To spot the Oregon State University College of Liberal Arts, look ahead for a sturdy, practical building with large shaded windows and a lively atmosphere of students coming and going-right in the heart of campus.
Alright, time to dig into a story where creativity and curiosity have always ruled the day! Imagine the crisp air of Corvallis, the buzz of campus chatter, and the smell of coffee drifting from student backpacks. You’re now standing in front of a place that’s as dynamic as a jazz concert and as thoughtful as a poetry reading: the College of Liberal Arts.
The roots of this college go all the way back to 1865, not long after the Civil War-when towns were dusty, and horses outnumbered cars by a wide margin. Even then, students were already pleading, “Let us learn more than just cows and calculus!” And the university listened, opening up liberal arts coursework to adventurous minds. Soon, the air was filled with the sounds of music practice and paintbrushes swishing on canvases.
By 1901, a department of music had blossomed, led by Gerard Taillandier, who traded in the California sun for Oregon drizzle just to inspire students. Within a couple of years, the walls echoed with both the rhythm of art and the melodies of budding musicians. Fast forward a bit and you get the birth of journalism classes in 1913, the campus newspaper in 1896-originally called “The Beaver,” which is the kind of name that makes you want to gnaw right into a good story!
But, in every hero’s tale, there’s a twist. As America’s Industrial Revolution cranked up, everyone wanted to be the next great scientist or engineer. In 1914, state policies and shrinking budgets tried to push the arts into the background. But the arts wouldn’t give up so easily. Picture professors sneaking literature and music into the curriculum like kids sneaking snacks behind the bookshelf.
Through wars, hard times, and tighter budgets-especially during the Great Depression-the college kept its creative fires burning. By World War II, the need for more than just slide rules became clear as thousands of returning veterans arrived, searching for purpose and picking up liberal arts majors that stretched from psychology to poetry. And their professors? Legends in their own right. Charles B. Mitchel, a speech professor, was so dedicated he started both the theatre and speech departments, and then helped launch Oregon’s first public radio station. Try to imagine the excitement as the very first radio broadcasts crackled out, bringing a whole outside world of stories to campus.
The 1960s and '70s saw the College really strut its stuff-adding programs in English, history, anthropology, and even Russian studies. Remember KOAC, that early radio station? It eventually became the headquarters for Oregon’s public broadcasting and was such a big deal it even won not one, but two Peabody Awards.
Of course, like all great epics, there were battles. In the 1990s, an infamous property-tax cut-Ballot Measure 5-threatened to chop away beloved programs. Some schools, like technical journalism and religious studies, were slashed, but the college’s ingenuity meant new programs soon rose up-like the digital communication arts major and a revived religious studies option. Never count a creative mind down for long!
Now, stop and take a breath because you’re standing next to the legacy of all those restless artists, actors, writers, and change-makers. In 2024, a brand new $75-million Center for the Creative Arts opened its doors as a beacon for dreams and performances, giving thousands of students a stage-sometimes literally.
This place has shaped Olympic gold medalists, actors from "Fuller House" and "Little House on the Prairie," Pulitzer Prize-winning poets, groundbreaking journalists, and more. From voice acting pioneers at Disney, to bestselling authors and influential legislators-OSU’s College of Liberal Arts has sent creative waves rolling far beyond Corvallis.
So, as you stand here, think of all the stories that have started in these halls, every laugh echoing in a rehearsal room, every argument in a philosophy class, and every note of music shimmering through a practice window. The liberal arts, much like a good mystery, always leave you wanting to discover what’s next. And spoiler alert: the next chapter could belong to you!
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