Archives West Finding Aid

Gwil Evans was born in Portland, Oregon, in 1939. After one year at Reed College, Evans transferred to Oregon State College, completing a degree in General Science with a minor in Journalism in 1961. As an undergraduate, Evans worked as a reporter for the Daily Barometer and, driven by an interest in photography and journalism, he enrolled in Stanford University’s Masters of Communication Research program, graduating in 1962.

After serving in the Vietnam War, Evans returned to Corvallis and began working for Oregon State University, holding a dual position as Assistant Editor for the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station and professor in the Department of Journalism. He also started a new quarterly newsletter at Oregon State called OSU Scope, serving as both editor and publisher for its entire circulation. Evans likewise served a tenure as editor of the Oregon Stater alumni magazine, and it was during this time that the Black Student Union Walkout took place, a momentous event that was closely documented by Evans and his team.

Evans remained an employee of OSU until retiring in 2003. During his career at Oregon State, he worked in numerous corners of the university's operations, including stints as public information officer for the Marine Science Center; director of communications for Oregon Sea Grant; head of communications for OSU Extension; and director of University Publications and the University Press. His final position was in the dean's office at the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences.

The Black Student Union Walkout

On February 22, 1969, Fred Milton, an African American student-athlete on the Oregon State University football team, was told by head football coach Dee Andros to shave his beard in order to comply with requirements that Andros had set for the entire team. Milton refused, expressing his belief that Andros did not have the right to police his appearance during the team's off-season. Milton was subsequently given forty-eight hours to shave his beard or be cut from the team and lose his scholarship.

It was at this point that Milton went to the Black Student Union to share his story, and preparations for protests quietly began. The BSU believed the Milton case to be an infringement of a student’s right to individual self-expression. The group also pointed out that Milton was not the first Black student athlete to come into conflict with Andros’ policies; in the past, others had been told to keep their hair short and to not wear medallions. BSU President Mike Smith later publicly explained that, although the policies were extended across the OSU Athletic Department, they were based on standards set by white society, and that Black student athletes were pressured to conform to them.

The Milton-Andros clash occured in the midst of the Oregon State University Centennial Celebration, a year-long observance that began with Charter Day on October 27, 1968 and concluded with the centennial commencement ceremony on June 8, 1969. As part of this year of celebration, the university had also organized a Centennial Lecture series to be held from February 25-27, 1969, with classes cancelled so that students could attend. The first of these lectures was to be given by Oregon State alumnus Linus Pauling; a speech titled “Advancement of Knowledge: Ortho-Molecular Psychiatry,” scheduled for February 25. That morning, the introduction to Pauling's talk was interrupted when approximately seventy students marched to the dais, with football player Rich Harr and BSU President Smith asking to speak about Milton's situation to the crowd assembled at Gill Coliseum. Harr and Smith's remarks lasted for fifteen minutes. After a short reply from OSU President James Jensen, Pauling delivered his talk.

A handful of informal public gatherings quickly followed the Gill speakout, including a show of support for the Athletic Department that assembled outside the President's home, as well as a rally and a counter-rally at the Memorial Union that happened at the same time. A more formal gathering in support of Milton took place two days later, on February 27, in Milam Auditorium. This event was attended by a crowd of more than 1,000 people, many of whom were visiting from outside of OSU. Among those present were John Frazer, Oregon State's student body president; Dick Jones, the University of Oregon's student body president; and activist John Carlos who, the previous year, had won a bronze medal in track and field at the Mexico City Summer Olympics. Linus Pauling issued a statement in solidarity, as did student representatives from Portland State University and Washington State University.

On March 5, 1969, the BSU held a third rally in the Memorial Union and staged a walk-out through campus immediately following. Forty-seven African American students left campus through the East Gate, many of whom - including Fred Milton - promptly transferred into different universities.