Spring2025 11 TOASTER: DAVE MCFARLAND; PATCH: ALLEN SANDERSON save seats for the big games, notably with UCLA, USC and Oregon — exciting times to be a Beaver. —TOM SANDERS, ’ 76 I enjoyed Kip Carlson’s recent article on the 75th anniversary of Gill Coliseum. I retain so many fond memories: camping on the ramps for Orange Express tickets in the early to mid-1980s, Bill Cosby and George Burns, Huey Lewis and the News, Howard Jones, class registration en masse, fast walking across the stage to receive a diploma, student one-on-one basketball competitions at half-time of Pac-10 games, and watching my kids and their friends play hoops on the floor after Pac-12 games. I never get tired of returning to Gill, just as I did recently to watch the new-look Beaver Men’s Basketball team beat San Diego by 27 points. Thank you, Kip, for your continued good work on behalf of Beaver Nation! —TOM HOWARD, ’86 I enjoyed the article on memories of Gill Coliseum. As a 1963 graduate and, at the time, student body president, I particularly recall the October 1962 storm that blew half the roof o the building. The university president, James Jensen, asked me to meet him at the coliseum, where he surveyed the damage. There was about a foot of water on the floor. Jensen asked if I thought that the Homecoming dance should be canceled, and, of course, I agreed. I thought it was good of him to ask. One unfortunate memory about the coliseum is the moniker “Gill” for Slats Gill. Slats Gill would never bring any Black player on his teams. Tommy Prothro began integrating the (highly) successful football teams in the early ’60s, and the disparity was notable. —MIKE BURTON, ’63 Editor’s note: Mike isn’t alone in noting the racial makeup of Slats Gill’s basketball teams. In 2017, the university engaged scholars and the OSU community to consider renaming campus buildings with namesakes who may have held racist or exclusionary views. Following a deep research dive, it was determined that Gill had made attempts — though unsuccessful ones — to recruit more Black players. After conversations with university students, alumni and faculty, the Gill name remains. Learn more at beav.es/gill-name. Such Great Heights I read with interest the Backstory article about the OSU Mountain Club. I only wish the article had featured more of its history as the club and Outdoor Program, which grew out of the Mountain Club, have been an important part of many a student’s time at Oregon State. As a student at OSU (1982-1985) I worked at and led trips for the Outdoor Program. During a spring cleaning we located several scrapbooks from the Mountain Club which are now part of the OSU Special Collections. The scrapbooks highlighted not only trips and outings but also social events. I would be remiss not to mention that Oregon State produced not only outstanding climbers, but also some outstanding leaders in the outdoor world. Roger Robinson, ’76, was a Denali mountaineering ranger for almost 40 years and developed an approach to removing garbage and human waste from glaciers that is the standard today. Matt Hyde, ’85, in addition to holding executive positions at REI and West Marine, was a member of the board of directors for the Outdoor IndustryAssociation and theAccess Fund. —ALLEN SANDERSON, ’85 Send letters and comments by email to stater@osualum.com or fill out the form at OregonStater. org/connect. We edit for clarity, brevity and factual accuracy. Please try to limit your letters to 225 words or less. ↑ An OSU Mountain Club patch from the 1980s, shared by alumnus Allen Sanderson . “OREGON STATE PRODUCED NOT ONLY OUTSTANDING CLIMBERS BUT ALSO SOME OUTSTANDING LEADERS IN THE OUTDOOR WORLD.” KITCHEN MYSTERIES AND CAMPUS FOOD TRENDS Help us explore the weird and wonderful ways that food technology and trends have changed by sharing your memories for the next Stater food issue. Whether you favored a particular snack or beverage on game days, learned canning in the Home Economics Building or threw groovy fondue parties at your off-campus house, let us know! We’re particularly curious about vintage cooking tools — like this 1910s toaster from a Milam Hall storeroom — and your OSU stories about them. Email us at stater@osualum.com or write to Oregon Stater, OSU Alumni Association, 204 CH2M HILL Alumni Center, Corvallis, OR 97331. email to stater@osualum.com fill out the form at
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