Wet & Wild: Willamette at Linfield football 10/27/2012

1960s art by QB Bruce Priem depicts Wildcat players, coach

In college football, Bruce Priem is best known as the 1968 and 1969 starting quarterback of the Azusa Pacific University (Azusa, Calif.) Cougars. But, he has Saxons and Wildcats in his background, too. 

At South Salem, Ore., High School – Bruce is a member of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame as a three-sport (football, basketball, baseball) athlete – he played football for Linfielder Marv Heater, the South Salem Saxons head coach. Former Linfield football player Sonny Jepson, Linfield Class of 1973, was one of his high school football teammates. 

After graduating from South Salem in 1966, Bruce studied at Linfield for two academic years (1966-67, and 1967-68) and was a Wildcat junior varsity QB. He transferred from Linfield to Azusa and was the Cougars’ starting quarterback. Bruce is in the Azusa football record book for throwing six touchdown passes in a game. 

(By the way, John Tully, Whitworth University head football coach, was Azusa’s starting quarterback 1971-1974.) 

How did Bruce, was an outstanding athlete, become an artist? An artistic inspiration was his dad, Roy Priem, a graphic artist, cartoonist and sign painter in Salem. "I always did a lot of sketching and doodling," Bruce said, "I learned a lot from my father." Similar to a coach encouraging an athlete, his dad told his son, "you need to practice more!" Art was "enjoyable for me," Bruce said, "but no way was I doing to be as good as my father. He had serious talent." 

At Linfield, Bruce took some art classes. His teachers were art faculty members Peter Teneau and Randall Jelinek, also art department chair. Bruce remembers his Linfield football coach, Paul Durham, had Teneau football (a fake draw screen) and Jelinek (a draw) plays. 

Bruce’s artistic talent came to the attention of Rick Pullen, a Linfield sports information director, and Tim Marsh, a Linfield Review student newspaper sports editor. They commissioned him to do pen and ink drawing from black & white photos. 

The first drawing, of Ted Wilson, Linfield men’s head basketball coach, appeared on the cover of the 1967-68 Linfield men’s basketball media guide. His drawings of football players Mike Barrow, Rogers Ishizu and John Sadowski, and Bob Haack and Bob Laycoe were used in the newspaper’s sports section and/or home game football printed programs. He also wrote sports stories for the Review. The Barrow drawing is on a football card issued as part of the Linfield 2011 football season dedication of the Mike Barrow study room in the college’s Nicholson Library. 

After graduating from Azusa in 1970, Bruce earned a master of science degree in physical therapy from the University of Southern California. He is a licensed physical therapist in the state of Oregon. 

Today, Priem lives in Salem, where he is a physical therapy-occupational therapy department manager at Kaiser Permanente in Salem. Bruce and his wife, Mary, are active in their church. In the summer of 2012 they traveled to Honduras and worked in an orphanage. It was a return to that country and the Dominican Republic where they lived and worked as short term missionaries for World Gospel Crusades, 1970-72. 

Photo information: Bruce & Mary Priem and Bob Haack during a 2012 football season visit to the Mike Barrow Study Room in the Linfield library. Priem sketches: -Bob “Igor” Haack and Bob “Heavy Duty” Laycoe in the Oct. 19, 1967, Linfield Review. -Rogers Ishizu and John Sadowski, Linfield players from Hawaii. -Coach Ted Wilson on cover of 1968 winter sports media guide. -Mike Barrow on card given out at Mike Barrow Study Room dedication fall 2011. -Priem bylined article in Oct. 19, 1967, Linfield Review.

Linfield at Lewis & Clark football, 10/20/2012

Speaking of Linfield at L&C football game on Oct. 20, 2012 …

 Illustration from Albany College 1930 'Orange Peel' yearbook.

NOTE: IT WAS ALBANY BEFORE LEWIS & CLARK

Prior to locating in Portland and becoming Lewis & Clark College, L&C was Albany College in Albany, Ore. From Northwest Conference website:

“The NWC was formed in 1926, making it one of the oldest athletics conferences in the western United States. For 60 years, the Northwest Conference sponsored sports exclusively for men, but in 1984 it joined with the Women’s Conference of Independent Colleges to become the Northwest Conference of Independent Colleges, shortening the name to its current moniker in 1996 when it joined the NCAA. The charter members (were) Willamette University, Whitman College, Pacific University, the College of Puget Sound (now the University of Puget Sound), Linfield College, and the College of Idaho. In 1931, Albany College joined, left in 1938, and rejoined in 1949 using its present name of Lewis & Clark College.”

NOTE: GRISWOLD STADIUM
Football venue at L&C is Griswold Stadium. It's named for Graham Griswold. L&C

--“In 1952, at the urging of students, trustees, and administrators, work was started on a permanent home for Pioneer football. Trustee Graham Griswold donated $25,000 and most of the lumber needed to spearhead the project.”

--“The site was officially named and dedicated to Graham Griswold in the season-opener of the 1954 season…”

Source: L&C Sports Info website.

NOTE: AD RUTSCHMAN GIVEN GAME BALL

--“The first game was played in the new stadium on October 10, 1953, against Linfield College. The Wildcats won the contest 12-7 with the star of the game, Linfield halfback Ad Rutschman, being given the game ball by Portland mayor Fred Peterson.”

Source: L&C Sports Info website.

Wildcatville says see Oregonian (Oct. 11, 1953 edition, “Wildcats surprise LC Eleven, 12 to 7”) coverage of the game here.

NOTE: NAMES OF GRISWOLD STADIUM'S TRACK, FIELD 

Eldon Fix Track and Fred Wilson Field at Griswold Stadium

Source: L&C Sports Info website.

Homecoming football 2012: Linfield 54, Whitworth 14

Wildcatville slideshow from Whitworth at Linfield football game and other Linfield Homecoming  activities held on campus Saturday, Oct. 13, 2012. In the game, Linfield Wildcats defeated Whitworth Pirates, 54-14. See posted video here.

Hail to Bar West Classic Committee! 10/12/2012

During Linfield College, McMinnville, Ore., 2012 Homecoming, the Bar West Classic Committee (a.k.a. BWC Committee) was presented a Linfield Alumni Service Award on 10/12/2012 for 25 years of connecting/reuniting alumni through reunions and events.  Wildcatville photos and video. See posted video here.

Victory Bell reintroduced to Linfield College community

During 2012 Homecoming at Linfield College, McMinnville, Ore., the college's historic Victory Bell was reintroduced/unveiled on 10/12/2012. See Linfield news release http://bit.ly/WerYGr and a McMinnville News-Register story (based on the news release) http://bit.ly/R4rXBB  here for bell information. Video and photos by Wildcatville.

Seldom seen tablet notes historical highlight of McMinnville | Linfield College

Located on the edge of the Linfield campus, near 99W and the President’s House, this stone tablet is seldom seen due to garden vegetation. Text on the tablet:

THIS STONE MARKS THE SPOT
WHERE THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

MET AUGUST 2, 1881 AND TOOK

ACTION WHICH RESULTED IN

MOVING McMINNVILLE|LINFIELD

COLLEGE FROM 5th & C STREETS

TO ITS PRESENT LOCATION.

ACTUATED BY THE GIFT OF

MR & MRS SAMUEL COZINE.

PRESENTED BY CLASS OF 1922

                                                                       
Wildcatville photos, 10/11/2012.

The art of Coach Ad Rutschman

Created 10/1/2010. Final editing/posting 10/4/2012

Music:
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech): Heartwarming
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Linfield at PLU football in Puyallup, Wash. 9/29/2012