Dave Frohmayer, former University of Oregon president died on Monday night, family spokesperson and friend Marla Rae confirmed with the Emerald.

The family released this statement, provided to the Emerald by UO spokesperson Julie Brown:

“Dave Frohnmayer passed away quietly in his sleep last night. He was 74. Dave had bravely dealt with his quiet battle against prostate cancer for 5 1/2 years. We are devastated by his passing but we are grateful that his passing was peaceful.

Much of Dave’s life was devoted to fighting devastating health crises that enveloped his family. These battles were complicated by the intense public attention that inevitably accompanied his lifelong commitment to public service. He was adamant that his own health issues would remain private. Except for the immediate family and Dave’s closest friends, he was able to accomplish this and continue a full public schedule to the end.

The family will hold a celebration of Dave’s remarkable life at a time to be announced.

Dave is survived by his wife Lynn, his sons Mark and Jonathan, his daughter Amy, his sister Mira and brother John. His daughters Kirsten and Katie and his brother Phil predeceased him. Frohnmayer was president of the UO from 1994 to 2009 and continued teaching at the university after retiring from presidency.”

He was attorney general for the state of Oregon from 1981 to 1991 and during his tenure he won six of seven cases before the Supreme Court. Frohnmayer was the Republican candidate for governor in 1990, losing to Democrat Barbara Roberts.

Frohnmayer also served the UO as the dean of students for the School of Law, law professor and legal counsel to the university.

Along with his wife Lynn, Frohnmayer founded the Fanconi Anemia Research Fund, Inc. A rare blood disorder that two of his daughters passed from, and his 28-year-old daughter currently lives with.

In 2009, when the university was facing a particularly difficult fiscal situation, Frohnmayer offered to take six unpaid days off to help the deficit.

Scott Coltrane, interim president of UO e-mailed the student body expressing his sadness for Frohnmayer’s passing.

“Dave was a friend, a former colleague and a valued advisor. I am honored to have witnessed how his profound collaboration and insightful vision built the University of Oregon into the top research university it is today.”

Former ASUO President Sam Dotters-Katz also commented on Frohnmayer’s passing.

“It is truly remarkable that, even though he was the most successful state attorney general in modern history and the greatest president the University of Oregon has ever known, all of that pales in comparison to the man he was to his family. His loss is an incalculable tragedy, and I will miss him dearly,” he said.

Frohnmayer was a member of Delta Upsilon at Harvard University. During his presidency he created the fraternity and sorority endorsement program and provided scholarships to three men and three women.

The stipend was between $250 to $1,000, and was disbursed during fall and winter terms.

The post Former University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer has passed away at 74 appeared first on Emerald Media.

In honor of its in-state rival university advancing to the College Football Playoff Championship Game Monday, Oregon State University has pledged to “go green” for the day by lighting its corridors with green lights, and hosting a watch party for students to attend.

The Daily Barometer, OSU’s campus paper, asked Beavers whether they’d be rooting for the Ducks or not, and all who answered admitted they would be rooting for UO.

“Since the Beavers didn’t make it too far, I am rooting for the Ducks because rather than schools divided, it’s the states united,” said senior Mariah Mudget.

Others, like sophomore Rutger Farry, are from Eugene themselves.

“They’re from Oregon, I’m from Oregon,” Farry said. “I hope they do a good job representing Oregon.”

Graduate student Melissa McDougall told The Barometer that she hopes the Ducks would root for OSU if it were in the nationals.

“I’d say we’re all Oregon fans,” McDougall said.

Oregon State’s watch party will be held in the Commons building, and students are encouraged to come wearing duck gear, and root for the ducks to become the inaugural College Football Playoff Champions. The national championship is between the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes. It will be aired live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX on ESPN at 5:30 p.m.

This year, the University of Oregon is embarking on the most ambitious public fundraising campaign the state has ever seen.

In October, the UO announced a $2 billion campaign — its third public fundraising campaign since 1992. The other two campaigns pale in comparison— the 1992-1998 goal was set at $150 million, and after an upheaval of gifts, the university ended the campaign at $250 million. The second campaign, from 2000-2008, was set for $600 million and advanced to $853 million upon its closure.

This time the bar is set over $1 billion higher.

“I think it’s both aspirational and a little bit scary,” Vice President for University Advancement Mike Andreason said.

Dave Petrone, Oregon alumnus and chair of the current campaign, is confident that the campaign’s strong leadership will help it succeed.

“We have the best leadership team we’ve ever had, bar none,” Petrone said.

Andreason agrees.

“We’re in a tremendously positive place,” he said. “I would say that the new governing board, the Board of Trustees and the changes really allow the university to imagine a future that is far more aspirational.”

The current campaign had been quietly underway for four years prior to its unveiling this fall when Interim President Scott Coltrane announced the public phase of the campaign to over 700 attendees at an invitation-only event in a tent at Hayward Field.

At that debut on Oct. 17 the UO had already raised $700 million. Today it sits at $737 million.

Andreason said the university does not have a specific deadline for raising the money, but he speculates this campaign will close in 2018. He does not know if the university will increase its goal if it successfully raises $2 billion.

The biggest gift yet is from Steve Ballmer and Connie Ballmer — who is on the UO Board of Trustees — for $50 million.

According to Jim Brooks, the director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, $25 million of their donation will be endowed to support Pathway Oregon, a scholarship program aimed towards Federal Pell Grant-eligible in-state students.

Another priority of the department is to support middle-income students to pursue higher education.

Fundraising will allow the university to maintain academic excellence by funding students who may otherwise be drawn to schools that can offer them more scholarships, Brooks said.

“We want to be able to keep the best and brightest students here,” Brooks said. “We don’t want to lose students to other schools because they can offer the students more in aid than we can.”

The remaining balance of the Ballmer donation will help fund faculty hires and the new “UO brand” which included the new redesign of the university’s webpage.

The campaign will also affect specific departments on campus:

The School of Architecture and Allied Arts hopes to raise a total of $42 million, and has met 64 percent of that goal as of Nov. 30, 2014.

The funds will go toward student and program support, faculty support and a new home for the A&AA. The new building is the biggest priority for the school, according to Associate Dean for Administration Robert Thallon.

The proposed new A&AA facilities will be located on University Street between 15th and 18th Avenue, after moving the softball field and constructing new academic space in its place.

“The project will result in the creation of additional open spaces on campus,” Thallon said. “It’s a beautiful campus – it’s one of the most beautiful in the country − and that’s partly because we have this designated open space.”

The building will also have classrooms and spaces to serve the entire university.

“We don’t want to have just classrooms just for A&AA,” Thallon said. “We want to have the rest of the university interact and see what we’re doing and collaborate.”

The capital campaign also has several plans for the College of Arts and Sciences, including a $34 million budgeted college and careers building. Half of the funding for this building will come from the state, and the other half, from donations to the university.

The college and careers building will have areas for students to study and meet with potential employers and classrooms.

According to Andrew Marcus, the Interim College of Arts and Sciences dean, aside from the building’s initial cost, there is a $5 million budget for upkeep. “We can use the endowment from $5 million to pay for janitorial services and heating and so forth,” he said.

This building received a $10 million gift from philanthropists Will and Don Tykeson on Sept. 17, and currently has $11 million allocated.

“We’re very confident that we’ll get the full amount,” Marcus said.

CAS comprises 49 majors within the university, and this translates to 60 percent of UO’s degrees per year. Currently, the CAS departments are split over more than 52 buildings on and off campus.

Some other goals for CAS during the current campaign are renovating Klamath Hall, $8 million to funding scholarships, $10.5 million to improve the undergraduate experience, including study abroad opportunities and research involvement and $8 million aimed to change curriculum, bringing a total of $26.5 million to student benefits.

A $50 million goal is set to support faculty chairs, $22 million for an intensive research experience for faculty, $10 million to the faculty fighting fund which boosts the salary of key faculty, bringing the total of faculty benefits goals to $82 million. CAS also hopes for $9.5 million for unrestricted support, according to Marcus.

The capital campaign will also affect the Robert D. Clark Honors College, which hopes to raise money to recruit new students and renovate Chapman Hall, the honors building on campus.

The athletics department will also benefit from the campaign.

One project already underway for athletics is the Jane Sander Softball stadium, aimed to be finished by the 2016 season.

The softball budget received a kickstart when Robert Sanders donated $10 million. The stadium will be named after Sander’s late wife, who graduated from the UO in 1950 and was a cheerleader while Sanders was a fullback for the Ducks. The stadium will be built in honor and remembrance of Jane, who passed away in 2013.

On Oct. 15, GoDucks.com announced that the SRG architecture firm based in Portland has been selected to design the field. SRG has also previously designed the Lillis Business Complex on campus.

The athletics department was not available for comment.

The current campaign received higher records of first-time donors than the university had seen before, with 8,516 donors in 2014, and 5,163 in 2013. Of these 13,679 donors, 12,287 gave to academics.

The university plans to have a tracking device that the public can view electronically to follow the campaign, but it has not been developed yet.

“Let’s go ducks! Let’s go ducks! Let’s go ducks!”

Enthusiastic students and fans gathered in front of Lillis business complex early Monday morning to show support for the ducks live on Good Morning America in the first ever College Football Playoff Championship game.

The Ducks (ranked No. 2) take on the Ohio State Buckeyes (ranked No. 4) Monday night at 5:30 p.m. The game will be aired live on ESPN.

“I’m confident in the Ducks to win today, mostly because of how we played against FSU. Our defense is really strong,” Ken Haskett, sophomore at University of Oregon said.

Students and fans were prepped with bold signs, jerseys and energy this morning, hopeful for a successful turnout.

Some of the signs read: “Mariota = Jesus,” and another, “Ohi…NO!”

Some students arrived earlier than the cameras this morning, ecstatic for the opportunity to show school spirit.

“We’ve been here since 3:30,” Ariana Gittins, sophomore at the UO said. “We haven’t slept. We have class at 9 a.m.”

Both Gittens and Haskett plan to watch the game at the newly renovated student recreation center. The watch party begins at 3:30 p.m., and free food will be served to students who attend.

The Ducks played in the BCS National Championship game in 2011 when they took on the Auburn Tigers. The Tigers ended up on top with a 22-19 lead, but Oregon is favored to win in Monday’s game by 5.5, according to bleacherreport.com.

“I remember seeing the Ducks when they weren’t that good, and seeing how far they’ve come today is just amazing,” Oregon Duck fan Tara Crooks, 36, of Springfield said.

ESPN will also be on campus today interviewing students and broadcasting live from Sports Center in the SRC from 6 a.m. until noon. ESPN will also cover the watch party at the SRC.

Students can also watch the game in the EMU Fishbowl or in Global Scholars Hall. All events are exclusive to students.

Those who worked with Mark Lewis remember him fondly.

“Mark was always ‘out there’ — part rasping pirate, part mischievous elf, part bawdy uncle, with a dash of Santa Claus,” School of Journalism and Communication instructor Mike Thoele said. “He lived a life that was on display, the perfect mirror for an inner conviction that the greatest joy was in connecting with other people. Students who shared his instincts found validation. For the less confident, he was the path to discovery of their inner-extrovert. He served them all well.”

Mark Lewis died on Dec. 7 from a pulmonary embolism. The presentation skills instructor was 60.

Lewis often visited classes during his time at the SOJC. It was common for him to speak in courses such as Gateway and journalistic interview. He was known for his enthusiastic presence, for teaching students the proper way to do a handshake and his storytelling:

“He tells them, and it is like a beautiful oration. He uses voices. He uses sound effects,” said Lisa Heyamoto, an SOJC professor and member of The Emerald’s board of directors. “And he transports you, and he is just standing there in front of you, acting it out, and this is truly incredible.”

Lewis was an award-winning storyteller. He won two Emmys in his 40 years in the entertainment industry: Both for his show, Word Pictures, for WTTW in Chicago. One for his writing of the show, and the other for his performance. Lewis was also featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Mark Lewis can still be heard on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in Disneyland. Lewis has also worked with ABC TV and The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Lewis and his wife have lived in Eugene for 23 years. He left Los Angeles and headed for a classroom to begin a new venture in the realm of storytelling. Instead of performing, Lewis wanted to teach.

Lewis began his journey with the SOJC in 2011.

“His stage is now his classroom and his students are now his audience,” advertising major Danielle Holley wrote in a biography she drafted about Lewis for her journalistic interview class. Holley was inspired by Lewis after he visited her Gateway course.

“For this assignment, I knew I wanted to interview Mark Lewis,” she said. “He is by far the most entertaining and charismatic person I’ve ever met.”

On Dec. 8, the SOJC held a memorial for students, professors and the public to remember Lewis. The white board of Allen Hall Hearth was filled with memories and experiences, surrounded by a sketch of Lewis’ face.

One excerpt read: “You saw potential in me that pushed me to new heights. Your vision lives on through me and all the lives that I touch, thank you Mark Lewis.”

Lewis’ wife, Colleen Lewis, has worked at the UO for nine years, and currently works as the employer relations and events coordinator for the career center. Mark and Colleen have two daughters.

“I think he brought a heightened energy and joy and enthusiasm,” Heyamoto said. “I think that all professors here have that, but he was just something special.”

Mark Lewis, a journalism instructor at the University of Oregon, died on Sunday night.

Lewis spent over 40 years in the entertainment industry. He won two Emmy Awards for his show, Word Pictures for WTTW that was filmed in Chicago and Lewis’s performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Lewis taught presentation skills at the University of Oregon.

He has published three books and acted in the television series Grimm and Leverage.

Lewis has also worked with ABC TV, The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, as well as Disney Imagineering. Today, Lewis’s voice can still be heard as a voice over on the Pirates of Caribbean ride.

Lewis’s family and friends have set up a memorial fund. You can make donations here.

Around 6:45 p.m., the roadway of 18th Avenue between Hilyard and Ferry street experienced heavy flooding along drainage areas and intersections. Other sections of Hilyard and Patterson street also experienced flooding due to a large backup of leaves in the storm drains.

More to come.

The public phase of a projected $2 billion fundraising campaign for the University of Oregon was announced Friday night at a private event at Hayward Field.

The campaign has already raised $700 million in private donations over the last four years, UO’s interim president Scott Coltrane told a crowd at the invitation only unveiling at Hayward Field on Friday night. The university hopes to reach $2 billion over the next four years. Phil Knight, chairman of Nike, was one of the top donors recognized at the event.

According to the university, money gathered from the campaign will go to fund scholarships, hiring 150 new tenure track faculty positions, expanding research and construction and renovation projects. Specifics include funding need and merit based scholarships including Pathway Oregon, recruiting more students to the Clark Honors College and renovating its headquarters in Chapman Hall, increasing international recruitment and study abroad opportunities, constructing a new building for the College of Architecture and Allied Arts, expanding athletic facilities and a new visitor pavilion for the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.

The school’s last public fundraising campaign, campaign Oregon, wrapped up in 2008 and raised $853 million dollars — surpassing an initial goal of $600 million. That campaign funded the $55 million Lorry I. Lokey Science complex and Turnbull journalism center in Portland.

Oregon State University announced a similar campaign in October of 2007 with an original goal of $625 million, which they later raised to $1 billion. To date, its campaign has raised $1,096,411,107.

The UO’s new campaign would be the largest in the state’s history.

The Congressional U.S. Representative Debate will begin tonight at 7 p.m.

The Emerald will be live-tweeting the event, and it will be broadcasted by KLCC.

The University of Oregon Law School will host Peter DeFazio, Art Robinson and Michael Beilstein.

The group will answer questions posed by moderator Tripp Sommer, the audience and their opposing candidates.

The debate is sponsored by the City Club of Eugene and League of Women Voters of Lane County. The broadcast will conclude at 8 p.m.

Follow @JenniferFleck for the Emerald’s live coverage.

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