History of Institution Name Changes

Year Name
1856 to 1858 Corvallis Academy
1858 to 1868 Corvallis College
1868 to 1872 Corvallis College and Agricultural College (of the State)
1872 to 1876 Corvallis State Agricultural College
1876 to 1879 State Agricultural College (Corvallis College)
1879 to 1882 Corvallis College and State Agricultural College
1882 to 1885 Corvallis College and Oregon State Agricultural College
1885 to 1888 Corvallis and Oregon Agricultural College
1888 to 1896 State Agricultural College of the State of Oregon
1896 to 1908 Agricultural College of the State of Oregon
1908 to 1927 Oregon Agricultural College
1927 to 1937 Oregon State Agricultural College
1937 to 1961 Oregon State College1
1961 to Present Oregon State University2
1The name of the institution was officially recognized by the Oregon legislature as Oregon State College on April 15, 1953
2On March 6, 1961 Governor Mark Hatfield signed into law the legislative act changing the name of the institution to Oregon State University.
Sources: OSU Bulletins; Office of Budgets and Planning.

Presidents of the Institution

No. Name

Years

Tenure

Years
 Months

1 William Asa Finley, A.M., D.D.

1865 - 1872

6

7
2 Benjamin Lee Arnold, B.S., A.M.

1872 - 1892

19

5
3 John M. Bloss, A.B., A.M.

1892 - 1896

4

2
4 Henry B. Miller

1896 - 1897

0

11
5 Thomas Milton Gatch, A.B., A.M., Ph.D., D.D.

1897 - 1907

9

6
6 William Jasper Kerr, B.S., D.Sc.D., LL.D.

1907 - 1932

25

2
7 George Wilcox Peavy, B.L., M.S.F., Sc.D., LL.D.

1934 - 1940

6

6
8 Frank Llewellyn Ballard, B.S., D.Sc., LL.D.

1940 - 1941

1

2
9 August LeRoy Strand, B.S., M.S., Ph.D., LL.D.

1942 - 1961

18

10
10 James Herbert Jensen, B.Sc., M.A., Ph.D.

1961 - 1969

8

10
11 Robert William MacVicar, B.S., M.A., Ph.D.

1970 - 1984

14

5
12 John Vincent Byrne, B.A., M.A., Ph.D., J.D.

1984 - 1995

11

2
13 Paul Gillan Risser, B.A., M.S., Ph.D., D.Sc.

1996 - Present

Acting Presidents:
Joseph Emery, A.M., D.D., (1872 - 1872; 3 mo.)
John Davidson Letcher, B.S.,(1892 - 1892; 4 mo.)
George Wilcox Peavy, B.L., M.S.F., Sc.D., LL.D., (1932- 1934; 1 yr., 3mo.)
Francois Archibald Gilfillan, B.S., Ph.G., Ph.C.,Ph.D., (1941 - 1942; 1yr., 1 mo.)
Roy Alton Young, A.A., B.S., M.S., Ph.D., (1969 - 1970; 1 yr., 1 mo.)
Source: Office of Budgets and Planning (1/98).