There’s no definitive history book about Linfield athletics.
Why don't you write it?
Your sources for information should probably include the three books about Linfield history. Each book includes some information about Linfield athletics.
The books are:
--Bricks Without Straw, an early history of the college published 1938. It was written by Jonas A. Jonasson, then a Linfield history professor.
--Linfield's Hundred Years: A Centennial History of Linfield College, McMinnville, Oregon. Published in 1956, it was edited by Kenneth L. Holmes, then a Linfield history professor. He was also Linfield’s swim coach. Paul Durham provided the section in the book about athletics.
--Inspired Pragmatism: An Illustrated History of Linfield College. Published in 2007, it was written by Marvin Henberg, Linfield philosophy professor and Barbara Seidman, Linfield English professor and former interim faculty dean. He served (2005-2006) as interim president and academic affairs VP/faculty dean.
Also, take a look at:
- Shooting the Bull and Dodging with Durham sports columns by Paul Durham from the McMinnville News-Register and its predecessor (McMinnville Telephone-Register) newspapers. At the time Durham wrote the columns in the1950s-1960s, he was Linfield athletic director and football coach and, for much of the time, sports editor of the newspaper. Look for uncredited photos taken by Durham, too.
- Articles, bits of sports information and photos from the News-Register and Telephone-Register not produced, written or taken by Durham.
- Coverage of Linfield athletics by these daily newspapers: The Oregonian (Portland), now defunct Oregon Journal (Portland), and Salem’s Oregon Statesman (morning) and Capitol Journal (afternoon). The Oregonian is owned by Newhouse and so was the OJ in its final bit of life before it was folded into the “O.” Somewhat similarity, Gannett owned (and owns) the Statesman and the CJ before it merged the newspapers into the Salem Statesman-Journal. Look at issues of the S-J, too. Seek bound volumes or microfilm of these newspapers.
- Sports media guides and printed programs, brochures and other material, including DVDs, produced by Linfield sports information directors. You ought to interview some of some SIDs (sports information directors), too.
Speaking of interviewing. Think about interviewing some of those who were play-by-play “voices” and color commentators for Linfield football and basketball games on the radio.
Take a look, too, at:
- Linfield Review and Linews student newspapers.
- Linfield College Oak Leaves yearbooks.
- Linfield Magazine (produced by the college’s college relations office) and its predecessor, the Linfield College (Alumni) Bulletin.
- This blogsite, Wildcatville.That being said, Wildcatville focuses on Linfield football. Thus, be sure to not do so in the definitive Linfield athletics history and be sure to cover both Wildcat women and men’s athletics.
- And, interview a variety of people who have played a role in Linfield athletics over the years. Those interviewed might include Margaret Lever Dement or another or other of Marguerite and Henry Lever's nine children. (Henry Lever and all those with linked/underlined names below are members of the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame.) Dorothy Helser, widow of Roy Helser; Ann Molek Wilson, widow of Ted Wilson; Terry Durham and Cathy Durham Devine , son and daughter of Paul Durham; Ad and Joan Rutschman and Craig Singletary, Linfield football public address announcer and former Linfield football play-by-play “voice.” Current athletic department leadership and coaches should be interviewed as should those enshrined into the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame.
Some of those mentioned here are former Linfield athletes, be sure to interview them, too.
And, be sure to watch these video interviews:
And, be sure to watch these video interviews:
- Interviews and videos – including Linfield’s Tradition of Excellence video and a 50-The Story Behind Football's Greatest Team Record about the Linfield football team winning season steak -- produced/"videoed" by videographer Mike Rhodes, formerly of MCM/McMinnville Community Media Cable Channel 11. Tim Marsh was the interviewer. It's on file on a DVD in Linfield's Nicholson Library as GV351.3.O7 L5643 2004.
- A 47 minute video interview of Paul Durham and Roy Helser, conducted in Aug. 1990 by Craig Singletary and on file on a DVD in Linfield’s Nicholson Library. The library catalogue gives the impression there are two interviews, one each with Durham and Helser. In reality, Durham and Helser were interviewed at the same time.
- Craig Singletary interviews (47 minute DVD videodisk) Paul Durham in Aug. 1990.
GV351.3.O7 L5642 1990
Summary: Durham “guided the Wildcats to six conference titles and two appearances in the NAIA national championship game. His most outstanding season as coach came in 1961 and 1965. In 1961, Durham's Wildcats capped the first unbeaten, untied season in college history with a trip to the ‘Camellia Bowl’ in Sacramento, Calif. Linfield was the first college from the Northwest Conference to participate in the NAIA football playoffs. The Wildcats narrowly lost the national championship game, 12-7 to Pittsburg State of Kansas. Linfield again finished unbeaten and untied in 1965 and beat Sul Ross State 30-27 in the semifinals before losing to St. John's of Minnesota 33-0 in the so-called ‘Champion Bowl’ played in Augusta, Ga. Durham graduated from Linfield in 1936.”
GV351.3.O7 L564 1990
Summary: Helser was the “Wildcats' head baseball coach for 21 seasons, a span in which Linfield won 14 Northwest Conference championships and one NAIA national title in 1966. He retired from coaching in 1970 with a career record of 316-199-6, then served as the college's athletic director for five years. He also served as men's basketball coach from 1949 to 1961 and was an assistant football coach under Paul Durham for several seasons. Helser's basketball teams won four conference titles during his tenure. Helser graduated from Linfield in 1936 after earning 11 letters in football, basketball and baseball.”
