Stories from 1953, 1968 and 1969 about Gordon Bjork

Seattle Times May 5, 1953

Franklinite Wins Dartmouth Award

A four-year scholarship to Dartmouth College has been awarded to Gordon Carl Bjork, a Franklin High School senior. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon E. Bjork, 3110 33rd Av.

Bjork is one of 20 to receive the Daniel Webster National Scholarship to Dartmouth. At Franklin he is a member of the debate club, dramatic club, orchestra, and ski club. He is secretary of the Lettermen’s Club, having played varsity tennis and intramural basketball, football and baseball.

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Seattle Times July 21, 1968

Seattle Native to Head Linfield

Special to The Times

McMINNVILLE, Ore. – Dr. Gordon Carl Bjork, 32, a Seattle native, was named president of Linfield College yesterday at a meeting of the school’s board of trustees.

Bjork, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon E. Bjork, 2208 Barlow Ave. N, Seattle, has been teaching at Columbia University.

The election ends a nation-wide search for a president, began last October when Dr. Harry L. Dillin, Linfield president for 25 years, announced his retirement.

Bjork graduated from Franklin High School and later returned to Seattle to obtain his doctor’s degree in economics in 1963 at the University of Washington.

He has been teaching at the Columbia Graduate School of Business. Before that he taught in Canada. Bjork received his bachelor of arts degree from Dartmouth College, N. H., where he was an honor student.

He then became a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University where he received his maters of arts degree.

Bjork is married and has three small daughters. He is a member of The First Baptist Church, Seattle.

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History of the The Rotary Club of McMinnville #922 includes:

“1-31-69 The President of Linfield, and new Rotarian, Dr. Gordon C. Bjork, gave his vocational talk. Boyhood reflections included admiration of his great-uncle, Dr. Elam J. Anderson, who had also been President of Linfield, and a former member of the Rotary Club of McMinnville. Linfield offered him a $100 scholarship when he graduated from high school, but Harvard, Yale and Dartmouth offered full scholarships, he said — he chose Dartmouth. He was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, where he met his wife, Susan. He returned to the U. S. in 1959, and toyed with the idea of running for Congress, but his real desire was to come to the West Coast and become an educator. So he came to McMinnville, and was the successor of Harry Dillin.”

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Photo (Gordon C. Bjork, associate professor) from Columbia University Graduate School of Business in Spring 1968, Student Directory.

Football time machine: Linfield beats PLU, 17-0, in 1965

 Game played Saturday, Sept. 18, 1965, on Legendary Maxwell Field with an 8 p.m. kickoff.

It was first game of the 1965 season for both Linfield and for new Northwest Conference member PLU, which had left the Evergreen Conference to join the NWC. 

While PLU was eligible for all NWC sports championships in the 1965-1966 school year, it was not eligible for the 1965 NWC football title because that season it would play only two conference opponents, Linfield (losing 17-0) and Lewis & Clark (winning 21-20).

PLU Saga student yearbook pages 240-241 for 1966 is source of this photo (click on the photo to see a larger version) from 1965 football season with cutline, “Ken Tetz picks up yardage in opening game loss to highly rated Linfield.” 

The “Lutes opened the season against the powerful Linfield Wildcats at McMinnville, Oregon. The Wildcats breaking open a tight defensive battle with 52-yard punt return went on to defeat the visiting Lutherans 17-0, and snap a six-game Knight winning streak,” says the Saga text.

This photo is amazingly clear. It was taken when football games at Maxwell Field were played at night under poor illumination. Note the white powdered/crushed limestone which the PLU running back kicked up after crossing a yard line.

Who are the Linfield players in this photo? Using the printed program from the game, it appears the Wildcats might be (left to right):

#39 Gary Griffin (LB, Medford)

#61 Tim Brown (G, Medford)

#60 John McCallen (LB, Beaverton)

#50 Pete Taylor (LB, Tigard)

#64 Bob Haack (T, Dallas)

#74 Jack Ostlund (T, Hillsboro)

#78 Jeff Basinski (T, Portland) 

Sunday Oregonian, Sept. 19, 1965, reported on the PLU at Linfield game:

'Cats Blank Lutes;
Win Coach's 100th

By Dick Fishback
Sports writer, The Oregonian

McMinnville (Special) -- Coach Paul Durham called this year's Linfield Wildcats a question-mark team with little game experience at quarterback and some shaky spots elsewhere.

But it might be a little hard to convince a band of thoroughly beaten Pacific Lutheran gridders, who collapsed, 17-0, before the Wildcats Saturday night at Maxwell Field.

It was Durham's 100th career victory at Linfield against 46 defeats and 10 ties and the manner in which it was fashioned couldn't have been better.

For one thing, the victors game up with a stellar second line
quarterback, if he can be called that. Mike Barrow was a scrambling powerhouse, despite his 5-10 stature and 150-pound frame.

The slender Prineville grad completed an amazing 14 of 23 passes for 121 yards, filling the gap created by the absence of the still-ailing Terry Durham, who came in for just one play.

And his surprisingly deft execution helped spring loose Linfield backs, especially shifty LeRoy Fails, who picked 67 yards in 18 carries.

When the pair wasn't furnishing the fire power, lightning-quick wingback Rogers Ishizu and kicking find Tim Kubli were adding fuel.

Ishizu caught seven of Barrow's passes for 77 yards and ran back a PLU punt 52-yards for the winner's first touchdown. Prior to that Kubli, a freshman stroked a perfect 24-yard field goal and later added a pair of extra points.

It was a battle of defending conference champions, Linfield of the Northwest and PLU of the Evergreen. The Lutes' loss ended a streak of six victories (over Linfield), and made their entry against official NWC competition a disappointment.

Penalties Hurt Lutes

Ruinous penalties in key situations for motion, holding, clipping and the like halted the losers time after time. And fine passer Tony Lister was the victim of numerous dropped passes. At that, he completed eight of 22.

Speedy Les Rucker led the Pacific Lutheran ground attack with 45 yards in nine carries. Linfield's offense didn't catch fire until late in the first period and Kubli's field goal capped a march from the PLU 45 with just five seconds gone in the second.

The Lutes drove from their own 24 to the Linfield 27 just after that but the offense died there. With 2:41 remaining in the half the 'Cats added seven more points on Ishizu's romp and picked up their final score in the fourth period on an eight-yard pass from Barrow to Brian Carter.

Pacific Luth: 0 .. 0 .. 0 .. 0 = 0
Linfield: 0 .. 10 .. 0 .. 0 .. 7 = 17

Linf - FG Kubli 24
Linf - Ishizu 52 punt return (Kubli kick)
Linf - Carter 8 pass (Kubli kick)

First downs -- P 12 -- Linf 16
Rushing yds -- P 89 -- Linf 108
Passing yds -- P 86 -- Linf 121
Passes -- P -- Linf
Passes intcp by -- P 1 -- Linf 2
Punts -- P 5-35.8 -- Linf 5-35.4
Fumbles lost -- P 1 -- Linf 0
Yds penalized -- P 50 -- Linf 55

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Mike Smithey, a 1968 McMinnville High School and 1972 Linfield grad, said, "I was there, a 14- year-old high school student who had recently moved to McMinnville. Rogers Ishizu was amazing. It was my first Wildcat football game."
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Below are pages from printed program below and the Sept. 17, 1965, Oregonian advance of the game. Click on each photo to see a larger version.

The program cover says the PLU at Linfield game was "Homecoming," it was not. On page 2 the program correctly lists the Oct. 23, 1965, game vs. Whitman as the Homecoming contest. (Linfield beat Whitman, 62-16.)

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FROM THE HAACK ARCHIVES: PAGE FROM THUR., SEPT. 23, 1965, LINFIELD REVIEW

Thanks on Dec. 4, 2020, to Nancy Steinbach Haack and the archives of Bob and Nancy Haack for this page from the Thur., Sept. 23, 1965 Linfield Review student newspaper.

See story by Dave Adair and photo by Rusty Rae covering the PLU (then called the "Knights," not "Lutes") vs. Linfield football game played the night of Saturday, Sept. 18, 1965, on Linfield's Maxwell Field. Linfield won, 17-0. It gave Paul Durham, Linfield head football coach, his 100th collegiate football coaching win, all with the Linfield Wildcats.

Note ads in left hand corner:

Tommy's Cycle Shop -- Located in downtown McMinnville at 634 Third St., McMinnville. In 2020, Tommy's moved to what used to be Hopscotch Toys (formerly Lon Dee Flowers) at the corner of 99W/SE Baker Street & SE First Street.

Belveal's Ice Cream -- Before it was Belveal's Ice Cream it was Trill’s Ice Cream. After it was Belveal's it became Alf’s Ice Cream & Burgers. Same location. Three different businesses.

WILDCATS NAB VICTORY NO. 100 FOR COACH DURHAM

By Dave Adair, Linfield Review, Thur., Sept. 23, 1965,

Photo cutline: Dodger Roger Gains Ground – Linfield FLANKERBACK #12 Rogers Ishizu, an offensive standout for the ‘Cats, cuts upfield with a pass reception. On the right in the photo is #84 Ray Taylor, an end. Linfield Review photo by Rusty Rae.

Coach Paul Durham attained the century mark in victories Saturday night when the Wildcats defeated the Knights of Pacific Lutheran University. The 17-0 victory gave Coach Durham a record of 100 wins, 46 losses and 10 ties since he took over the job of head coach of the Wildcats in 1948.

The action began in the first quarter when the Wildcats ran the kick off back to the 21 yard line. No penetrating drives were started until the Cats took control of the ball late in the period after a fourth down punt by the Knights rolled dead on their own 45 yard line. A fine run by Ed Griffin brought the ball to the 34 yard line The Wildcats were in scoring position after Rogers lshizu snared a pass from quarterback Mike Barrow and took it down to Pacific Lutheran's 11 yard line. The gun then went off signifying the end of the first quarter.

At the other end of the field the 'Cats were unsuccessful on their touchdown drive. On a fourth and goal situation Tim Kubli stepped in to place a seven yard field goal between the uprights to give Linfield a 3-0 edge over the Knights.

After the kickoff. the Knights were on their own 24 yard line. Two sparkling runs by Len Rucker and one by Morris Blakenbaker gave Pacific Lutheran two first downs. The, drive fizzled on the 30 yard line of the Wildcats when the 'Cats sturdy defense held on a fourth down situation.

Rogers lshizu caught two passes from Barrow and Barrow himself executed a very tricky quarterback sneak to give the Cats sizeable gains. These were to no avail as the Linfield team ran out of petrol and the Knights took over on their own 31 yard line. This set the stage for the second tally by the Wildcats.

After an illegal use of the hands penalty made it fourth and 23, the Knights were forced to punt. The diminutive Ishizu took the ball on the Knight’s 47 yard line and with the aid of a key block by Leroy Fails scampered 53 yards for the second addition to Linfield's side of the scoreboard. The extra point attempt was good to continue Linfield's runaway by the score of 10-0.

When the 'Cats got the ball again, they started another threatening drive. Outstanding catches were made by Brian Carter, Ray Taylor and Ishizu. The drive was halted. however, when the gun sounded to end the first half. Linfield went into the dressing room with a comfortable margin.

The third quarter saw the ball change hands many times before the Wildcats started a drive from their own 20 yard line after a fourth down punt by the Knights. Dazzling runs were made by Leroy Fails and Walt Gebauer to give Linfield three first downs in the closing seconds of the third quarter.

When the final period had begun, Linfield kept up their hard running attack. After snaring a pass from Barrow, Ishisu ran the ball down to Pacific Lutheran's 10 yard line On a second and goal situation, left end Carter hauled in a pass from Barrow and bulled his way through two opponents for the score. The extra point attempt was good and Linfield had pretty much put the game on ice with a 17-0 score and but seven minutes left in the game.

The rest of the fourth quarter war marked by interceptions and fumbles by both team. In the closing moments of the game, the Knights started a penetrating drive. Due to the stalwart defense of the Wildcats, the Knights were forced to hand over the ball with but a few seconds left in the game Time ran out and Linfield wound up on top by the score of 17-0.

The win gave the Wildcats their 24th straight victory on the home field. Their next game is at San Luis Obispo against Cal Poly. Next home game is the Homecoming game against Whitman College on October 23 at 8:30 p.m.

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Linfield’s Legendary Maxwell Field

The University of Oregon track & field scoreboard at Hayward Field in Eugene rightly identifies the venue as "historic."

See photo here...

http://bit.ly/1Km9puH

Note, "HISTORIC HAYWARD FIELD."

Hayward was built in 1919. Originally it was intended to primarily serve the UO's football program. A few years later, a track, for use by the UO track & field team, was constructed around the football field.

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Linfield College's Maxwell Field in McMinnville has been home to Linfield football and track & field teams since 1928. In 1947, Memorial Stadium, providing covered seating for fans of both sports and other services for athletics was built at Maxwell.

See photo here...

http://bit.ly/1Km9tus

Henceforth, Wildcatville shall rightfully identify it as "LEGENDARY MAXWELL FIELD."

If Wildcatville had a food truck, here's what it would include on its menu

Wildcat Cardinal & Purple Dog: A turkey frank  -- cats and dogs, get it?! --  with cardinal red ketchup and diced purple onions.

Sparky's Special Dog: Honoring Steve ‘Sparky’ Davis. Foot long beef hotdog with guacamole sauce and shredded lettuce. Add banana peppers if you like.

Linfield BWC Dog: It’s basic. Pork hot dog simmered in beer.  Yellow mustard. Wash down with favourite bottled water.

Lindog Chili Dog: Odis Avritt recipe chili on a football stadium beef frank smothered with melted WSU Crimson Fire cheese.

Funky Traveler Dog: Teriyaki chicken dog with kimchi, sauerkraut, Tabasco and Dijon mustard. Season to taste.

Catdome Dog: A high flying delicious beef hot dog garnished with mustard, a little bit of mayo and some garlic spread. 

Story about Linfielder John Howey in 6/23/2015 The Dalles, Ore., Chronicle

Tip of the cap to a community icon

By Ray Rodriguez, Sports Editor, The Dalles Chronicle, 6/23/2015

MAUPIN, Ore. – Since 1970, John Howey (photo) had been a staple in the Maupin community, as a coach, teacher, parental figure and a positive influence to any and every one he came across.

This past Father’s Day, the South Wasco County High School gymnasium was filled to capacity with well-wishers saying their final goodbyes, while sharing many anecdotes, jokes and stories of an important figure who passed away in his home on May 20 at the age of 67.

 “I had a lot of conversations with him when it came to me making plans with my life,” said current South Wasco County High school coach and athletic director Jim Hull. “He had done that with multiple kids at our school over the years. He was a strength in our athletic programs and he did positive things with the kids, whether as a teacher or a coach. He was great at motivating students in our school.”

In his time at Maupin, Howey coached football, cross country, boys’ basketball and girls’ and boys’ track and field.

His 1996 boys’ basketball team finished second in state and placed third in 1998.

Howey also led the girls’ cross country team to a second-place output in 1979, and also third place in 1978 and 1980.

He was the 2002 1A Coach of the Year in track and field the same year he led the Redside program to a state championship. 

From all of the sports played in Oregon that season, Howey also earned the 1A classification’s Coach of the Year honors.

This past spring, Howey volunteered his time to work with junior discus and shotput athlete Ellis Rager.

Rager won a shotput district championship with a then career-best of 45-feet-2 inches.

Two days after learning of Howey’s passing, Rager had a career-best shotput attempt of 45-5 for a state crown. 

 “Well, my track season couldn’t have ended any better. Came in as district champ and left as the 1A state champ of Oregon,” Rager said. “It’s a blessing and an honor to achieve this. I couldn't have done it without the support of my family, friends, coaches, community and everyone else that helped me along the way. Special thanks to Howey for coming and helping me out when he could with my throwing technique. RIP Howey couldn’t have done it without you.”

Howey was born on Sept. 1, 1947 in Honolulu, Hawaii to Robert and Mildred Howey.

After graduation from Radford High School in 1965, Howey attended Linfield College in McMinnville, earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1969 in Physical Education as well as a Master’s degree in Physical Education in 1970.

He began a teaching career at South Wasco County Union High School in Maupin that year and remained there until his retirement in 2003. 

Through her four-year high school career, 2014 graduate Joy Kelly stood out as a volleyball player, track athlete and basketball player.

Howey was along for that journey, as an assistant coach and substitute teacher.

Kelly remembers the funny statements and quick-witted humor Howey had, like calling players walking turtles or cream puffs and marshmallows.

A post player, Kelly worked diligently with Howey on post moves.

Whenever Kelly saw Howey on the streets of Maupin walking his poodle, the long-time coach was quick to tell Kelly to get back to work. 

All of it a snapshot of memories, something Kelly will hold dear to her heart for many years to come.

“I was extremely blessed to have such great coaches through all of high school and each and every one of them not only taught me how to be better and push myself in the sport, but taught me about life, and how you can succeed,” Kelly said. “All five of them (coaches) impacted me in such a powerful way. There are no words that can be described on how much this man will be missed by the community.”

When not on the sidelines on in a classroom, Howey could be seen on the banks of the Deschutes River fishing for salmon and trout, or hunting in the hills around Maupin in the fall for deer and elk. 
Howey also was a passionate golfer, as a member of the Pine Meadows Golf Club in Wamic, as well as the Kah-nee-ta Resort Golf Club where he golfed regularly, with several tournament wins over the years.

In his more than 20 years as basketball coach, Howey won between 350-400 games.

SWC’s boys’ track and field team won 10 straight district titles in the mid-90s until 2006, with Howey in charge for all but the last four from 2003-2006. 

Since 1993, South Wasco County has totaled the 1A division’s all-time highest point total in shotput, discus and javelin.

 “He found a way to bring out the very best in every athlete,” Hull said. “He just had that magic touch on what to say to a player to give them the confidence to perform at their best. That’s a skill very few coaches have.”

Being around Howey since he was in middle school, Hull looks back at successful times in athletics or spending time skeet shooting or fishing. 

To this day, coach Hull catches himself making statements similar to what Howey would say.
It brings a smile to his face.

“I consider him my mentor. Here’s a guy who was my track coach for all four years in high school, my basketball coach for all four years in his school and the reason why I got into coaching,” Hull said. “Once I was out of high school, in college, we would play golf or do some other things. You cannot weigh the influence he had on me, on who I am today and how he affected the way I am with my very own family. He is the very next thing aside of my family that had a huge impact on pushing me towards the way I coach, my career and what I chose to do and he was around my life since I was 12-13 years old in all my athletic and outdoor adventures.”

Howey is survived by his wife Gwen Snodgrass, mother Mildred, brother Mark and sister in law Mary, five nieces and nephews: Matthew Howey, Jeffrey Manuel (and wife Rhonda), Jana Downs, Mischa Hurst (and husband Troy) and Nathan Grafe (and wife Joyce); two sisters-in-law: Peggy Grafe and Sylvia DeSordi; Two brothers-in-law: Jerry Manuel and Gary Grafe; and eight grand nieces and nephews.

For a slideshow of the ceremony, log on to http://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2015/06/linfielder-john-howeyclass-of-1969.html

Linfielder John Howey/Class of 1969 ... ‘Celebration of Life, 6/21/2015 - South Wasco County Union High School, Maupin, Oregon