a social revolution if Americans continue to lose jobs and the economic gap increases. “The French set up a system in which all the wealth was tied up in trusts between the church and the aris tocracy. So what happened to King Louie?” Johnston said, “I don’t want that to happen here. I think the prospect of revolution in this country would make the terror of the French revolution look quite mild. ” Johnston ended his speech with a positive theme and a plea for awareness. “One of the wonderful things I’ve seen lately is all those pictures on TV of people lining up to vote. I don’t care who they’re voting for — they’re getting involved,” John ston said. “The most minimum thing you can do is read a decent newspaper every day. Listen to people whose opinions are not like yours ... people you don’t like can sometimes have good ideas.” Johnston quoted author Neil Post man, saying “without even realizing it, we are giving away our democracy. ” Michael A. Booth is a freelance reporter for the Daily Emerald geologists learn from such fossils. Orr also showed slides of the “only fossil egg we know of in Ore gon” and explained that fossils are able to stay intact for thousands of years because of Oregon’s volcanic history. Orr’s lecture ended with a reception in the Museum of Natural and Cultural History, where the au dience was given a glance at the renovations in progress. The lecture series “gives people another oppor tunity to engage” in the museum, Education Coordinator Allison Kramer said. It also “shows the extent of what we know of Oregon’s past and showcases what the University does,” C. Melvin Aikens, museum director, said. The series is arranged in chrono logical order, beginning with the fos sil collection, he said. The next lecture, titled “Historical TYeasures from the Museum of Nat ural and Cultural History,” will be held Friday in Knight Law Center Room 175. Haley Gordon is a freelance reporter for the Daily Emerald SKI SWAP Lane County Fairgrounds October 29 and 30 New & used ski and snowboarding equipment, clothing and more! 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Every year the Japanese Government invites people from around the world to participate in this unique program, to serve as Assistant Language Teachers or Coordinators for International Relations. Currently, there are over 6,200 participants in the Program from 40 different countries. Benefits include round trip airfare, salary, paid vacation, subsidized housing, and a professional work environment. Applicants Must: •S: Citizenship (iavg.U: (FT r hold citizenship of one of the other 39 participating countries. You must also apply in your home country. Hold a Bachelor's Degree bv July 2005 No Japanese language ability required for the Assistant Language Teacher position. The Consulate-General of Japan in Portland, Oregon will be at University of Oregon for an informational orientation on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program on the following day: DATE: 10/25/04 TIME: 3:00-4:30 BUILDING: Erb Memorial Union (EMU) For an application or more information call 1-800-info-jet or the Consulate-General of Japan in Portland at (503) 221-1811, or visit our website at http://www.embjapan.org
