The Blue River Experimental Forest was designated by the United States Forest Service in 1948, and renamed the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest five years later following the death, in an automobile accident, of Region 6 Chief Forester Horace J. Andrews. In the years since, the forest has served as a laboratory for a wide array of scientific investigations including trials related to forest operations efficiency and the impacts of logging on numerous aspects of forest ecology. The site was also selected for two long-term trials sponsored by the National Science Foundation -- the International Biological Program, and the Long-Term Ecological Research Network. Many of these experiments have been led by Oregon State University research scientists working in collaboration with employees of the U.S. Forest Service. In more recent time, the forest has also nurtured the creative work of writers- and artists-in-residence sponsored by OSU's Spring Creek Project for Ideas, Nature and the Written Word.
Max G. Geier is Professor Emeritus of History at Western Oregon University, where he also served as chair of the university's Social Science Division. His scholarly interests include environmental and North American history, with a particular focus on community development in the western United States and Canada. In addition to two books on the history of forest science research in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, Geier is the author of
Samuel Schmieding is an independent research historian and photographer with interests in environmental history as well as the history of science, geography, cartography, Native American history and Latin American history.
Sara Khatib is a cultural anthropologist who earned a bachelor's degree in Anthropology from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016, and a master's degree in Anthropology from the University of Oregon in 2021.
Fred Swanson is a research geologist who worked for the U.S. Forest Service from 1977-2012. He spent much of his career studying the geology-ecology interface in the Andrews Forest and serving in a variety of leadership positions, including as principal investigator of the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) project. In 2018 he was selected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The narrators interviewed for the projects described in this collection can be broadly grouped into two categories -- U.S. Forest Service employees and Oregon State University faculty. The Forest Service employees who contributed interviews are as follows:
Ed Anderson (Blue River District Ranger), Rolf Anderson (Willamette National Forest administrator), Martha Brookes (research scientist), Lynn Burditt (Blue River District Ranger), Terry Cryer (trades maintenance worker), John Cissel (Blue River Research Liaison), Ted Dyrness (soil scientist), Steve Eubanks (Blue River District Ranger), Jerry Franklin (research forester and chief plant ecologist), Gordon Grant (research hydrologist), Don Henshaw (information technology specialist), Richard Iverson (landslide specialist), Sherri Johnson (Pacific Northwest Research Station scientist), Mike Kerrick (Willamette National Forest Supervisor), Al Levno (research scientist), George Lienkaemper (Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory geologist), Art McKee (Andrews Experimental Forest Director), Ross Mersereau (Andrews Experimental Forest field staffer), Norm Michaels (research forester), Cindy Miner (Pacific Northwest Research Station Assistant Director for Communications and Applications), Russ Mitchell (entomologist), John Moreau (field technician), Jean Rothacher (wife of Jack Rothacher, Pacific Northwest Research Station Forester in Charge), Jim Sedell (research scientist), Roy Silen (Forest Genetics Research Project leader), Zane Smith (Willamette National Forest Supervisor), Fred Swanson (geologist), Bob Tarrant (Pacific Northwest Research Station Director), and Gabe Tucker (Andrews Experimental Forest research scientist).
The OSU faculty members interviewed for the projects include:
Norm Anderson (Professor of Entomology), Linda Ashkenas (Senior Faculty Research Assistant in the College of Agricultural Sciences), Barbara Bond (Professor of Forest Ecology and Ecophysiology), George Brown (Professor of Forest Engineering and Dean of the College of Forestry), Kermit Cromack (Professor of Forest Ecosystems and Society), Bill Ferrell (Professor of Forest Ecology), Stan Gregory (Professor of Fisheries), Robert Griffiths (OSU and Forest Service research scientist), Jim Hall (Professor of Fisheries and Wildlife), Mark Harmon (Professor of Forest Ecosystems and Society), Julia Jones (Professor of Geography), Jack Lattin (Professor of Entomology), Andy Moldenke (Professor of Entomology), Tim Schowalter (Professor of Entomology), Phil Sollins (Professor of Forest Ecosystems and Society), Susan Stafford (Professor of Forest Science), Jim Trappe (Professor of Mycology) and Dick Waring (Distinguished Professor of Forest Science).
The Max Geier interviews were transferred to the Special Collections and Archives Research Center by the OSU College of Forestry and the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station in 2018. The remainder of the collection was donated to SCARC by Fred Swanson in 2020 and Sara Khatib in 2021.
The collection is open for research.
H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest Oral History Collection (OH 028), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
The Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives Research Center is home to a great many collections documenting the history of forests and forestry in the Pacific Northwest. Prominent among these collections are the
Additional materials related to the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest can be found in the
Other SCARC oral history collections that incorporate natural resources as a major point of emphasis include the
The collection consists of five series, with materials organized chronologically within each series: 1. Max Geier Interviews, 1996-1998; 2. Samuel Schmieding Interviews, 2013-2017; 3. Sara Khatib Interviews, 2020; 4. Fred Swanson Audiocassettes, 1991-2009; 5. "H.J. Andrews The Man" Digital Collection, 2016-2017.
The first three series of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest Oral History Collection document three separate oral history projects that delved into the history and operations of the Andrews Forest.
Series 1 consists of 54 microcassette audio tapes created by historian Max Geier from 1996 to 1998, and containing the contents of oral history interviews collected by Geier in support of his book,
Series 2 consists of born digital interviews recorded to audio-only by historian Samuel Schmieding. The Schmieding interviews were conducted as a component of a larger project seeking to document the history of the Andrews Experimental Forest. That project was organized by Fred Swanson, a U.S. Forest Service geologist, and Cindy Miner of the Pacific Northwest Research Station Directors Office. Most of the interviews were collected from 2013-2014, with two additional sessions recorded near the end of 2017. As with the Geier interviews, all of the Schmieding sessions have been transcribed and made
Series 3 is comprised of born digital interviews collected over Zoom during the Covid-19 pandemic by Sara Khatib, then a master's degree student in Anthropology at the University of Oregon. Khatib's interviews were collected in service of her master's thesis, "What is an Old-Growth Forest? The Shaping and Reshaping of Scientific Inquiry at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest" (2021). The Khatib interviews are fully transcribed and
Series 4 consists of four standard audiocassettes collected by Fred Swanson and documenting events that connect with the history of the Andrews Experimental Forest. Two tapes - a retirement talk and a life history interview - focus on the work of Jerry Franklin, a renowned research forester and plant ecologist. The remaining two cassettes are dedicated to a group interview of Roy Silen, leader of the Forest Genetics Research Project. All four of the cassettes have been migrated to digital format, transcribed, and
Series 5 contains five groups of digitized archival documents that were scanned by Samuel Schmieding out of the privately held Horace J. Andrews Family Papers in 2016-2017. The documents shed considerable light on the biography of Region 6 Chief Forester H.J. Andrews (1892-1951), for whom the Blue River Experimental Forest was renamed in 1953. The documents are generally grouped by theme and include personnel files, correspondence, publications, news articles, obituaries and condolences, and photographs. Nearly all of the documents were scanned as multi-page PDF files; two group photographs were scanned as .tif files. In addition to the digitized documents, Series 5 includes spreadsheets created by Schmieding that provide insight into his workflow as well as additional information about the original items themselves. The series 5 materials are available in the SCARC reading room or upon patron request.
The item descriptions used in Series 1 reflect the annotations made by Max Geier on a given microcassette's tape case. Nearly all of the items held in the series have been migrated to digital format, transcribed, and made available online through the links that follow. Raw transcripts were originally generated by students supervised by Geier, and were later edited and finalized by Fred Swanson and Samuel Schmieding.
Workshop featuring Fred Swanson, Ted Dyrness, Art McKee, Cindy Miner and Max Geier at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Workshop featuring Ted Dyrness, Cindy Miner, Art McKee and Max Geier at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Interviewed at Anderson's house in Springfield, Oregon.
Interviewed at his home in Springfield, Oregon.
Interviewed at his house in Corvallis.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Ted (Christen Theodore) Dyrness interviewed at his Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory office.
Ted Dyrness interviewed at his Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory office, September 11, 1996. Al Levno interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory, September 12, 1996.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Interviewed at Wind River Canopy Crane Research Facility, Carson, Washington.
Interviewed at Wind River Canopy Crane Research Facility.
Interviewed in Bend, Oregon.
Interviewed in Bend, Oregon.
Interviewed at his Corvallis home.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Jean Rothacher and Ted Dyrness interviewed at Rothacher's home in Corvallis, Oregon. Poor audio quality; partially transcribed.
Ross Mersereau interviewed with Ted Dyrness at Mersereau's home in Corvallis.
Ross Mersereau interviewed with Ted Dyrness at Mersereau's home in Corvallis.
A recording of Jean Rothacher describing photos.
Interviewed in his office in Corvallis.
Interviewed in Peavy Hall, Oregon State University.
Recording of conversation during van ride from Corvallis to site headquarters with Roy Silen, Bob Tarrant, Martha Brookes, Ted Dyrness, Al Levno and Max Geier.
Recording begins with Roy Silen talking in van en route to headquarters site. Also includes conversation at headquarters site before drive to Carpenter Mountain Lookout and in van en route to lookout.
Recording of discussion of photo line-up at the lookout on Carpenter Mountain and group interview with Bob Tarrant, Roy Silen, Jerry Franklin, Ted Dyrness, Al McKee, Fred Swanson, Martha Brooks and Al Levno.
Recording begins with conclusion of interviews at Carpenter Mountain Lookout followed by drive down to headquarters. Interviews at headquarters streamside site before dinner with Roy Silen, Al Levno, Ted Dyrness, Al McKee, Fred Swanson, Martha Brooks, Bob Tarrant, and Jerry Franklin.
Recording of end of group interview at headquarters site to point where group learns of Roy Silen's tragedy.
Jack (John D.) Lattin interviewed at Cordley Hall, Oregon State University.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Interviewed at Peavy Hall, Oregon State University.
Interviewed at Peavy Hall, Oregon State University.
A word processing document created by Geier and used to provide guidance to student transcriptionists regarding commonly mentioned subjects, personal names and locations, as well as strategies for interpreting unintelligible phrases.
Interviewed at Cordley Hall, Oregon State University.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Interviewed at Nash Hall, Oregon State University.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Small watersheds group interview recorded at Peavy Hall, Oregon State University. Participants include George Lienkaemper, Fred Swanson, Don Henshaw, Ted Dyrness, Gordon Grant, Al Levno, Ross Mersereau and Max Geier.
Small watersheds group interview recorded at Peavy Hall, Oregon State University. Participants include George Lienkaemper, Fred Swanson, Don Henshaw, Ted Dyrness, Gordon Grant, Al Levno, Ross Mersereau and Max Geier.
Interviewed at her home in Corvallis.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Interviewed at Cordley Hall, Oregon State University.
Interviewed at Cordley Hall, Oregon State University.
Riparian group interview Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory. Participants include Linda Ashkenas, Art McKee, Norm Anderson, George Lienkaemper and Max Geier.
Riparian group interview Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory. Participants include Linda Ashkenas, Art McKee, Norm Anderson, George Lienkaemper and Max Geier.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Interviewed at Forest Supervisor's Office, Chippewa National Forest, Cass Lake, Minnesota.
Interviewed at Forest Supervisor's Office, Chippewa National Forest, Cass Lake, Minnesota.
H.J. Andrews IBP (International Biological Program) group interview at Siuslaw National Forest headquarters in Corvallis. Participants include Jerry Franklin, Dick Waring, Jim Hall, Fred Swanson, Ted Dyrness, Al Levno, Don Henshaw, Martha Brookes, Bill Denison and Max Geier.
H.J. Andrews IBP (International Biological Program) group interview at Siuslaw National Forest headquarters in Corvallis. Participants include Jerry Franklin, Dick Waring, Jim Hall, Fred Swanson, Ted Dyrness, Al Levno, Don Henshaw, Martha Brookes, Bill Denison and Max Geier.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Interviewed at Corvallis Forestry Sciences Laboratory.
Historian Samuel Schmieding conducted these interviews as a component of a larger project seeking to document the history of the Andrews Experimental Forest. That project was organized by Forest Service geologist Fred Swanson and Cindy Miner of the Pacific Northwest Research Station Director's Office. Each of the interviews was originally saved as an audio-only digital file, and professionally transcribed. The full contents of each session are available online through the links provided below.
Interviewed at his home in Corvallis, Oregon.
Interviewed at his home in Corvallis, Oregon.
Interviewed at his home in Corvallis, Oregon.
Interviewed in Corvallis, Oregon.
Interviewed at his home in Dearhorn, Oregon.
Interviewed at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest.
Interviewed at his home in Alvadore, Oregon.
Interviewed at the Upper McKenzie Rural Fire Protection District Station 1, Blue River, Oregon.
Interviewed at his home in Springfield, Oregon.
Interviewed at his home in Corvallis, Oregon.
Interviewed at his residence in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest.
Interviewed at the U.S.F.S. Forest Sciences Laboratory in Corvallis, Oregon.
These video-recorded interviews were conducted over Zoom by Sara Khatib, a master's degree-seeking student in Anthropology at the University of Oregon. The sessions were used as source material for Khatib's master's thesis, "What is an Old-Growth Forest? The Shaping and Reshaping of Scientific Inquiry at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest," completed in 2021 and
The recordings described in this series document events organized by U.S. Forest Service geologist Fred Swanson. Each of the standard cassettes held in Series 4 has been migrated to digital format, transcribed and made available online through the links provided below.
Tape 1 of 2. The contents of the Roy Silen interview have been transcribed and made available online as a
Tape 2 of 2.
The materials described in series 5 were digitized by Samuel Schmieding out of the privately held Horace J. Andrews Family Papers in Keizer, Oregon. Each group documents aspects of Andrews' life and career, with material types including personnel records, letters, publications, field notebooks, and records related to Andrews' death from an automobile accident in 1951. Nearly all of the materials were digitized to multi-page PDF format except for two group photographs scanned as .tif files. In addition to the digitized materials, each group includes a spreadsheet into which Schmieding recorded more details about his process as well as the original documents that he was scanning. These materials are available in the SCARC reading room or upon patron request.
Materials include copies of H.J. Andrews' resumes from 1924 and 1939; his personnel file, ca. 1920s; assorted membership cards; a U.S. Forest Service directory for Washington state, 1950; and Andrews' reassignment papers, 1950.
Materials include Andrews' professional correspondence with the New York College of Forestry, private sector correspondents and others, 1918-1920; correspondence with colleagues in the U.S. Forest Service, 1943; publications by Andrews on forest fire management (1928) and professional forestry methods (1937); and newspaper articles and press releases documenting Andrews' move to Oregon in 1943.
Materials include Michigan Department of Conservation work diary notebooks, 1927-1928; Douglas Fir Region Survey notebooks, 1930-1938; and Forest Service Region 6 notebooks, 1946.
Materials focus on H.J. Andrews' death in 1951 and the events that followed. Items include news articles on Andrews' death; obituaries; condolence letters from U.S.F.S. colleagues, other government agency colleagues, politicians and judges, private sector contacts, and members of academia and professional associations; memorials, honors and remembrances; and documentation of the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest renaming ceremony in 1953.
Scans are of group photographs that include H.J. Andrews, including one of the Iowa State College forestry faculty and students, ca. 1923, and another of the University of Michigan College of Forestry alumni, 1924.