UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

From Our Past

Howard Hall: 1927-2017

With the construction of Dundon-Berchtold Hall well underway, it might be a good time to look back on the building site’s original occupant, Howard Hall. The following passages are from Jim Covert’s 1976 University history, A Point of Pride:

“The University constructed one building and demolished another during that era [1922-1935]. Due to the severe winter snowstorm in 1916 and subsequent damages as a result of Oregon’s “silver thaws” Columbia Colosseum was regarded as unsafe. Obviously a new athletic center was needed and enthusiasm for a new facility apparently began when Melvin Schulmerick, an outstanding athlete, wrote an article wrote an article in a 1923 issue of The Columbiad entitled: “How About the New Gymnasium?” Officials launched a fund drive in 1926 with the provincial, Rev. Charles O’Donnell, promising a major portion of the money if sufficiently matched by Columbia benefactors. Plans were drawn up for a modern structure serving as a combination gymnasium-auditorium containing a large tile swimming pool and regulation basketball court with a stage at one end for convocations and drama presentations, a bleacher and balcony capacity for about 2,500 spectators, and other necessary facilities on the lower level such as lockers, showers, and dressing rooms.

“Pledges turned into hard cash and construction began on a site next to the rickety Colosseum. The cornerstone ceremony occurred on November 20, 1927. On February 19, 1928, The Sunday Oregonian reported that a “formal housewarming of Howard Hall” would be held that evening; Archbishop Edward Howard officiated at the dedication of the building named in his honor, with many former Columbia athletes in attendance. Now aged, it is sometimes difficult to realize that in 1928, Howard Hall was a splendid edifice that cost nearly $80,000 (a goodly sum in those days), but from the very first the roof leaked and it still does. Ironically, because of a destructive east wind the following year, old Columbia Colosseum had to be dismantled, almost as if the two buildings standing side by side dared not share the future together.

“In retrospect, the sense of prosperity of the 1920s coupled with the determination to build Columbia into a ‘Notre Dame of the West’ reached a crescendo in 1927, triggered by the successful fund drive for Howard Hall. On the front page of the Oregon Journal on December 8, 1927, a lead article announced Columbia’s plans to raise $4,000,000 in an ambitious building campaign to be carried out over a decade. According to the newspaper: ‘Plans contemplate raising the university to the rank of Notre Dame….’ Although difficult to believe that the idea as outlined could be regarded as feasible, the plan proposed a total rearrangement of the campus, keeping only Christie and Howard halls. West Hall was to be razed making room for a University chapel—a ‘major architectural piece’ in modified Gothic with its towers to be ‘a landmark for the entire city.’ Other buildings were to follow, divided by picturesque quadrangles with each proposed structure an integral part of a master campus design.”

Howard Hall served as the main gathering place on campus for decades to come. Varsity as well as pickup basketball games echoed through the main floor; athletics offices wound their way up three stories; the basketball court was used for clandestine Portland Trailblazers practices in the 1970s and 1980s; a very popular recurring event was the UP Smoker, with students competing in boxing as well as wrestling matches in a haze of cigarette and cigar smoke. Fire broke out at least twice over the years, causing serious damage to the basketball court and swimming pool roof. Commencement ceremonies were held there until it became necessary to move to the downtown Civic (now Keller) Auditorium. The gymnasium was also used for appearances and speeches by a number of figures, including presidential candidate John F. Kennedy in 1960; Senator Wayne Morse; comedians Milton Berle, Martin Mull, and future U.S. Senator Al Franken and his partner Tom Davis; Watergate figure G. Gordon Liddy, and hundreds of prominent members of academia from around the world. In its later years, Howard Hall was used to film episodes of the popular TV series Grimm, turned temporarily into a gritty, rowdy Luca Libre wrestling arena. On occasions when Masses were celebrated for gatherings larger than St. Mary’s Chapel could accommodate, the Sacrament of the Eucharist was celebrated on the Howard Hall stage as well.

All in all a storied past for an often maligned yet affectionately remembered campus landmark.

 

From Our Past: Christie Hall Groundbreaking

christiehallJune 8, 1911 saw the groundbreaking for Christie Hall, at a ceremony attended by Portland archbishop Alexander Christie, the building’s namesake, who turned the first spadeful of earth himself.

When the property on which the University stands was purchased in 1901 from the University Land Company, the terms called for the construction of “a major building” within ten years. The Columbia Colosseum athletic fieldhouse was built in 1903, but Christie Hall is the second-oldest building on campus, since the Colosseum collapsed during a storm in 1927.

The school catalogue described Christie as “a model school dormitory,” designed in Tudor-style brick with three floors and a full basement, with 122 private rooms. “Each room was lighted, ventilated, heated by steam, and contained a washbasin with hot and cold running water,” according to Jim Covert’s A Point of Pride. The University library was moved from West Hall to the Christie basement that year; the “temporary” basis of that move lasted until the Clark Library was built in 1958. The basement also included two bowling alleys, a billiard room, and a smoking room. Christie Hall’s chapel was located where it is today, and has served for over 100 years as a refuge for quiet prayer and reflection.

Christie Hall has served a number of functions over the decades. Many of the legendary Holy Cross priests and brothers made their homes there, including Frs. John and Con Hooyboer, Fr. John Delaunay, and many others whose open-door policies led many students to seek their counsel at all hours. Faculty members kept offices in Christie Hall rooms, especially before the construction of Buckley Center in the early 1970s, and Christie was also home to the University’s credit union, administered faithfully and meticulously by business professor Russell Braden and his wife Kay until the early 1980s.

For more UP history see the University of Portland Almanac at www.up.edu/almanac.

From Our Past

Waldscmidt PrezA number of the University’s legendary Holy Cross priests passed away over the years during the month of December, including:

  • Father Art Schoenfeldt, C.S.C., died on December 9, 2007 at Holy Cross House in Notre Dame, Indiana. He was 77 years old. Known to students, alumni, faculty, and staff alike as “Padre,” Fr. Schoenfeldt served and lived at the University of Portland from 1978 until a few months before his death. In the earlier of these years he served as resident director of Christie Hall, but his ministry to students and staff continued through his years of residence in Mehling Hall and at Holy Cross Court. He was a native of Portland and graduated from Columbia Prep when the school was still located on the Bluff. Schoenfeldt Hall, a student residence funded in part by a gift from his family, is named in Padre’s honor.
  • Father Michael O’Brien, C.S.C., died on December 16, 2003, at the age of 92. He had served at the University of Portland as a faculty member in the English department, as chairman of the department, and as vice president for academic affairs from 1969 to 1976. He enjoyed a reputation as a popular, inspiring, and witty member of the University community. He had earlier served as the dean of studies under an older title and as resident director of the Salzburg Program.
  • Father John L. VanWolvlear, C.S.C., died on December 21, 1995 at Notre Dame, Indiana, at the age of 73. He was playing a game of tennis at the time, “and no doubt Van was winning,” according to Rev. George Bernard, C.S.C., in a eulogy for his good friend. Fr. Van, as he was universally called, came to Portland in 1965 and served in several posts, notably as director of admissions. He remained at Portland until 1973 when he was appointed resident director of the Salzburg Program. Many alumni and colleagues will remember his booming voice and habit of roaring with laughter at the conclusion of his many stories.

Also, the Christmas season has always had special meaning to the University, most obviously due to its long association with the fathers and brothers of the Congregation of Holy Cross. For many years the University hosted an annual Christmas party for children of faculty and staff, complete with visits from Santa Claus. The duty of putting on the Santa suit was shared among University faculty and administrators for many years, and during the 1960s and 1970s the suit was often donned by University president Rev. Paul Waldschmidt, C.S.C. (pictured), who had a special gift for channeling the spirit of Old Saint Nick.

For more information on UP history see the University Almanac at www.up.edu/almanac.

From Our Past: First First Day of School, Sept. 2, 1901

murphyThe date September 2, 1901 marks the dedication and consecration of Columbia University, now the University of Portland. Three days later came the first day of classes. According to history professor emeritus Jim Covert in his 1976 book, A Point of Pride: The University of Portland Story: “The story is told that on opening day the faculty gathered in the president’s office in West [now Waldschmidt] Hall. At about 10 a.m. one of the instructors turned to Father E. P. Murphy (pictured)  and said: ‘There are a few boys out there on the campus. Don’t you think we ought to start operation?’ The president calmly replied: ‘Oh, I guess we should start. Ring the bell.’ Thus classes began.”

Also on September 2 in 1947, the University established the School of Music. It was merged with the College of Arts and Sciences in 1967.

For more University history see the University of Portland Almanac at www.up.edu/almanac.

From Our Past: Chapel Dedicated on Oct. 5, 1986

FogartyThe Chapel of Christ the Teacher was solemnly and officially dedicated on October 5, 1986. Bishop Paul E. Waldschmidt, C.S.C., former president of the University, presided at the ceremony. The funding of the chapel came principally from the investment of a gift made in the 1950s by Rev. James Fogarty, C.S.C., professor of economics at the University (pictured). Further contributions to the chapel fund were made over the years, especially from the family of Rev. James G. Anderson, C.S.C., also of the University’s faculty. Father Anderson’s careful (and fortunate) stewardship of the fund produced a sum that persuaded then-president Rev. Thomas Oddo, C.S.C., and the board of regents that the time to build the long-planned chapel had come. Designed by world-famous Northwest architect Pietro Belluschi, the Chapel of Christ the Teacher stands today as the University’s center of faith.

For more UP history see the University Almanac at www.up.edu/almanac.

From Our Past: Columbia University Dedication

murphyThe date September 2, 1901 marks the dedication and consecration of Columbia University, now the University of Portland. Three days later came the first day of classes. According to history professor emeritus Jim Covert in his 1976 book, A Point of Pride: The University of Portland Story: “The story is told that on opening day the faculty gathered in the president’s office in West [now Waldschmidt] Hall. At about 10 a.m. one of the instructors turned to Father E. P. Murphy and said: ‘There are a few boys out there on the campus. Don’t you think we ought to start operation?’ The president calmly replied: ‘Oh, I guess we should start. Ring the bell.’ Thus classes began.”

Also on September 2 in 1947, the University established the School of Music. It was merged with the College of Arts and Sciences in 1967.

For more University history see the University of Portland Almanac at www.up.edu/almanac.

From Our Past: Inauguration of Rev. David Tyson, C.S.C.

tysonOn March 3, 1991, the University celebrated the inauguration of its 18th president, Rev. David T. Tyson, C.S.C. Prior to his election by the board of regents, Father Tyson served as the vice president for student services at the University of Notre Dame, where he also held an appointment to the faculty of the School of Business Administration. Fr. Tyson took over from Dr. Art Schulte, Jr., who had been serving as interim president following the sudden death of UP president Rev. Tom Oddo, C.S.C., in 1989. The University Museum has posted an entry on Fr. Tyson’s inauguration on the museum Word­press site at http://tinyurl.com/n7tzp33. Please visit the site for more about Fr. Tyson and other historical figures from UP’s past.

From Our Past

moreauOn February 11, 1799, at Laigné-en-Belin, a village near Le Mans, France, Basil Anthony Moreau, who was to become the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, was born. He was ordained a priest of the diocese of Le Mans in 1821 and soon became a member of the faculty of the diocesan seminary, teaching Scripture and providing spiritual direction for young men studying for the priesthood. Within a few years he had gathered some of the priests who were his colleagues in the faculty into an association of “auxiliary priests” whose mission it was to assist parish priests through their preaching and ministry.

In addition Moreau was asked to undertake the direction of a group of religious laymen, who, since 1820, had been known as the Brothers of St. Joseph. He joined the two groups into one body in 1835, which he called the Congregation of Holy Cross, after Sainte Croix, a suburb of Le Mans in which he owned some property and which became the first headquarters of the new group.

He also began to accept women into a division of the congregation known as the Marianites of Holy Cross. The brothers taught in schools, at first in the parishes of the diocese of Le Mans, as the priests conducted their ministry in the same area. The sisters undertook a number of ministries as teachers and in support of the work of brothers and priests. Soon, however, Moreau was responding to calls for assistance in distant places. By 1853 there were Holy Cross religious in North America, Africa, and in East Bengal, as well as in France. Eventually the sisters were split off into an autonomous society and today exist in three religious congregations. Today members of the Congregation of Holy Cross serve in France, North America, South America, Africa, and Asia. For more history from this week, see the University Almanac at www.up.edu/almanac.

From Our Past

Fr Kelley copyFather Louis M. Kelley, C.S.C., president of the University from 1928 to 1934, died on February 8, 1964, at the age of 79. During Father Kelley’s administration, the University granted its first baccalaureate degrees to six bachelors of arts in 1929; he also presided over Columbia University during the worst years of the Great Depression. After leaving Portland he later served as assistant superior general of the Congregation of Holy Cross. His portrait, painted by artist-in-residence Emil Jacques, hangs on the third floor of Waldschmidt Hall outside the offices of the dean of the Graduate School.

In 1935, February 8 also marked the first appearance of the Columbiad as a weekly publication. It had begun as a periodical edited by the faculty but eventually came under the editorship of students. Later in 1935 it changed its name to The Beacon in reflection of the change in name of the University itself and the adoption of “The Pilots” as a nickname for the school’s athletes.

To see more University of Portland history go to www.up.edu/almanac.

From Our Past: Mauro’s 1,000th Pilots Game

mauro copyOn January 27, 2001, the late Mauro Potestio attended his 1,000th Pilot basketball game. The event also marked the 759th consecutive home game Potestio had attended. Suffice it to say that Mauro was and shall most likely remain the most avid Pilot athletics fan of all time. He passed away on Saturday, February 5, at the age of 86.

Potestio, with his dapper attire and signature bowtie, was probably best known for his absolute devotion to the men’s basketball team. While he is noted here mostly for his 1,000th game, Mauro attended 898 consecutive home games, a streak that spanned 62 years and 12 different presidential administrations. The streak began and ended with victories – a 53-48 win over Pacific Lutheran on December 8, 1949 and a 85-70 win over nationally ranked St. Mary’s on January 29, 2011. Mauro was heavily involved with the University athletic department, serving in various positions for more than 40 years. He was the scorekeeper for the men’s basketball team for 26 years after being asked by former Pilots head coach Jim “Mush” Torson. From 1980 to 1988, Mauro served as sports information director, after which he became the men’s head golf coach, a position he held from 1988 to 1997. In 1993, he led the program to its only West Coast Conference golf championship in school history. Among his many passions was collecting as many Frank Sinatra records and souvenirs he could lay his hands on. He sure would have loved to have been at this year’s home court victory over Gonzaga, but then again, in many ways he was.

For more University history, see the University Almanac at up.edu/almanac.