Historical Timeline

2021- Present

2021- OSU Department of Horticulture Associate Department Head/ Professor, Dr. Ryan Contreras, brought on graduate student, Dan Blanchard, whose thesis focuses on developing a publicly accessible map and database, and establishing the OSU campus as an arboretum.

2023- OSU joins the Morton Register and becomes an ArbNet Level II Accredited Arboretum.

2001-2020

2008- The central campus of OSU was officially designated a “national historic district” by the U.S. Department of the Interior. OSU's Corvallis campus first receives Tree Campus Higher Education recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation.

2010- Dr. Ryan Contreras launches preliminary efforts towards cataloging and accrediting the campus woody plant collection.

2011- OSU Tree Tour Open Map App supported by GPS released by OSU that includes information on the blueprint of the MU and 27 separate trees at locations on campus.

2012- OSU Department of Horticulture Professor, Dr. Ryan Contreras, hired a summer intern, Keith Lukowski, who took an inventory of the entire 570 acres of the OSU Campus. The results of this inventory concluded that there are over 65,000 woody plants on campus representing 95 families, 244 genera, and over 1,000 species from around the world.

1981-2000

1988- By 1988, 142 elms had been cut down on campus. In 1987, the thinning practice of removing elm trees stopped and the practice of dead-wooding begins.

1961-1980

1961- Oregon State College becomes Oregon State University.

1964- Martel estimates there are approximately 200 different species of trees on campus.

1978- Due to Dutch elm disease moving across the United States and into eastern Oregon, the university discussed the removal of 204 elms on campus. A 10-year plan was developed to save the healthiest, most eligible trees and remove others to reduce the impact and spread of the disease. Since this time, new elms planted on campus are disease resistant.

1978 In 1978, estimated to be about 900 trees of all kinds across the 400-acre campus.

1941-1960

1953- Estimated over a thousand trees grow on campus, of around 100 species, with twenty or more trees native to Oregon.

1958- Don Martel, head of landscape architecture, begins adding metal signage to many plants across campus.

1921-1940

1923- T.J. Starker, Professor of Forestry establishes a tree nursery/arboretum behind the Forestry Building (now Moreland Hall). Many trees he planted are still in this area today.

1927- A.D. Taylor, landscape gardener from Cleveland, designs a revision to the Olmsted Report for the entirety of campus.

1937- College changes name to Oregon State College.

1938- Arthur L. Peck, Professor of Landscape Architecture commences the rhododendron collection by planting nearly 300 plants, valued at $1000, in front of the Memorial Union.

1901-1920

1905- Students, under the direction of George Coote, plant the historic elm walk on lower campus.

1907- William Jasper Kerr becomes president of the college. The school’s name changed to Oregon Agricultural College.

1909- Olmsted Brothers' Report for the future development of campus received.

1910- Arthur L. Peck, Professor of Landscape Architecture draws campus map to complement the Olmsted Report.

1880-1900

1880-1885- George Coote planted the Trysting Tree (gray poplar).

1889- Corvallis College moves from downtown to the new Administration Building (Community Hall formerly Benton Hall).

1892- George Coote planted two rows of evergreen trees from Monroe to the Administration Building (Community Hall formerly Benton Hall). Some of these trees are still alive today. He also did the landscape design for the first 35 acres of campus.

1896- Trees recognized on the campus at the time include: pines, firs, cedars, hemlocks, spruce, oak, ash, elm, and even a monkey puzzle tree.

1868- Corvallis College was named the land-grant institution of Oregon under the Morrill Act of 1862.