Join the Albany Society in attending a lecture on U.S. sojourners to Alaska in the mid-1800's by Pamplin Emeritus Professor of History Stephen Dow Beckham. Then, join us for some light bites and introductions as we welcome the class of 1976 to the Albany Society ahead of their official induction at the Golden Medallion Breakfast at Alumni Weekend 2026.

Graduate School of Education and Counseling Dean Andy Saultz MAT '06 is inviting the Albany Society to join this event, which will begin with an informal panel discussion with graduate school alumni, followed by refreshments and hors d'oeuvres in the newly renovated Corbett House. Graduate school faculty will also be sharing their recent publications and discussing their current work. 

Please join us for this annual Albany Society event celebrating our senior alumni! We will be sharing updates and host a distinguished keynote speaker (TBA) as we honor the class of 1976 as they celebrate their 50th L&C reunion and are inducted into the Albany Society. The classes of 1956, 1961, 1966, and 1971 will also be honored. Start making your plans now, reach out to your Lewis & Clark friends.

An exploration of select items from the Aubrey R. Watzek library archive collection

-  by Dave Todd '68

Previously, we followed along the approximate route of Lewis and Clark’s 1803-1805 expedition via painted images from life of indigenous residents of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. These were painted in 1823 and copied as lithograph etchings in 1904 (To view them, you can revisit our the Fall 2025 edition of The Gatehouse here). After meeting Sacajawea and her
son, our archival time machine will jump to the turn of the 19th -20th centuries.

Sacajawea and Jean Baptiste

Sacajawea (or Sacagawea) was a Shoshone woman who, with her husband Touissant Charbonneau and infant son Jean Baptiste, accompanied the Lewis and Clark expedition from the Mandan villages in the Dakotas
across the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and along the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean. 

Sacajawea Statue, Portland City Park, 1932

Sacajawea’s son Jean Baptiste lived in the Pacific Northwest most of the rest of his life. He was a “guide, trapper, miner, world traveler, scholar, and politician.” He died of pneumonia in May of 1866 while on a trip to the
Montana mining country.

Gravesite of Jean Baptiste Charbonneau (d. 1866) – Danner, OR

 Oregon at the turn of the 19th & 20th Centuries

The “Common School” movement that began in New England in about 1830 was well established by the turn of the ‘40’s, and it was brought west by the emigrants who began following the new Oregon Trail in 1840, seeking opportunities that had dimmed during the lengthy depression that had begun in 1837.

As reports of the land and climate of the Willamette Valley trickled back to the Midwest and East, an “Oregon Fever” built with the first big wave of emigrants making the crossing in 1843. Founding of school, academies, and colleges was a symbol of the emigrants’ stability and new-found prosperity.

The list of Oregon colleges began in 1842 and continued through the first decade of the 20th century. The continuing European-American settlement of the Willamette Valley was marked by the establishment of Willamette
(1842), Pacific (1849), Oregon State and Western Oregon Universities (1856), Linfield College (1858), Lewis & Clark College - then Albany Collegiate Institute (1867), University of Oregon (1872), Southern Oregon University (1882), George Fox University (1885), Marylhurst College (1893), University of Portland (1907), and Reed College (1908). Several, like L&C, have had multiple names throughout their history; all but Marylhurst are part of the higher education scene today.

At one point, Albany College was in competition with Oregon Agricultural College to be named a federal land grant institution. Its original building appears to have been repurposed for ongoing education uses by the Albany
School District.

Albany, OR, 1887 – Building in bottom image is the Public School, which appears to be the same as the original building for Albany College

By the late 1890s and early 1900s, tourism was catching on in the Northwest, and tourists were quick to adopt new photographic technology.
These next photos are from the photo album of one such tourist.

When this photo was taken, Umatilla and Nez Perce residents of the Umatilla Reservation’s Washington outpost were still constructing dwellings made of the traditional poles and hides. Despite the accidental and deliberate disruptions of indigenous cultures that accompanied the arrival of Europeans and Americans, persistence and resilience of the people, their customs, and their cultures were evident.

On the outpost of Umatilla Reservation, Washington, 1901

The Steel Bridge in this picture preceded our present 1912-vintage span. Recreational sailing was visibly popular then, along with commercial shipping. It would be nice to see some of these small craft and their beautiful spreads of canvas on today’s Willamette reaches.

Steel Bridge and Boating on the Willamette, 1900-1901

The Thompson Fountain Elk is still with us today, after temporal removal and protected storage for damage repairs after the events of 2020.

The open reservoirs of Portland’s water supply system were originally treated as public
attractions as well as reservoirs of Portland’s famous Bull Run water.

Thompson Fountain (The Elk) and Mt Tabor Reservoir, 1900-1901

Portland’s bid to be recognized as one of the major metropolises of the United States
was the Lewis and Clark Exposition of 1905, to mark the centenary of their expedition.
Preparations for this included the city-wide planting of roses by residents that led to the
moniker “City of Roses”.

Next - A look around the state of Oregon as the Roaring Twenties settled into the less-
ebullient 30’s.

- By Dave Paull '71

Retirement was supposed to be the end of deadlines. After forty years in broadcasting—
including being the News Director at KGW Radio during the glory days of King
Broadcasting—I thought I'd earned the right to stop playing Beat The Clock—remember
that TV game show?

Instead, I'm still chasing it. Every Tuesday morning at 3:30 AM Pacific, a new essay
launches from my Substack series, Beautiful Disasters, while I'm sound asleep. Tom
Sherwin ‘71, my East Coast reader near Boston, gets it with his morning coffee. Closer to home, Zorch ’71 gets it before his early tee time at the golf course.

Dave Paull '71 making a new friend with Caesar the No Drama Llama

Beautiful Disasters chronicles the messy, imperfect process of creative reinvention. At 79, I'm learning to write essays with AI as my coach, making DIY documentaries, and
navigating what The Albany Society calls "alumni renaissance"—that ongoing
commitment to curiosity, and creative risk-taking that doesn't end at graduation or
retirement. (Is this what is called a humble brag?)

Recent essays include "Gather Ye Chatbots While Ye May," about learning to write using
Artificial Intelligence as an editorial assistant. "Redemption in a Time of Covid" is a
reflection on finding wonder in an acting class on Zoom.

The title Beautiful Disasters captures what connects them all: the willingness to try and
fail, to adapt—and find a solution in the wreckage.

Also, I'm inventing a new hybrid format I call Sound CinemaTM—combining written
essays with embedded audio clips from interviews and sound bites. After forty years in
radio, I'm bringing audio storytelling back into my writing. A good example of that is
the Sound CinemaTM story titled “The Invisible Queen.”

My essay series began in October 2025 about DIY filmmaking—the technical disasters
and creative breakthroughs required to make documentaries with no budget and a lot
of moxie. It's evolved into something broader: essays about aging, learning, technology,
and the creative life.

I work with AI tools not because I'm lazy, but because I'm still learning. ChatGPT
teaches me to "show, not tell." Claude helps me think through ideas. I'm actively trying
to get better at something I've been doing for decades.

My wife quips that AI is winning! She might be right. But I'm still steering the bus, or at
least learning when to swerve and where.

The audience is small—18 subscribers as of this writing—but deeply engaged. Open
rates run around 70%, meaning these aren't casual readers. They're people who actually
read, think, and occasionally comment. Quality over quantity feels right at this stage of
my writing life.

Creating Beautiful Disasters has become my version of what The Albany Society
encourages: staying creatively engaged and connected to community. Every week, I sit
down to write not because I have to, but because it’s rewarding. Because there's still
something to say.

Beautiful Disasters on Substack is free and published weekly. If you're interested in
essays about creative reinvention, or learning to embrace AI without losing your
identity (or your mind), you're welcome to subscribe at:
https://davepaull.substack.com.

Be ready to buckle your seatbelt—as Zorch ’71 can tell you—it can be a quirky, fun ride
with some surprising insights. They even surprise me sometimes, too.

- By Zorch '71

How it All Began

Since moving back to Oregon in 2022 following a successful career in Silicon Valley, I traded my remote Lewis Clark volunteering (I had shared admissions information, organized Black & Orange Parties, spearheaded Class Reunion Committees, and more!) for hands-on work in the dirt at the campus Rose Garden. It all started three years ago when I had the opportunity to join what was then the Lewis & Clark “Rose Garden Restoration Club” for an afternoon work session. The invite was simple: meet “at the Rose Garden.”

I meandered down from the Manor House, past the fountains, the reflection pond, and the tennis courts, toward the area I remembered so vividly from my days as a student in the late 1960s. When I finally reached the site, the sight of it felt like being hit on the back of the head with a cast-iron frying pan.

I could make out the basic shape of the garden, but the roses—a collection of over 1,000 roses I used to visit as a student —had vanished. I later learned that only 30 original roses remained. The beds were in disrepair, outlined by rotted wood edging and buried under a decade of weeds and debris. It was deeply disheartening to see a WWII Veterans Memorial Garden, once a crown jewel of the campus, so thoroughly abandoned.

But amidst the decay, I saw a young student named Sophie Abbassian leading a small band of volunteers: fellow students, alumni (including some who were serving on the local Chapter leadership committee with me at the time), and her mother, Jennifer Huenink (L&C class of 1991).

Zorch '71 (center, wearing red) at one of the initial Rose Garden work parties. Sophie Abbassian '25 is pictured behind Zorch by the bench and Jennifer Huenink '91 is pictured crouching in the area in front of Zorch.

Some were on their knees resetting bricks into straight borders; others were mixing mulch and soil into freshly dug holes. Throughout my career, I’ve seen my share of 'team-building exercises,’ but this was different. This wasn't a simulation; it was a grassroots rescue mission to reverse a decade of defunding. As I watched the determination in Sophie’s eyes, I knew I had to be a part of it.

During my years on campus in the late sixties, the world was a bewildering swirl of the Vietnam War, protests, and the burgeoning environmental movement. We weren’t yet old enough to vote, and we all needed a place to get away from the noise. For me, the Rose Garden was that island of refuge—quiet, beautiful, and natural.

Zorch at a more recent work party in early March, 2026.

Over the course of the dozens of volunteer work sessions I have attended following that first one, Sophie and Jennifer have turned the core group of regular volunteers like me into a functioning crew that can also accommodate occasional and one-time volunteers: We’ve learned the art of the "cardboard mulch," the precision of pruning for a better bloom, and the specific science of digging the right-sized hole for a new stalk.

The Progress and the Pivot 

Thus far, the results are nothing short of miraculous. Since my first visit, the garden has grown to approximately 625 roses, many of them gifted by members of the Portland Rose Society that recognize the importance of Sophie’s vision.

In the Spring of 2025, we hit a sobering crossroads. With Sophie’s graduation looming and the Rose Garden Restoration Club set to dissolve, it became clear: if we continued to rely on the shifting priorities of student life, the garden would eventually return to the weeds. We needed a solution that was as rooted and permanent as the roses themselves.

A suggestion made months ago by L&C legend Professor Emerita of Communication Jean Ward began to ring louder: We need an endowment. To ensure this garden is sustained for decades—not just semesters—we had to move from a "rescue mission" to a permanent legacy. Working with the College’s Donor Engagement and Alumni & Parent Engagement teams, we are now building a rock-solid fund to ensure professional maintenance and care for generations to come.

How You Can Help 

I feel I am getting long-winded, but the stakes are high: We need you to join this "village." 

Financially, I invite you to pledge at whatever level you are comfortable with. Your gift isn't just for a bush or a bag of mulch; it is a stake in the long-term survival of a place that has offered peace to our fellow Lewis & Clark students for over half a century. Furthermore, by contributing to the endowment, we ensure that this tribute to our veterans never falls into neglect again. Make your pledge here: https://college.lclark.edu/live/forms/rose-garden-pledge

If you are local to Portland, please join us for an afternoon of volunteer work in the Rose Garden. Although no longer a student organization, The Rose Garden Restoration Club continues as an alumni-led volunteer effort! Simply send a message to rosegarden@lclark.edu and ask to join the mailing list. Sophie and Jennifer will let you know about upcoming work parties and share lovely photos of the roses!

You can also make plans to attend Alumni Weekend and visit the Rose Garden when the air is heavy with perfume and color (and there is a lovely event with goats and games on Friday, June 12).

I am also sharing this comprehensive proposal authored by Sophie Abbassian that provides the full historical context and photos of our progress.

Thank you, and I hope to see you at the Rose Garden!

Warmly,

Zorch, Class of 1971

Member, Albany Society Board of Directors

Come see us at the Historic Rose Garden!

Senior Alumni Who Have Passed Away

The following is a list of alumni passings that have been brought to our attention since the last edition of The Gatehouse was published in fall of 2025. If you know of a fellow alum who has passed away recently but is not listed, please share that information with the Office of Alumni and Parent Engagement by emailing alumni@lclark.edu or calling (503) 768-7950.

Class of ’51

Beverly Irene Keswick, BA'51, passed away 05/10/2025, age 96.

Obituary Link

Class of ’52

Helen L. Bartholomaus Hannah, BS'52, passed away 06/13/2025, age 94.

Sally Eva McBride, BA'52, passed away 07/17/2025, age 94.

Obituary Link

Patricia Joan Wright Doran, BA'52, passed away 01/28/2026, age 94.

Obituary Link

Class of ’53

Donald G. Floren , BS'53, passed away 11/2/2024, age 93.

Obituary Link

Class of ’55

Diane V. Floren Vinton , BA'55, passed away 1/16/2025, age 91.

Obituary Link

Helen L. Hardwick, BA'55, passed away 08/02/2025, age 92.

Obituary Link

Class of ’56

Barbara W. Grubb , BS'56, passed away 12/12/2025, age 90.

Barbara R. Weber, BS'56, passed away 12/12/2025, age 90.

Class of ’57

James E. (Jim) Johnson, BS'57, passed away 3/11/2022, age 86.

Patricia Harcourt Akse, BS'57, passed away 8/23/2025, age 90.

Obituary Link

N. Hope Stubbs, BA'57, passed away 12/8/2025, age 92.

Obituary Link

Gwyneth Britton, BS'57, passed away 06/22/2015, age 79.

Class of ’58

Shirley Marace Peterson Lynch, BA'58, passed away 10/02/2025, age 89.

Obituary Link

Oscar John (Jack) Hogg, BS'58, passed away 11/5/2019, age 84.

Obituary Link

Irene M. Merrell Fawcett, BS'58, passed away 02/08/2026, age 88.

Obituary Link

Class of ’59

William H. (Bill) Truswell, BA'59, passed away 1/10/2026, age 90.

Obituary Link

Class of ’60

Jack L. Whitfield, BS'60, passed away 3/26/2024, age 85.

Obituary Link

Marilyn Munson Fleischer, passed away 11/6/2025, age 87.

Obituary Link

Class of ’61

Rodger F. Colgan, BS'61, passed away 1/20/2026, age 87.

Obituary Link

Linda M. Reck Bruno, BM'61, passed away 2020, age 80/81.

Gene H. Dieterle, BS'61, passed away 11/1/2022, age 83.

Class of ’64

Bud Greene, BA '64 MAT '67, passed away 12/27/2025, age 96.

Obituary Link

Class of ’65

Ken LeDoux, BS'65, passed away 4/22/2020, age 77.

Terry May, BS'65, passed away 3/7/2017, age 73.

Richard G. (Dick) Chapman, BS'65, passed away 10/8/2025, age 88.

Obituary Link

Charlea M. (Char) Pfaender Wiemer, BS'65, passed away 1/14/2026, age 88.

Obituary Link

Marcia Britton-Gray, BS'65, passed away 01/05/2022, age 78.

Class of ’66

James (Jim) Barnes, BS'66, passed away 3/10/2022, age 77.

Carlton James (Jim) Hugg, BS'66, passed away 11/20/2025, age 83.

Obituary Link

Class of ’67

Larry Jester, BA'67, passed away 12/2/2022, age 76.

Paul Copley, BS'67, passed away 7/3/2011, age 67.

Laurie S. Lago, BA'67, passed away 05/13/2023, age 77.

Obituary Link

Class of ’70

Gregory Harkins (Greg) Earle, BA'70, passed away 09/04/2025, age 78.

Obituary Link

Class of ’72

Lou Ann Guanson, BS'72, passed away 12/14/2025, age 74.

Obituary Link

Class of ’73

Calvin (Cal) Thomas McDermid, BA'73, passed away 07/25/2025, age 74.

Obituary Link

Class of ’74

Hubbell, Kimberly A. Kim, BA'74, passed away 11/21/2024, age 72.

Steven M. (Steve) Brown, BS'74, passed away 10/25/2025, age 73.

Obituary Link

Class of ’75

Sara K. Julin, BS '75 MAT '81, passed away 02/04/2025, age 72.

The Gatehouse Editor in Chief

Albany Society Treasurer and Former Chair

Albany Society Secretary

Director of Alumni and Parent Engagement

Alumni & Parent Engagement
The Alumni Gatehouse
615 S. Palatine Hill Rd.
Portland, OR 97219