Help wanted
As I listen to sappy, overly sentimental John Mellencamp songs at 11:45 p.m. on a Friday night almost a week before my time as Emerald editor in chief ends, I’ve come to a few sappy, overly sentimental conclusions about what the summer of 2004 meant to me:
It meant moments of divisiveness when deadline was missed, but it also meant pride in working with devoted, talented staff.
It meant frustration when mistakes were made and angry phone calls poured in, but it also meant a sense of accomplishment watching two guys sit at Maple Garden and discuss every front-page story.
Lastly, it meant something I didn’t really understand until I sat down and started doing research for an article on the Emerald’s history: The Emerald staff, the people it covers and the stories it records will someday end up in a green-covered, hardbound book on a shelf in the Emerald library. This didn’t truly hit home until I realized I will someday represent a humble slice of time in the newspaper’s 105-year history, sharing work with editors who did my job throughout a long, tumultuous 20th century.
Now, I could outright declare that the Emerald has a long and proud history of reporting on the University campus, but that doesn’t say anything more than this 32-word sentence can.
So, I’m going to share a little bit of that history — milestones in this paper’s history and the news of the day:
* The Emerald’s first issue published on Feb. 12, 1900. The paper, which at the time was named The Oregon Weekly, was published by the Eutaxian, Laurean and Philogian Societies of the University of Oregon.
* On October 1, 1900, the paper became a publication of the ASUO, and remained so until 1952.
* In the fall of 1909, the paper’s name was changed to the Oregon Emerald, and it began publishing twice weekly.
* The paper began publishing five days a week (Tuesday-Saturday) and changed its name to the Oregon Daily Emerald in fall 1920. A headline on the front page of the second issue, published Thursday, Sept. 30, reads, “REGISTRATION FOR TWO DAYS IS 1300: Enrollment Higher Than For Same Time Last Year — 2,000 Mark Expected.”
* In 1941, Helen Angell was named the first female Emerald editor. A December 11, 1941, issue of the Emerald carried a front page story headlined, “Japanese Cash Ordered Held.” The story starts: “On orders from Washington the funds of all University students of Japanese descent have been ‘frozen’ in local banks, according to Clifford L. Constance, assistant registrar.
“Twenty-three second and third generation Japanese students have been affected by this sweeping war-time order … “
* In 1942-43, the Emerald was staffed almost entirely by women because of World War II. The size of the paper was cut from eight pages to four, an army page was added and a special section was sent to soldiers overseas.
* Monday issues were printed for the first time in 1949-50, but because of budget problems staff members were forced to accept pay cuts to keep publishing five days a week.
* During the 1953-54 school year, the Emerald office moved from a temporary hut near the journalism school, where it had been since the 1947-48 school year, to another temporary hut near Deady Hall. In 1954-55, the Emerald moved to the third floor of the then-new Allen Hall.
* Emerald reporter Janet O’ Dell became the first female ever to cover a game from the Hayward Field press box when she covered an Oregon-Oregon State football game there on Nov. 30, 1963.
* In May 1966, Emerald reporter Annette Buchanan authored an article that had seven anonymous sources discussing their drug use. In June, the Lane County district attorney subpoenaed Buchanan, requesting the names of the sources, but Buchanan refused and was fined $300 for contempt of court. The Supreme Court later refused to hear the case, which became the basis for Oregon’s current Shield Law.
* Because of the removal of a University of Washington editor by the school administration amid anti-war protest coverage, 1969-70 Emerald
Editor Paul Brainerd approached the University administration to draw up a papers for an independent newspaper. In April 1971, the Oregon Daily Emerald Board of Directors was created. University President Robert Clark signed the documents creating the board. On June 29, 1971, the board created the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Company Inc., which was incorporated under the provision of the Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Act in October, making the paper fully independent. In November, the Emerald moved its offices to its current location in the EMU to further separate itself from the University.
* In fall 1996, the Emerald celebrated 25 years of independence with its first alumnus reunion.
* The Emerald celebrated its 100th year of publishing in fall 1998 with an alumnus reunion.
There hangs a list of former editors on the wall of the editor office that goes all of the way back to W.C. Nicholas in 1909-10. Now, I hope you can see why I’m truly honored and excited to be on that list.
That’s what the summer months meant to me.
