Untold Stories: The Hidden History of the University of Oregon
A project by UO Libraries Special Collections & Archives & the Digital Scholarship CenterUntold Stories: The Hidden History of the University of Oregon, a digital scholarship initiative telling the historical stories of underserved and underrepresented communities on the UO campus. Sponsored by the University of Oregon Libraries and collaboratively built through the UO Libraries Digital Scholarship Center. Read more About Us
Random Stories
William Sherman Savage
After graduating with a bachelor of arts degree from Howard University in Washington, DC in 1917, William Sherman Savage came to Eugene in 1924 to continue graduate work in history. Two years later, he was the first African American to graduate with…
The Black Student Union
In 1966, students created the Black Student Union (BSU) to bring awareness to racial discrimination and to serve as a coalescing group for activism regarding these issues. Indeed, in April 1968, the BSU submitted a list of grievances and demands to…
Mabel Byrd
After graduating from Washington High School in Portland in 1914, Mabel Byrd made history as the first African American enrolled at the University of Oregon. Byrd matriculated at the UO in 1917 as a student majoring in economics and spent two years…
Clifford F. Johnson
Clifford F. Johnson was raised in Illinois and decided to join the U.S. Army after graduating from high school. While in the army, Johnson served at Fort Lewis, Washington during World War II. During his time there, he faced racial segregation.…
The National Japanese American Student Relocation Council
The entry of the United States into World War II after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, had serious impacts on approximately 110,000 Nisei (American citizens of Japanese descent) living in Oregon and throughout the West Coast. After…
Nellie Louise Franklin
Similar to the first African American student at the University of Oregon, Mabel Byrd, Nellie Louise Franklin lived in Portland, Oregon, attended Washington High School, and would eventually attend the University of Oregon. However, what sets these…