LINFIELD’S FRERICHS HALL, TWO OF THEM

LINFIELD’S FRERICHS HALL, TWO OF THEM

In 1947 a surplus theatre -- some say it was a “movie palace -- was moved from the Portland Air Base to the site now occupied by Murdock Hall at Linfield.

Music joined journalism and radio communications, speech and theatre in this new building. It had an auditorium with a stage and permanent seating. Linfield radio station KLIN-AM had its studios there, too.

First called the Fine Arts Building -- see photo from 1950 -- the facility was renamed Frerichs Hall in June 1957. Its namesake was Wilhelm "William" Reinhard Frerichs, who died at age 91 on Dec. 1, 1958.

Frerichs served McMinnville College/Linfield College in many in many capacities.  He was professor of German (1912-1948), college librarian (for 10 years), editor of publications (1919-1948), acting president (1931-1932, between terms of President Leonard Riley and President Elam Anderson) and dean of Faculty (1938-1943). In 1948 he retired from Linfield after 36 years on the college’s faculty.

Frerichs Hall served as the fine arts building for 22 years until it burned down in December 1969.

In 1968 a new dorm was built across from Memorial Hall and Anderson Hall. It was called “New Dorm” It wasn’t the first “New Dorm” at Linfield. The 1946 and 1954 Linfield Oak Leaves yearbooks mention another “New Dorm” or other “New Dorms.”

In 1979 – a plaque inside the dorm says the dedication was Nov. 3, 1979 – New Dorm became Frerichs Hall (the dorm). That naming was apparently with approval of the Linfield College Board of Trustees.

………

Thanks to Debbie Harmon Ferry of the Linfield President’s Office and Rich Schmidt, Linfield archivist, for assistance with this article.

Additional sources include the Oregon Statesman of Salem, Eugene Register-Guard, Oregon Journal of Portland, and Linfield Magazine.

The 1950 photo of Frerichs Hall (fine arts building) credited to Linfield Archives. Photos found online, posted by Frerichs family members, include Williams Frerichs in his Melrose Hall office and posing with others in front of Melrose. A photo portrait of him is from Find-A-Grave

Wildcatville took the exterior photo of Frerichs Hall (the dorm) on July 12, 2021. Credit for the photo taken July 13, 2021, of the plaque inside Frerichs Hall (the dorm) to Linfield Archives.

Coach Paul Durham (of 'Steak' fame), Coach Joe Beidler (of 'Hartford Pipeline' fame) attended a gathering on ov. 4, 2005, in McMinnville

Coach Paul Durham on Friday, Nov. 4, 2005, attended a gathering in a McMinnville, Ore., restaurant. The next night (Sat., Nov. 5, 2005) he and his Linfield College 1961 Camellia Bowl football team were enshrined in the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame. A 1936 Linfield grad, Paul Durham (of 'Steak' fame) was an outstanding student and athlete at Linfield College. Later he became the college’s outstanding athletic director and football coach. During his tenure Durham was also men’s basketball co-head coach and coached the men’s golf team. Video (MP4) is from a Wildcatville miniDV. The gathering was held to honor Coach Joe Beidler of Linfield’s “Hartford (Connecticut) Pipeline” fame. 

TIM MARSH: LINFIELD’S BIOGRAPHER, CELEBRATING 50 YEARS (Posted July 9, 2021)

TIM MARSH: LINFIELD’S BIOGRAPHER, CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

https://bwc-linfield.org/news-of-the-day-about-bwc/tim-marsh-linfields-biographer-celebrating-50-years/?

From BWC-Linfield website. Posted July 9, 2021. Story by Steve Lathrop. Photo by Rusty Rae.

He’s a familiar face on the sidelines during Linfield football games, easily recognizable wearing his Wildcat hat, usually decked out in a vest and with his trusty camera in hand.

Over the years it would be hard to find anyone more “into” Linfield and in particular, Linfield athletics than Tim Marsh (Class of ’70), especially since his return to McMinnville as a full time resident. In particular, Tim keeps alive the great history of Wildcat sports teams through his blog “Wildcatville”.

A relentless researcher on Wildcat teams of the past – in particular the 1960s – Tim has been posting stories relating Linfield athletes, teams and legendary moments since around 2000.

“I think maybe it began then,” says Tim, who is one of the last graduates of Linfield’s Journalism program which ended after his senior year and became a Communications degree. “I know I’ve posted enough at the blog that I can’t remember all of what is posted there.”

A lot of Tim’s blog posts are stories that appeared in newspaper coverage of Linfield games or feature stories written about Wildcat athletes. His research has linked stories from all across the state and even across the country.

“Some of the stories I research and write that cover past events have apparently never been in print and the blog provides a place where they can be read. I enjoy doing it,” said Tim.

Although he doesn’t track readership, Tim isn’t sure how many people actually access his blog. “I suspect it is few if any,” he said, noting that over the years, “the best audience for Wildcatville has been me”.

He has found additional outlets for his stories, using the BWC-Linfield Facebook page to post many of his blogs and always includes direct URL links back to his blog.

“That seems to have created more interest lately,” he said. “I know that often there is a question or reflection by someone from those posts that is related to Linfield sports.”

Along with his Wildcatville entries, Tim often posts current campus photos to his own Facebook page and the BWC site. All of it is popular with Wildcat alums. The pictures and stories jog memories and keep the Wildcat faithful in touch with the campus.

He says even though he lives in McMinnville, he really isn’t on campus all that much, noting that he usually spends his time at the library or Maxwell Field.

Tim grew up in Tacoma, WA but says his folks were “Oregonians”.

“We subscribed to the Sunday Oregonian via mail and we frequently visited Portland to see relatives,” he says. “When it came time for me to choose a college I wanted a small school in Oregon where I could major in journalism.”

The choice came down to Linfield and Pacific and ultimately he says Linfield’s athletic successes influenced his selection. He enrolled as a freshman in 1966.

“I chose well,” he said.

Tim competed in track & field in high school and continued as a member of the Wildcat track team, running the mile and two-mile.

“I’m no athlete but I enjoy athletics and writing about it and taking photos and I enjoyed competing and persevering,” Tim said.

After graduating Tim began a career in journalism working in newsrooms and Oregon daily newspapers and also worked in public information. In 1985, he moved to Pullman to begin a stint at Washington State University where he was a speechwriter for the WSU president and later worked in the WSU news bureau writing news and feature stories, promoting events and activities and taking photos.

Tim retired in 2011 and came back to McMinnville.

He manages to devote plenty of time to his blog. “I don’t know the number of hours I spend on it,” he said. “Too many.”

He does have some favorites among his blogspots, including stories about Linfield quarterback Mike Barrow, NFL experiences of Wildcats Bob Haack, Jim Massey and Joe Robillard and Linfield’s “Hartford Pipeline”. (Links to some of Tim’s favorite blogs are included below).

Tim also likes to promote Linfield’s actual school colors.

“Linfield’s colors are cardinal and purple. They are not red and purple as some Linfielders, who should know better, say indiscriminately.”

Oddly enough, Tim is not a fan of purple.

“I do not like or wear purple,” Tim said. “I guess it’s because I worked for 26 years at Washington State and the Cougars’ in-state rival is the University of Washington which has purple and gold colors. I do make an exception for Linfield purple”.

Tim’s Wildcatville blog has in many ways become an archive for 1960s Linfield athletic history. You can access it at: https://wildcatville.blogspot.com. 

Tim’s Favorite Blogs

Cheering over, but Mike Barrow still remembered

https://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2011/10/cheering-over-but-mike-barrow-still.html

….

After 30 years, Linfield’s nameless HHPA should memorialize Paul Durham

https://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2019/06/after-30-years-linfields-nameless-hhpa.html

….

Bob Haack’s NFL experience

https://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2015/08/Bob-Haack-NFL-experience.html

Jim Massey’s NFL experience

https://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2014/08/jim-masseys-nfl-experience.html

Joe Robillard’s NFL experience

https://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2015/08/joe-robillard-nfl-experience.html

…………..

For Linfielders, Augusta, Georgia, means college football, not professional golf

https://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2017/08/for-linfielders-augusta-georgia-means.html

…

‘Knowns’ and some ‘not well knowns’ about Roy Helser

https://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2016/03/knowns-and-some-not-well-knowns-about.html

…

Linfield’s storied ‘Hartford Pipeline’ is thanks to Coach Joe Beidler

https://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2011/11/linfields-storied-hartford-connection.html

…

Linfield football great Rogers (not Roger) Ishizu: The story behind his name and more

https://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2014/09/linfield-football-great-rogers-not.html

 

 

=AD RUTSCHMAN: Linfield baseball ‘Firewalker’=

=AD RUTSCHMAN: Linfield baseball ‘Firewalker’=

Ad Rutschman shared these photographs with Wildcatville in July 2021. They were taken one of several times he “firewalked” in the 1970s while he was Linfield College head baseball coach, 1971-1983.

The photos show Coach Rutschman as “firewalker” on Helser Field. The field went into use in 1971. It was named in 1973 for Roy Helser, a Linfield grad/former Wildcat athlete who served the college as baseball and basketball head coach, football assistant coach, and athletic director. Ad Rutschman was one of Coach Helser’s Linfield athletes.

A Linfield and Hillsboro High School (Hilhi) graduate, Ad Rutschman was baseball and football coach at both. In the early years coaching baseball at Hilhi, games were played at the City of Hillsboro’s Shute Field. It had a skinned infield (meaning the entire infield consisted of dirt.) To dry off the field when it was wet, gasoline poured on the dirt was ignited. The flames and heat evaporated moisture. (In 1965 his teams began playing its games on new Hare Field of the Hillsboro School District. Hare had a grass infield.)

Thus, when Ad Rutschman came to Linfield in 1968 (as head football coach) it was with a resume of success and experience. One of his experiences was “firewalking’ Shute Field for baseball. This came in handy when he became Linfield head baseball coach.

 

ABOUT BASEBALL COACH AD RUTSCHMAN IN 1958 SEASON OF 1957-1958 SCHOOL YEAR AT HILLSBORO HIGH SCHOOL

Many know Ad Rutschman, it’s always a surprise when there’s a fact or two you didn’t know about him.

Born in Hillsboro and raised there, too, he graduated in 1950 from Hillsboro High School (Hilhi) where he was a student-athlete excelling in football, basketball and baseball.

Recruited by Linfield College coaches Paul Durham and Roy Helser*, he attended Linfield where he excelled in the same three sports. He graduated from Linfield in 1954.

DID YOU KNOW? After Linfield graduation, Ad and wife Joan Rutschman -- a Hilhi grad, married June 7, 1952 – left McMinnville and moved back to Hillsboro. On the move the first of their children, Don – born in 1953 in McMinnville – was with them. In 1955 daughter Cindy and in 1957 son Ross were born in Hillsboro. Other children followed.

Ad returned to Hilhi in the fall of 1954 and eventually became head football and baseball coach winning state titles in both sports. He also taught p.e.

DID YOU KNOW? In addition to coaching, Ad had another job for Hillsboro High School. Ad told Wildcatville on 7/2/2021 that he drove the Hilhi baseball team bus. Why? It was financial.

“I made more money in the summer playing for the Drain (a city in southern Oregon) Black Sox (semi pro baseball team) than what I made in a year coaching and teaching at Hillsboro High School.” To take care of their family, Joan and Ad needed the extra money he received driving the team bus to all or almost all of our baseball team road games. “The team’s players made fun of me when I drove. I was used to driving a car. With the bus I often jumped the curb when turning corners,” he said.

Let’s jump ahead to the 1957-1958 school year of Hillsboro High School. That was his fifth of his 15 years coaching and teaching at Hilhi.

Neil Kunze, one of coach Rutschman’s varsity baseball players at Hilhi has fond memories of the 1958 season.

“Playing baseball for Coach Rutschman was the highlight of the 1957-58 school year for me,” said Kunze. He had a “positive effect upon a number of us who had the privilege of playing baseball for him (in 1958.) His influence continues to the present day.”

 

DID YOU KNOW? Ad’s 1958 and other Hilhi baseball teams he coached played home games at the City of Hillsboro’s Shute Field. It had a skinned infield (meaning the entire infield consisted of dirt.) To dry off the field when it was wet, gasoline poured on the dirt was ignited. The flames and heat evaporated moisture. In 1965 his teams began playing its games on new Hare Field of the Hillsboro School District. Hare had a grass infield.

 

AD RUTSCHMAN COACHING BASEBALL AT HILLSBORO HIGH SCHOOL

1954 Ad was assistant coach to head coach Cliff Wells

1955 Ad was assistant coach to head coach Cliff Wells

1956 Ad was head coach, succeeding Cliff Wells, who became head baseball coach at new (opened 1954) David Douglas High School.

1957 Ad was head coach

1958 Ad was head coach

1959 Ad was head coach

1960 Ad was head coach

1961 Ad was head coach

1962 Ad was head baseball coach - State co-Champ - 25-3. OSAA declared Hillsboro and South Eugene co-champs because the title game in which they were to play in Portland did not occur due to rain.

1963 Ad was head coach

1964 Ad was head coach

1965 Ad was head coach

1966 Ad was head baseball coach - State Champ - 30-3 win-loss record

1967 Ad was head coach

1968 Ad was head baseball coach - State Champ - 38-6-1 win-loss-tie record

(Ad's win-loss record in 13 seasons as Hillsboro head baseball coach: 246-116 )

Ad left Hilhi for Linfield. Starting in the 1968 season he succeeded Paul Durham as Linfield football coach. Starting with the 1971 season he was successor to Roy Helser as Linfield head coach in baseball.

.................

Ad was incorrectly identified as "Ed" in a sports column in the Oregon Journal April 26, 1955: "Cliff Wells moved from Hillsboro to David Douglas and Ed Rutschman moved up from freshman coach to head coach, and varsity assistant in football and basketball at Hilhi. Al Tarpening of Linfield college takes Rutschman's freshman job."

..................

Al Tarpening, who graduated from Linfield 1955, was best man at the Ad and Joan Rutschman wedding in 1952. "Tarp" and Ad were Linfield teammates in football and basketball.

Ad lettered playing Linfield football these seasons: 1950, 1951, 1952 and 1953.

Tarp lettered playing Linfield football these seasons: 1951, 1952, 1953 and 1954.

.......

*FOOTNOTE: At the time Durham and Helser were recruiting Ad, Durham was Linfield head football coach and Helser was Linfield head baseball coach and (1949-1952 seasons) they were co-head coaches of Linfield men's basketball.

PHOTOS: Thanks to Linfielder Tom Rohlffs for the photos posted with this story, They are from Ad’s time coaching at Hilhi. One photo shows Ad Rutschman, assistant football coach, and Norm Martinson, head football coach. The other photo is of the 1958 Hilhi baseball team. Ad is in the back row on the far right.

#

 

The new Linfield University seal

On the evening of 6/29/2021, Scott Bernard Nelson, Chief Marketing Officer/Associate Vice President at Linfield University and Owner/Partner at Relium Media, LLC, posted two comments about the new Linfield University seal. He also posted the photo shown here.

The first comment included, “… You posted the new logo, but not the new Linfield University seal.”

The second comment says, “It features the Old Oak, with three primary root systems beneath — representing learning, life and community. The radiating lines from behind the Oak are meant to symbolize the hope and the promise of higher education, helping to enlighten the world.”

Linfield College felt pennant sold (perhaps in 1950s) by Linfield Bookstore

 Linfield College felt pennant sold by Linfield Bookstore, perhaps in the 1950s.

This is about seals of McMinnville College, Linfield College and Linfield University

Linfield, located in McMinnville, Oregon, was founded Jan. 30, 1858, as Baptist College at McMinnville. It became known as McMinnville College.

(At its founding, McMinnville was in the Oregon Territory. Oregon did not become a state until Feb. 14, 1859.)

--On Jan. 30, 1858, what became known as McMinnville College, came to life. Its seal has the letter "M" in the middle.

--On June 6, 1922, McMinnville College became Linfield College. There were at least two Linfield College seals. One shows an open book. The other, which debuted in 2010, featured an acorn. See two versions of the open book version. The first may be the first used when McMinnville College became Linfield College. The second appears to be a version with more graphic clarity than the first.  See yet another version. The Linfield College seal appeared on a cardinal colored felt pennant sold by the Linfield College bookstore. Cardinal and purple are Linfield's school colors.

--On July 1, 2020, Linfield College became Linfield University. The university’s seal has the letter "L" on a shield in the middle. It features the Old Oak.