building of a college ..
past, present and future
eve come a long way,...baby
Starnes
liint
College has made con-
facility improvements
jnception as an academ-
tion 10 years ago.
167, the College was
roughout the Clacka-
mty area. The admini-
fficeswere a four-room
located on McLoughlin
j in Milwaukie, said
rsheim. College art in-
'"The rooms were very
esaid.
of the classes were held
tr Milne Road located
hof Oregon City. The
used there are now
ebuilding complex pre
ring facilitated by the
Indents of the Orchard
lid Don Fisher, College
development and plan-
equate funds were ob-
ieCollege's decision as
She new college was to
darose.
He locations were here,
rkPlace in Oregon City,
[Linn," said Alf Lair,
lirector of planning and
I
68,the College's present
was finalized and ap-
College had to purchase
¡erty from about six or
rerent owners," Lair
the property was then
das farm land."
re actual construction
Me facilities began, a
Ian was developed in
ich was used as a basic
for future development
illege, Fisher said. Dur-
me,the Clairmont build-
istablished and the trail-
fpositioned behind the
[The trailers served as
ration offices as well as
id other academic class-
|ir said.
jis point in time, the
consisted of 30 to 40
irs and one custodian,
istodian did everything,”
it roadway through the
«constructed, Barlow
fee next building to be
11970. As Barlow was
mpleted, all the roadway
¡bed, Fisher said.
W2, the Randall and Mc-
buildings were esta
te the Clairmont trail-
Itransferred to the main
iof the campus.
feted their present lo
fe they are now referred
toilers A through G,"
id,
Barlow was being con-
Umuckers' jam cannery
’ijlit, college buildings on
Mne Road are ready to
fcred to permanent Io-
Me present college site.
was vacated and the College pur
chased the buildings. Prior to
the purchasing of the Smuckers
building, the art department was
located in the Brush and Palette
building located on Jennings Ave
nue and McLoughlin Boulevard.
The Brush and Palette voted
to accept the College's offer to
rent their facility and the art de
partment has run smoothly ever
since, Bursheim said.
The art instructor also said
that the Brush and Palette was
responsible for the recruitment
of the College's art students.
"About half of all the pre
sently enrolled art students in
volved with the Brush and Pa
lette displayed a great deal of
enthusiasm as to the College's
existence there," Bursheim said.
During the art department's
occupation of the Brush and Pa
lette building, Bursheim said that
he was the instructor of all the
art classes.
"I taught everything -- basic
design, drawing, painting and art
history. Still today, I drop by the
Brush and Palette once every
two weeks to see how things are
going," he said.
When the office buildings on
Warner Milne Road were trans
ferred to their present location
at the Orchard Center, they be
came the early science lab, Lair
said. "We had to situate the
buildings on blocks because there
was water everywhere. It was a
real mess."
The Orchard Center was-not
the only area undergoing prob
lems. As Barlow Hall was being
constructed, its entire proposed
parking lot area was a swamp,
Lair said. The south parking lot
or Community Center parking
lot was a construction slab and
not a parking lot at this time,
Fisher said.
As Randall, McLoughlin and
Barlow were completed, the base
ball field was constructed in
1971, Fisher said. As more funds
were obtained, the track was
built in 1975 as well as the ten
nis courts, softball field and ar
chery area. The Environmental
Learning Center was also under
construction, he said.
As far as curriculum went,
the College offered college trans
ferrable courses as well as voca
tional and technical courses to
its students.
The College's Community
Center, the most recent addi
tion to the campus, was begun
in the fall of 1973, Fisher said.
Previously, the counselors and
registrar's offices were located
throughout Randall, Barlow and
McLoughlin Halls. All faculty
members currently occupyingthe
offices in the Community Center
transferred their offices from
their respective buildings when
the Community Center was com
pleted in the spring of 1975,
Fisher said.
"Before the Community Cen-
terwascompleted,the game room
and cafeteria were located in
Randall Hall. There were no foos-
ball tables, only two pool tables
and a ping pong table. We had
to move the game room from
Randall 101 after a pool ball
went through one of the win
dows. The room had too much
glass in it to be used as a recre
ation room," Fisher said.
The cafeteria consisted of a
small concession stand where
only salads and chili were served,
he said.
Leroy Anderson, College mu
sic department chairman, said
that during his first year at the
College he was the only music
instructor.
"My first year 1 had to work
part-time. The College was un
certain as to whether they could
guarantee a position for me be
cause of the upcoming budget
election. The budget passed, so
there was no harm done," he
said.
The music classes were held
at the Frist Presbyterian Church
on Warner Milne Road. The
choir met at the school choir
room and the band met inThora
B. Gardiner junior high school.
The stage band met at Rex
Putnam High for the first term
and then continued in
the
church.
"During 1968, the music de
partment consisted of eight band
members and two choir mem
bers," Anderson said. "Only two
people enrolled for choir that
year. We performed our con
certs in the Clairmont building
and graduations were held in the
Clairmont parking lot," he said.
Overall, the College has come
a long way in terms of academic
and institutional growth and de
velopment.
"In the beginning, we had to
be lenient with the students a
great deal more than we are
today," Bursheim said. "We are
now like a college and act like
a college. Academic standards
have risen considerably over the
years and I am personally very
pleased with the College over
all."