Linfield is a place of tradition in and of itself.
For 150 years, the Pioneer Bell Tower has stood tall. For more than 80 years, we have represented ourselves as the Wildcats. And for more than 50 years, our football team has had consecutive winning seasons. Our college has a long and interesting history, and we at the Review recommend that all of our readers be proud of that fact.
Let us put this in perspective: When Linfield was established, Minnesota was just becoming a state and little more than 80 years had passed since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In the Western United States, that is pretty old.
In the early 1920s, men and women living in residence halls had to sign up for shower times to regulate hot water usage, and, before cars overtook campus, horse-drawn carriages traversed the grounds.
It isn’t just our historic foundation that makes us great. Many inspiring people have walked these halls. Though none have been elected president of the United States, George Woods served as the governor of Oregon from 1866 to 1870, and Phillip Bond serves as U.S. undersecretary of commerce for technology; both men are Linfield alumni.
No graduates have won Nobel Prizes yet, but R. E. Schreiber, class of ’31, was an experimental physicist who worked on the infamous Manhattan Project. Our very own kickoff return coach, Ad Rutschman, is the only college coach to have won national titles in both football and baseball, at any level. In addition, Warren Baker, a trombonist who performed with the New York Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony Orchestras, graduated from Linfield in 1984.
The Nicholson Library is full of records of the college’s past. The Oak Leaves, Linfield’s yearbook, catalogue student life and times from the early 20th century to the early 21st. You can check out fashions from 1932 or the most popular hairstyles of 1968.
Past issues of The Linfield Review, dating back to the late 1800s, and of the at-one-time-named Linews, are also available upon request.
On the walls of the Ted Wilson Gymnasium, pictures, plaques and statistics can be found commemorating wins, losses and everything in between. There is even a sports history museum located in the Rutschman Fieldhouse.
Yesterday, today and tomorrow we are creating history. Enjoy it, learn it and collect it in your memory. Maybe someday a student will look back and remember you as a great Wildcat.
When the Old Oak fell last January, we lost a piece of history. Let’s not lose anymore if we can help it.
