FRIENDS of HISTORY
PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
WINTER 2000
Endowed Lecture 2000
“Unexpected Places”
by
Philip Deloria
Professor of History, University of Colorado
Author of Playing Indian
February 24, 2000
8:00 p.m. Room 327
Smith Memorial Hall
Portland State University
ENDOWED LECTURE
Dr. Deloria will discuss ways in which American ideas about Indians were formed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Included will be the ways in which real Indian people lived lives that defied those expectations and the ways in which Indian people both challenged and confirmed American ideological expectations. He will talk about Indian athletes, film actors, the use of technology (especially automobiles) with a few references to world travel, caberet dancing, art and pop music, and cowboying.
Cathy Alzner
Vice-President
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF FRIENDS OF HISTORY
Late last year, on behalf of Friends of History, I signed an agreement with the PSU Foundation that spells out in detail the Friends' relationship with the Foundation. While this agreement does not make any substantial changes in our operations, it was something of an eye-opener -at least for me. We are one of only six recognized Foundation affiliates. The others are the PSU Alumni Association, the Viking Club, Friends of the Library Association, Friends of Simon Benson House and Retired and Emeriti Professors of PSU. Looking at this list, it becomes obvious that we hold a distinctive place as the only affiliate specifically related to an academic department. This may explain why we get an occasional inquiry from other departments on the PSU campus or from other campuses about our organization. Until meeting with foundation officials to discuss the agreement I had no idea we were so unusual. The agreement basically commits Friends of History to following the state's administrative rules and defines accounting procedures.
Last year, as you may remember, we held our annual meeting in May rather than June to avoid conflict with commencement activities. I will recommend that we do so again this year, partly so that members may hear the proposed budget and plans for the coming year before these are submitted to the Foundation. The agreement requires that these be submitted by June 1. Although this apparently is not a new requirement, the Foundation had not enforced it and current officers were not aware of it. We will make and seek membership approval of by-law changes to reflect this reality.
The Foundation has made some changes that make it easier for us to determine the status of our various accounts and keep track of our membership dues and donations. Our affiliation also makes it possible for us to stage events without having to seek separate liability insurance. In all, the association is beneficial to us and the Foundation staff members have shown great willingness to cooperate with the Friends.
Roberta Ulrich
LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Warm greetings to you. There is so much happening and so much energy in the Department that listing our accomplishments runs the inevitable risk of leaving much out. Here goes! Gordon Dodds has edited a book published by University of Idaho Press: George Wingate, Through Yellowstone Park on Horseback.
Karen Carr’s Greek Civilization website averages 2500 visitors a day!
Patricia Schechter has been working for several years on a history of
the Portland YWCA together
with students in Capstone courses. The first fruits of their labor
are on display in the lobby of the YWCA - an exhibition of photographs
that are expertly analyzed. On the basis of this work, Prof. Schechter’s
students have been asked to give a presentation at the Oregon Women in
Higher Education Conference.
Friedrich Schuler has been elected to the Vice-Presidency of the Rocky Mountain Council of Latin American Studies, and has recently returned from a presentation of his research at Harvard University.
Bill Lang has co-edited the Great River of the West: Essays on the Columbia River published by the University of Washington Press. He has also penned chapters in two books which also came out this year.
Ken Ruoff’s co-authored book on the astonishing Japanese film, “And the Emperor Marches On,” has been reviewed positively in newspapers and journals in Australia, England, Japan, and the United States. Friends of History are invited to a showing of this film on March 1 in Neuberger Hall 8 beginning at 4:30 pm.
I’ll bring this dazzling list of History Department exploits to an end, knowing that I have left people out and that there is much more to say. I look forward to updating you in the next issue.
All the best,
Lois Becker
FELLOWSHIPS
The Pacific Historical Review, edited by PSU faculty David Johnson (History) and Carl Abbott (Urban Studies and Planning) has received a generous grant of $10,000 from the Lorene Sails Higgins Trust to support graduate student fellowships. History Department alumnus Jack Ohman was instrumental in the receipt of the grant, and everyone involved in the publication of the PHR is enormously grateful for Jack's foresight and efforts in behalf of our students. In addition to the Higgins Trust grant, Jack has raised more than $1,000 in individual donations, also in support of the PHR graduate student editorial fellowships.
Students who hold the PHR editorial fellowships participate in the full range of scholarly journal editing. They work with editors Johnson and Abbott, and editorial associate Susan Wladaver-Morgan, in evaluating articles submitted for publication, identifying the external referees to evaluate submitted manuscripts, stylistic and copy-editing, the selection of book reviewers, and the production of each issue. Students are particularly fortunate to work with Dr. Wladaver-Morgan on the technical aspects of manuscript editing, and they leave their year as editorial assistants with a close understanding of the process of publishing in scholarly journals and the skills of professional editing.
The Pacific Historical Review is published by the University of California Press and appears quarterly. It receives approximately 100 article submissions each year, of which fifteen or sixteen are published. The PHR is one of the oldest scholarly journals in the field of United States history. It was founded in 1932 and edited at UCLA until 1996, when its editorial office moved to Portland State University. Articles published in the PHR focus on the history of American expansionism to the Pacific and throughout the Pacific Rim, U.S. relations with East Asia, and the relationship between American expansionism and the social, cultural, and political history of the United States in the twentieth (and now twenty-first) century.
Members of the Friends of History are invited to visit the editorial offices of the PHR, to see recent issues, learn about forthcoming issues, and, if they wish, subscribe. The editorial offices are located in 487 Cramer Hall. Interested Friends are also invited to visit the PHR web site: www.ucpress.edu/journals/phr.
David A. Johnson
Professor of History
Managing Editor, Pacific Historical Review
TREASURER REPORT
The Friends of History would like to provide some information on how your dues and generous contributions are put to use. Following is a summary of our financial condition and results of our operations since the beginning of the current fiscal year.
As of the end of December, the Friends of History is in solid financial condition as we enter the time of year when we sponsor our flagship event, the annual Endowed Lecture. Balances in the Friends of History accounts with the Portland State University Foundation are as follows:
Operating Account: $6,365.32
Endowment Interest Account: $2,108.37
Endowment Interest Account (Net of excess earnings account): $77,500.91
Fellowship Fund: $3,374.17
Since the beginning of the fiscal year beginning July 1, receipts and expenditures for the Friends of History accounts are as follows:
Operating Account:
Deposits into this fund totaled $2,140. Of this amount, $2,065 represent
dues. The remaining $75 represent a donations.
Expenditures from this account are as follows:
Postage/Printing/Administrative Expenses: $198.78
Event Expenses: $166.60
Grants: $450.00
The Friends of History has had a limited amount of money available to assist PSU History students in research necessary for the completion of their studies. We are pleased to be in a position to make these grants and feel that the return on these investments are substantial. Grants totaling $450.00 were made to Julie Lay to defray travel costs associated with completing research for her master's thesis, to Lynn Rogers-Lent to attend the annual Phi Alpha Theta convention in Chicago, and to Phi Alpha Theta to help defray photocopying and other administrative costs. A further grant in the amount of $150 was made to George Eigo to help defray travel costs associated with research on his master's thesis. However, George was able to arrange to have the research materials he need to review sent to PSU and he generously returned the grant.
Endowment Fund: Donations to this fund totaled $455. This account makes no expenditures; instead, interest generated from this account is used to fund the Friend of History's annual Endowed Lecture. Gifts to this fund are therefore truly gifts that "keep on giving."
Fellowship Fund: This account is used to fund a graduate scholarship in U.S. History. Donations to this fund totaled $275.
Finally, the Friends of History would like to extend a special acknowledgement of gratitude to Barbara Bodin. Ms. Bodin, a retired US West employee. She has made regular, substantial contributions to the Friends of History and had made arrangements for her former employee to match these gifts.
David Bogdon
Treasurer
IMPORTANT DATES:
Feb. 24: 8:00 P.M. Endowed Lecture
“Unexpected Places”
Smith Memorial Hall Rm 327
March 1: 4:30 p.m. Showing of film
“And the Emperor Marches On”
Neuberger Hall Rm 8
Friends of History
Board of Directors
Officers
Roberta Ulrich, President
Cathy Alzner, Vice-President
Erica Goodwin, Secretary
Dave Bogdon, Treasurer
Board Members
Beryl Dahl
Lois Becker
History Department Chair
Daniela Ebeling
Tim Garrison
Vaughan Hill
Lisa Hill
Cindy Landrum
Julia Lay
Jan Oeltjen
Gail Throop
Honorary Board Member
Elizabeth Furse
Honorary Directors
Bernard V. Burke
Daniel Bernstine
The Friends of History newsletter is published quarterly by the Friends of History at Portland State University. The Friends of History is a group of individuals interested in history who believe that the Department of History at PSU offers a strong program worthy of community attention and support. In an age increasingly dependent on technology, the Friends of History shares a conviction that the disciplines inherent in historical analysis are vital not only to the preservation of the humanities, but to all sound thinking. The Friends of History promotes excellence in the teaching and study of history within the University and strives to increase awareness of this resource in the Portland metropolitan area.
Editor: Jan Oeltjen
Friends of History
Department of History
PO Box 751
Portland, OR 97207
503/725-3917