Generations of University of Oregon students and faculty are connected through an ever-present force that binds all of us together — and it’s more than the rain. It’s in the scores of footsteps that have echoed through Deady and Friendly halls and Collier House. It’s in the voices of the student section shouting “Mighty Oregon” at every game. Being a Duck has bound us together with generations before us and generations to come. But how did the university become what it is today and who helped paved the way? Countless events and eras contributed to the rich history of the university, but some moments are especially important landmarks to understand how Duck pride originated and how it continues to thrive. Here’s a quick look back into how the Mighty Ducks came to be.
1876: Building a school: The first day of classes at the University of Oregon was Oct. 16, 1876. Establishing the school was a 10-year ordeal, headed by Judge Matthew Deady and John Wesley Johnson, who became its first president. The original faculty totaled five, including the president himself who taught Latin and Greek. Women and men had to enter the single building (christened Deady Hall in 1893) from opposite entrances so that there was no chance of the young men catching a peek at the ladies’ ankles as they climbed the stairs. Tuition was $20 per term, with an incidental fee of $2.50 — so, you win some and you lose some.
1890: The beginning of junior flag rush: This annual ritual involved a flag stitched by the junior class, a battle from the sophomores to retrieve it, and the other two classes allying themselves as they chose. It involved barricading study halls, climbing on roofs, disrupting classes and on more than one occasion, soaking rivals with fire hoses. This tradition was discontinued after 1904, when the sophomores cut down a telephone pole to reach the juniors who were camped out on the roof. It almost makes a certain — ahem — snowball fight look somewhat tame.
1894: College football comes to Eugene: On March 24, Oregon faced Albany College in its first football game. It was a victory of 44-2, a clear omen of the football dynasty to come. It had taken some convincing for President Charles Chapman to allow the university a football team. He was concerned that a prominent athletic presence on campus would distract students from academics. However, the athletic association required a B+ average for participation, which helped assuage the president’s fears, and the football team was born.
1900: The rise of Fraternity and Sorority Life: 1900 marked the chartering of the school’s first fraternity, Sigma Nu. Kappa Alpha Theta became the first sorority in 1909. The fraternities and sororities were prominent forces on campus for some time. They organized many of the social events and the sorority and fraternity houses were also helpful in easing the burden of the housing crunch the college was experiencing at the time. Rituals of all kinds were created by Fraternity and Sorority Life such as freshmen dunking in the fountain by Deady Hall and canoe floats in the Millrace in the spring.
1902: The Prince expands a campus: One of the most rapid periods of progress occurred during the presidency of Prince Lucien Campbell, whose leadership surpassed the quality of the building named after him. He came into office in 1902 when the campus was composed of about 250 students and 22 faculty members housed in seven buildings. Upon Campbell’s death in 1925 when he was still in office the student body numbered about 3,000, the university employed 142 faculty members and there were 38 buildings on campus.
1917: First Rose Bowl appearance: The Ducks reached the third Rose Bowl in 1917, resulting in a 14-0 victory against Pennsylvania. Their appearance in the 1995 Rose Bowl ended a 37-year dry spell for the Pac-10. The Ducks played Penn State but were defeated 38-20. Their sixth appearance in 2012 against the University of Wisconsin resulted in the Ducks’ first Rose Bowl victory in 95 years.
1919: The opening of Hayward Field: The track team established its dominance early on during its first season in 1895, though the team had no established track to practice on. It wasn’t until 1919 when Hayward Field was constructed, named after Colonel Bill Hayward who coached all athletic teams for almost 45 years. However, Hayward feel wasn’t used for track and field until 1921, when the track was added. In 1967, football was relocated the newly built Autzen Stadium.
1932: The Zorn-Macpherson Bill: The recently formed State Board of Higher Education was under heavy influence from Oregon State College, and there were persistent efforts to allocate funds away from the UO and toward the agricultural college. The Zorn-Macpherson Bill was an initiative that sought to essentially combine the two colleges and headquarter the joint school in Corvallis. Thankfully, the legislation was shot down 6-1 in 1932 and both universities remained free to establish the deep and satisfying rivalry we enjoy today.
1947: The establishment of The Duck: Since the 1920s, a duck named Puddles (a real duck) had been a presence at athletic events, but it wasn’t until 1947 that athletic director Leo Harris reached a handshake agreement with Walt Disney to use Donald Duck as the school mascot.
1948: The Bowerman Era begins: The beginning of another era was marked by the hiring of Bill Bowerman as head track coach in July of 1948. Under Bowerman, UO track claimed 24 NCAA titles and sent runners to the world championships and the Olympics.
1949: Erb Memorial Student Union constructed: The first student union was completed in 1950 and named after Donald Erb, the popular president who led the college during World War II and died in office in 1943.
1969: Robert Clark and student protests: Robert D. Clark went from the Dean of the College Liberal Arts to university president during this year. His presidency was a difficult one shaped by anti-war demonstrations, many of which were violent and disruptive. He held the campus together through draft-card burnings and protests with remarkable skill. The honors college, which had been formed in 1959, was named for him after his retirement in 1975.
1970: The Prefontaine legacy begins: Before his tragic death in May 1975, Prefontaine competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics and held seven world records in long-distance events. “He was a great improver,” Prefontaine’s teammate Kenny Moore said. “He was absolutely headlong full of energy to make himself better.”
1977: The arrival of Animal House: National Lampoon approached the university for a film setting in September and by October crew members were on campus. Auditions were held in the EMU to hire extras and 150 men and 50 women were selected. The identity of the university was originally supposed to be concealed, but that was apparently unsuccessful.
2008: Dr. Posner’s achievement: Professor Emeritus of Psychology Dr. Michael Posner was awarded the National Medal of Science by President Obama for his work in the field of cognitive neuroscience. It was a proud moment for a school robbed of its sciences less than 100 years prior.
2011: The Fall of Lariviere: President Richard Lariviere was fired by the state Board of Higher Education for violating policies in his attempts to increase the independence of the university from the state. He brought about changes such as unauthorized faculty wage raises, which threw off the balances of other colleges’ finances. His vision of a new, financially independent university inspired many, and the decision by the board to terminate his presidency outraged the majority of campus.