Hamersly Library

F.A.Q.

How many different names has the University has been known by?
Seven. These are listed on the History of Western page.

What information is available about the buildings on campus?
The buildings on WOU's campus have a long and illustrious history (Did you know that Campbell Hall is the oldest building in the Oregon University System?) Specific information about each campus building can be found on our Building History pages.

Why was Monmouth Oregon's only dry town?
Until November 2002, the sale of alcohol was prohibited in Monmouth. Consult the notebook entitled Alcohol in Monmouth, cited in the Campus History Notebooks. It contains newspaper articles from 1933 to date and a copy of the local Monmouth Ordinance that answer this question.

What are some of the oldest items in the Archives?
The oldest official record is the Minutes and Records of the Board of Trustees of Monmouth University. The first entry is dated March 10, 1855 and ends with entries from 1881. Other items include the original Butler family letters from the 1850s and 1860s; a notebook used by Reverend John E. Murphy in the 1870s to record funds solicited for the Christian College; diplomas and a monthly report card from 1871; and many photographs from the 19th century. From the 1890s, we have a photograph of our first football team (1893); an 1897 library catalog; and still remarkably intact are two herbariums, containing pressed flowers and plants alongside recorded descriptions, that students compiled for a botany class.

Why is Western's team called the Wolves?
In the 1920s, the student newspaper LAMRON had a contest to name the football team of the Oregon Normal School. The team did not have a name; often it was called the Normal Team. The winning suggestion was that the team honor their coach, Larry Wolfe, and be called the Wolves.

Who uses the University Archives?
Students writing term papers on University history; family members doing genealogy about our founders, presidents, faculty,staff and alumni; scholars researching University for dissertations and books; local reporters writing a story or looking for photographs; University Offices looking for facts, biographical details or photos; local home owners researching their property; alumni looking for course descriptions in old catalogs; and novelists researching student and teacher life in the 19th century to create a realistic setting for their fiction.

How tall is the giant Sequoia, when was it planted, and when did the tradition of lighting begin?
In 1996 the Sequoia measured 123 feet. It was planted by the graduating senior class in 1887. The tradition of lighting it at Christmas began in 1967 at the suggestion of student Gayna Miles Meyers. To read newspaper stories written about this tradition since 1967, consult the notebook Christmas Tree Lighting, cited in the Campus History Notebooks.

When did the old stadium burn down?
June 6, 1978. The wooden building was constructed in the 1930s and burned to the ground a few days before it was to have been used for outdoor commencement ceremonies. No one was injured in the blaze. A new stadium was constructed in its place in 1980.

Have there been attempts to close Monmouth Avenue to automobile traffic?
Many attempts have been made over the years. Newspaper stories published since the 1960s about this topic are compiled in Monmouth Avenue Closure, cited in the Campus History Notebooks.

Is there history about the public art and sculptures on campus?
Information about campus public art and sculptures is available in the notebook Sculptures on Campus, cited in the Campus History Notebooks.

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