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--> --> Author highlights history of SOU By Amber Fossen Ashland Daily Tidings After nearly two decades of research, Arthur Kreisman captured the changing course of Southern Oregon University in his book "Remembering: A History of Southern Oregon University." "I began working on it in 1985, collecting material and taking notes," said Kreisman, emeritus professor and university historian. Kreisman, whose teaching career at SOU began in 1946, retired in 1980 only to find his work wasn't finished. His experience and close relationship to SOU made him a prime candidate for university historian. "President (Natalie) Sicuro came up to me and said `Art, you're the only one who knows where all the bodies are. Would you be the university historian?'" Kreisman said. And so it was settled. The position of university historian had fallen into Kreisman's lap much the same as his teaching profession at SOU, which began after a chance encounter with former President Elmo Stevenson. Stevenson had heard about Kreisman through a former student of his who was living in Lakeview, where Kreisman began teaching high school after his service to the Army during World War II. Stevenson was swayed by his former student's comments about Kreisman and actually went to Lakeview to meet the potential professor. "It was March, Elmo came out to talk to me. We had a nice talk and he immediately hired me to the college," Kreisman recalled. A stroke of luck for Kreisman, who initially found difficulty finding a job after the war. Since then, Kreisman has seen his share of students, faculty, and presidents come and go. There have been many notable changes since SOU's first incarnation in 1872. The most apparent - enrollment. "When Elmo came here as the new president, the board told him to raise enrollment. They were down to 45 students at one point," Kreisman said. SOU's enrollment has continued to climb over the years, reaching roughly 5,000 students throughout the area - a level Kreisman would like to see maintained. "SOU has it perfect at 5,000 students," Kreisman said. While Kreisman's book thoroughly examines the changes that have occurred throughout the years, it also explores the many events that have shaped the face of the university, including SOU's experience during the McCarthyism period and the faculty revolt of 1966. Despite Kreisman's thorough presentation of the history of SOU, there are a couple of areas the professor would like to explore in a second edition. He notes that there were many outstanding students and faculty that have come from SOU that he didn't include. "I'm sorry about that and I'd like to fix it," he said. In the meantime, Kreisman will keep busy teaching classes for Southern Oregon Learning In Retirement ,or SOLIR, which he helped found in addition to the Ashland Community Hospital and the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Rogue Valley. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing