SOU and other local organizations sponsor MLK, Jr. celebration

Southern Oregon MLK, Jr., Celebration on Jan. 15 in Ashland

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University will join several other local organizations in sponsoring this year’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday Celebration for southern Oregon from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 15, at the historic Ashland Armory and in downtown Ashland. All community members are invited to participate in the event, which is free and open to the public.

The festivities will honor Dr. King’s legacy, and the diverse and vibrant southern Oregon community. This year’s theme is “We Choose Love! Now more than ever, the DREAM must continue.”

The event’s keynote speech will be delivered by D.L. Richardson, a civil rights scholar, educator and longtime host of the local MLK celebration.

This year’s event will also include messages from Rogue Valley faith leaders, spoken word presentations by area students and performances by the Ashland School District Middle School Choir, the Rogue Valley Peace Choir, BASE Youth Dancers and The Friends of Bishop Mayfield Band, who will perform a tribute to the beloved local blues legend.

There will be a slideshow presentation on the importance of the Civil Rights Movement, as the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act is celebrated, 60 years later.

In keeping with long-time tradition, participants in the MLK celebration will march from the Ashland Armory to the downtown Plaza to hear Dr. King’s original “I have a Dream” speech, and a performance by the Kirby Shaw Singers.

Seating for the Ashland Armory portion of the family event will be limited, and available on a first-come basis. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m., and sign language interpretation will be provided for the live event and an online simulcast at SOMLK.org.

While the event is free, donations are welcome and everyone is encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the SOU Food Pantry.

Sponsors and participating organizations, in addition to SOU, include the Ashland Chamber of Commerce, Travel Ashland, City of Ashland, Ashland School District, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland Food Co-Op, Black Southern Oregon Alliance and Black Alliance for Social Empowerment..

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SOU President's Medal, highest award, goes to three retired faculty members

SOU’s highest award to go to three retired faculty members

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(Ashland, Ore.) — SOU President Rick Bailey will present three retired faculty members with the highest recognition of service to the university during a celebration from 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, in the Rogue River Room of SOU’s Stevenson Union.

The SOU President’s Medal will be awarded to poet Lawson Fusao Inada, artist Betty LaDuke and linguist “Señora Chela” Grace Tapp Kocks.

“These three extraordinary scholars and teachers served our university and our students with brilliance for a combined 99 years, and also distinguished themselves as significant innovators in their individual fields of study,” President Bailey said in an announcement to campus. “Each has earned the deepest respect and gratitude of our campus community, and has made a lasting impression on our world.”

Inada joined the SOU faculty in 1966 and taught until 2002. He is a third-generation Japanese American, and the betrayal that he felt when his family was confined in internment camps during World War II shaped much of the poetry that would lead him to prominence. His four published collections of poetry included winners of the Oregon Book Award and the American Book Award, he received a Guggenheim Fellowship, was named Oregon’s poet laureate in 2006 and his words are inscribed in stone at the Japanese American Historical Plaza in Portland. Inada received a bachelor’s degree from Fresno State University and a master of fine arts degree from the University of Oregon.

LaDuke arrived at SOU in 1964 and taught until 1996. She was the second woman art teacher when she joined the SOU faculty and was the only woman in the Art Department for 18 years. She has traveled the world for more than 65 years, sketching, painting and telling stories through her art of people linked to the land and community, during peace and war – from civil rights struggles in the 1960s and 1970s, to recent works focused on farms and farmworkers. She received the Oregon Governor’s Award in the Arts in 1993 and the National Art Education Association’s Ziegfield Award for distinguished international leadership in 1996. The National Museum of Eritrea dedicated a gallery to her paintings in 2017. LaDuke received a bachelor’s degree in art and a master’s degree in printmaking, both from California State University, Los Angeles

“Señora Chela” came to SOU in 1966 to teach Spanish and French, and soon became the university’s cornerstone of multicultural outreach. She directed SOU’s international shows for 25 years, serving as a conduit between the university and the Rogue Valley’s Hispanic community. She is the architect of both a 54-year sister city relationship between Ashland and the Mexican city of Guanajuato, and SOU’s Amistad exchange program with the Universidad de Guanajuato. More than 750 students have participated in the exchange program since 1969, and hundreds of Ashland and Guanajuato residents have visited their sister cities. She was named an emeritus member of the SOU faculty in 1997. She received a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University, Greeley, and a master’s degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder.

The SOU President’s Medal, established in 1984, is the university’s highest tribute and is awarded as often as once per year to one or more community members who are distinguished by their actions and contributions. It has previously been presented to 59 individuals and organizations, most recently in August 2022 to Mexican politician and SOU alumnus Juan Carlos Romero Hicks and his wife, Frances “Faffie” Siekman Romero.

Recipients of the medal are recognized for their exemplary service to the university and community, and for demonstrating compassion, integrity, generosity, leadership and courage. The SOU president determines when and to whom the award is presented.

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Fall term enrollment continues rebound at SOU

SOU fall enrollment expands on recent upturn

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Fall term admission numbers suggest the continuation of a strong rebound in enrollment at Southern Oregon University, led by the institution’s largest freshman class since 2018. The number of new freshmen at SOU increased this fall by 15.1% compared to a year ago, while the number of incoming transfer students is up by 10.6%.

Overall, student headcount for the traditional yardstick at the fourth week of fall term is 162 higher than that of last fall – a 3.4% gain to a total of 4,889. The increases among freshmen and transfers account for 84 and 30 students, respectively.

“These numbers tell me that prospective students and their families are hearing our message,” SOU President Rick Bailey said. “We offer remarkable academic and student experience opportunities in an environment that is second to none, with a heart-centered approach from faculty and staff who are unparalleled in their commitment to helping students achieve their educational goals. It’s a perfect recipe.

“Our scholarship and financial aid programs, and our dedicated admissions staff, bring our broad spectrum of educational programs within reach of all who wish to take this transformative, positive step.”

SOU experienced a double-digit percentage decline in enrollment during the years following the COVID-19 pandemic and regional wildfires of September 2020. The university’s turnaround began with small increases in headcount for both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years, and has picked up momentum with encouraging overall numbers this fall.

Headcount is expected to settle at a year-over-year increase of about 2% by the end of fall term, while full-time equivalent figures – a more accurate reflection of students’ total credit hours – is projected to end the term about 1% higher than those of fall 2022. That would mark the first uptick in full-time equivalent enrollment in several years.

Student retention plays a significant role in this fall’s positive enrollment picture. Last year’s freshman cohort returned this year at a rate of 66.3%, compared to 65.6% for the previous cohort, while total undergraduate retention is at 78% this fall, compared to 76.2% in 2022.

Another positive note comes from SOU’s Advanced Southern Credit, a dual-enrollment program with local high schools, which is showing an increase of about 7% this fall.

“Our university has faced recent obstacles that are common among public universities across the country, along with others that are particular to our state and even our region,” said Matt Stillman, Ph.D., SOU’s registrar and assistant vice president for enrollment management.

“We have taken a leading role in adapting, innovating and getting back on track to serve our communities and prepare our students for purposeful, rewarding lives.”

SOU’s enrollment has been negatively affected in recent years by not only the pandemic and the southern Oregon wildfires of three years ago, but also by factors such as changing attitudes toward higher education and a long-anticipated national decline in the traditional, college-age demographic.

The university has responded with investments to modernized enrollment management efforts and increase its pool of prospective students, and with groundbreaking initiatives to establish intergovernmental agreements with school districts across the state of Oregon and transfer agreements with several community colleges in Oregon and California.

Under the intergovernmental agreements, school districts share their students’ basic directory information with SOU, which then promotes college attendance and provides timely enrollment guidance. The arrangement improves  college access, especially among traditionally underserved students.

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About Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University is a medium-sized campus that provides comprehensive educational opportunities with a strong focus on student success and intellectual creativity. Located in vibrant Ashland, Oregon, SOU remains committed to diversity and inclusion for all students on its environmentally sustainable campus. Connected learning programs taught by a host of exceptional faculty provide quality, innovative experiences for students. Visit sou.edu.

Hybrid pickup trucks added to SOU vehicle fleet

SOU takes steps in sustainable vehicle use

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Two recent developments have boosted hybrid and electric vehicle use at SOU: the addition of two gasoline-electric hybrid pickup trucks to the university’s fleet of vehicles, and the completion of two new, dual electric vehicle charging stations to serve residents of Student and Family Housing.

The new hybrid Ford Maverick trucks have replaced a pair of conventional Ford Ranger pickups that were due to be rotated out of SOU’s vehicle fleet. The hybrids were considered the most sustainable pickup trucks currently available, and so far are averaging 38 combined miles per gallon – an improvement of about 75 percent over the 10 miles per gallon average of the earlier pickups.

The university is also in the process of procuring an electric vehicle for its fleet.

The two new EV charging stations are Level 2 dual-port chargers and are intended only for residents of Student and Family Housing, who should contact University Housing to receive a driver code to use the chargers – which are Enel X Juice Box stations, and are operated via the Enel X app. Level 2 stations charge electric vehicles at a rate that translates to about 18 to 28 miles of range per hour, so an average EV can be fully charged in about eight hours.

The total of four new charging ports bring SOU’s total number of EV ports to 16 – six dual-port stations on campus already are in operation. The Student and Family Housing charging stations were funded by the student “Green Tag Fee” – an assessment of $14 per student each term, approved in a student vote several years ago to promote sustainability projects.

SOU has plans to continue expanding its EV charging infrastructure, with two more Enel X Juice Box dual-port stations planned for installation near Central Hall within the next six months. Another four dual-port stations will be added as part of a solar project in the parking lot adjacent to The Hawk Dining Commons, which is funded by the Oregon Department of Energy and federal appropriations.

The university conducted an EV charging survey last spring, and aims to strategically plan and identify optimal locations for charging stations as the demand for electric vehicle charging increases on campus. The intent is to accommodate the distinct charging needs of students, employees and visitors to campus.

SOU core information system transition to begin in December

SOU two months from core information system transition

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Southern Oregon University is just two months from its Dec. 16 “go-live” date for the first phase of Workday, the new operational software platform that is expected to eventually save the university more than $750,000 in recurring, annual costs – and improve user experiences and modernize processes for both students and employees. The first phase is focused on employee-based elements of the platform: finance, payroll and human resources.

Employees from various departments across campus who are members of SOU’s Core Information System Replacement (CISR) project team have been working for more than a year with the university’s implementation vendor, Alchemy, to prepare for December’s launch. Alchemy specializes in helping colleges and universities implement the various functions of the Workday system.

Workday will ultimately replace the outdated core information system currently used by SOU and most other universities throughout the U.S. The transition to Workday will enable employees to juggle fewer systems and see modernized and automated workflows, improved analytics and better security. It will include a shift for all employees – including faculty and student employees – to electronic time entry, leave requests and reimbursement procedures, and many other processes will be modernized and streamlined.

The next phase of  Workday implementation – the student module – will begin after the employee module is fully in place, and is expected to last another two years. The new platform will affect how students view and register for courses, and will provide tools for them to create academic plans, manage financial aid and complete other functions throughout their academic careers. Most functions will be accessible on Workday’s mobile app. Workday also will become the primary portal through which the registrar will schedule and manage courses, and where faculty members and advisers will view and edit students’ transcripts and course progress.

Highlights from SOU’s first phase of Workday implementation include:

  • End-to-end testing in August and September. The CISR team evaluated more than 1,600 test scenarios, meticulously inspecting the newly built system for defects and errors. Ninety-five percent of the test scenarios passed, in large part due to team members’ extra efforts.
  • Parallel payroll testing has begun. This is a phase where SOU’s payroll team is running prior payrolls from earlier this year through Workday to compare them against what was paid to employees through Banner. This testing has just begun, but initial results appear strong. There will be two full months of this testing, using two different pay periods to ensure that payroll will be as accurate as possible when the university goes live.

Looking ahead
The CISR Project Team will continue over the next two months to address defects, test the system as updates are made and test payroll. Workday “User Readiness Review” sessions are scheduled for the week of Oct. 23. These sessions will provide a select group of SOU employees temporary access to Workday to complete daily activities in the system, helping the CISR team to understand the user experience and tailor the university’s training materials. Workday training will be made available in early November with both virtual and in-person options. Sign-up will open on Monday, Oct. 23, on the CISR Project Training page. 

Communication
The project team is still working to determine the best channel(s) for providing SOU employees with the information needed to use the system for daily activities when the first phase goes live. For now, employees are encouraged to visit the CISR Project Website often to view project updates and other important information about the Workday transition.

SOU intends to leverage its experience in implementing Workday to serve as a model – and potentially as a mentor – for other universities that shift to the platform. Several other institutions in Oregon and elsewhere have indicated they plan eventual transitions to Workday and are closely monitoring SOU’s progress.

OLLI Abroad production coming soon

All Aboard for “OLLI Abroad!”

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The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at SOU invites the southern Oregon community to enjoy a new original musical comedy: “OLLI Abroad!”

Audiences will find their hearts warming to tunes like “Someone to Watch Over Me,” and their toes tapping to the likes of “Fascinating Rhythm” plus many more in performances from Nov.1 through Nov. 5. The production is a fundraiser that offers a wonderful time at the theater, community and a great way to support OLLI at SOU.

The 90-minute show sets sail with intrepid OLLI cast members boarding the S.S. Socrates to take classes, have fun and broaden their horizons. What follows is a bit of everything – shipboard entertainment, a double love story and intrigue, as nefarious billionaire Ronald Bedminster plots a hostile takeover of OLLI. Fortunately, the day is saved and no one – including OLLI – is lost at sea.

Tickets can be purchased online now. Don’t delay, as seating is limited, and tickets for this voyage are going fast. Tickets range from $35 to $50. Performances will be held at the Ashland Bellview Grange, at 1050 Tolman Creek Road in Ashland.

SOU’s is among the largest of 125 OLLI programs on college and university campuses across the U.S., with close to 1,700 members at the university’s Ashland and Medford campuses. The SOU program, like others around the country, provides a variety of in-person and online noncredit courses and outdoor activities geared toward adults 50 or better who seek “learning for the joy of learning.” OLLI at SOU invites adults to come for the classes and stay for the connections.

Membership is open to adults of any age, but the program is geared toward those who are 50-plus. More information is available on the OLLI website.

Age-friendly designation for SOU

SOU achieves “age-friendly university” status

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Southern Oregon University has been accepted for membership in the Age-Friendly University Global Network – a collection of more than 100 universities across five continents that have committed to age diversity and intergenerational interactions on their campuses and in their communities.

“This is a timely and impactful distinction for SOU,” President Rick Bailey said. “It meshes with some initiatives that we’re already very excited about. Our acceptance into this distinguished network really highlights our dedication to students of all ages and backgrounds, and our utmost respect for the knowledge, expertise and capabilities of older adults.”

The membership underlines SOU’s commitment to serving mid-career and older students and welcoming the contributions of older employees. It will also place the university on lists of age-friendly institutions that are maintained by organizations such as the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the Gerontological Society of America.

SOU, Portland State University and Western Oregon University are the only Oregon institutions to gain AFUGN membership. Member colleges and universities commit to AFUGN’s list of 10 Age-Friendly University Principles, which touch on second careers, intergenerational learning, online educational opportunities, engagement with retired communities and other key topics.

“Your institution’s demonstrated commitment to this cause and its ongoing efforts to promote age-friendly policies, research, services and initiatives are to be lauded,” said Aaron Guest, Ph.D., an Arizona State University faculty member who serves as secretariat of AFUGN.

“We are thrilled to embark on this journey together and look forward to a fruitful and collaborative relationship,” he said. “Together, we can significantly impact older adults’ lives and create societies where everyone can age with dignity, respect and fulfillment.”

The new membership meshes with SOU’s plans to build a senior living center on campus and with the existing Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. OLLI at SOU leaders collaborated on the AFUGN membership application with Noriko Toyokawa, an associate professor of psychology at SOU whose research focuses on intergenerational relationships and health in later life.

“Age diversity on campus is a resource for learning and community building,” Toyokawa said.

SOU has been awarded state funding to raze its outdated and largely unused Cascade Housing Complex, and university leaders have begun conversations with potential private partners for development of a senior living facility in its place. The goal is to create a living community that creates a unique synergy between the center’s residents, SOU students, OLLI at SOU and the university. A list of seniors who are interested in moving into the facility has already been generated.

SOU’s is among the largest of 125 OLLI programs on college and university campuses across the U.S., with close to 1,700 members at the university’s Ashland and Medford campuses. The SOU program, like others around the country, provides a variety of in-person and online noncredit courses and outdoor activities geared toward adults 50 or better who seek “learning for the joy of learning.” OLLI at SOU invites adults to come for the classes and stay for the connections.

OLLI at SOU members collaborate with staff to govern their organization, and teach and take classes in subjects ranging from art and music to science and technology to health and recreation. The local program began with 100 members in 1993 as Southern Oregon Learning in Retirement (SOLIR) before being incorporated into the nationwide OLLI network that is part of the Bernard Osher Foundation.

The AFUGN was initiated in 2012 at Ireland’s Dublin City University and has grown into a network of institutions that promote positive, healthy aging by offering age-friendly educational programs, research, curriculum, online education, health and wellness activities, arts and culture programs and opportunities for civic engagement.

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Jason Mendoza appointed to SOU Board of Trustees

Current chair and university employee appointed to new terms on SOU board

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(Ashland, Ore.) — Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has appointed Jason Mendoza, an area coordinator for Southern Oregon University’s Housing Department, to serve on SOU’s Board of Trustees, and reappointed current board chair Daniel Santos to his second full, four-year term. Both were confirmed on Friday by the Oregon Senate and their service to the board begins immediately.

Mendoza will serve a two-year term as the new non-faculty staff member of SOU’s governing board. He is an SOU alumnus, receiving his bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice seven years ago, and he held criminal justice positions in Jackson and Klamath counties before taking his current position with SOU’s University Housing.

“SOU holds a very special place in my heart, as it is where I met my wife and we started our family prior to graduating,” Mendoza said. “This opportunity brings me full-circle at SOU, where as a student worker in University Housing, my wife and I received the support we needed to graduate. I will be pleased to join the board in advocating for and supporting first-generation students like myself.”

Santos is also an alumnus, receiving his bachelor’s degree in criminology at SOU in 1975, before earning his law degree at Willamette University College of Law. He has remained involved in education throughout his career, serving as a founding member of Scholarships for Oregon Latinos, and in guiding roles with Willamette University’s Willamette Academy for students from underserved communities and the Leadership Council for Oregon Mentors. He has served on the SOU Board of Trustees since 2016 and currently is the board’s chairperson.

“I am excited to continue my service to SOU, and I am looking forward to working with Jason and all of our fellow board members,” Santos said. “Our role is to keep the institution on a solid, sustainable path and ensure access to future generations of students. SOU is headed in the right direction, both academically and fiscally, thanks to the innovative, responsible guidance of our board and university leaders.”

Santos is a retired associate dean for the Willamette University College of Law, where he oversaw student affairs and administration. He has served in various capacities for Oregon governors Neil Goldschmidt, Barbara Roberts, John Kitzhaber, Ted Kulongoski, Kate Brown and Tina Kotek. His roles included service as Roberts’ legal counsel and Oregon Board of Parole and Post-Prison Supervision chair, and as a senior policy advisor for Kulongoski.

He currently serves on the boards of directors of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Mid-Valley Literacy Council, among others.

Mendoza is a member of the city of Ashland’s Housing and Human Services Advisory Committee, which assesses and makes recommendations to the City Council on housing and human service needs. He is an advisor for both the SOU Ho`opa`a Hawai`i Club and Samoan Club, and is passionate about helping underrepresented populations – especially the Polynesian community.

He has worked with the SOU Admissions Department in the recruiting and retention of Pacific Islander students, including traveling to American Samoa, and has helped Phoenix High School students learn about Samoan culture during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Mendoza also helped to organize the United Pacific Islanders of Southern Oregon (UPSIO) Pacific Islander Summer Celebration in August – an event that was hosted by the Samoa Pacific Islander Coalition (SPDC).

SOU was granted authority by the state to form its own independent Board of Trustees beginning July 1, 2015, following the legislature’s dissolution of the Oregon University System and State Board of Higher Education. SOU’s board is responsible for governance and oversight of the university.

Eleven at-large trustees serve four-year terms, and one voting position each is reserved for an SOU undergraduate student, an SOU graduate student, a faculty and a non-faculty staff member – each of whom serve two-year terms. One non-voting undergraduate student member also serves on the board for a two-year term.

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Indigenous Peoples Day celebration at SOU

Indigenous Peoples Day to be observed at SOU

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(Ashland, Ore.) — The annual Indigenous Peoples Day celebration at Southern Oregon University will return on Monday, Oct. 9. Indigenous Peoples Day amplifies Indigenous voices and celebrates the historic, cultural and contemporary presence of Indigenous peoples and Tribal Nations, who have persevered in the protection of Indigenous rights and cultural sovereignty, and continue to make significant contributions to the world.

Indigenous Peoples Day at SOUSOU alumna Lupe Sims – a descendant of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, and adoptive daughter of Mark and Felcia McNair of The Klamath Tribes – partnered with the university’s Diversity and Inclusion Oversight Committee in 2016 to petition for recognition of Indigenous sovereignty. Formal observation by the university was declared in June 2017, and the Ashland City Council voted two months later to follow suit.

This year’s celebration – the sixth official observation of Indigenous Peoples’ day by SOU and the city of Ashland – will begin at 11 a.m. with a salmon bake on SOU’s Stevenson Union Courtyard (plates are $8 cash only, no charge for Elders). Sims, who is coordinating this year’s celebration, will deliver opening acknowledgements, followed by an honor song by host drum Screaming Eagle (the Jackson family of Klamath Falls), who were present at the first formal Indigenous Peoples Day event in 2017.

David West, a citizen of Potawatomi Nation and director emeritus of the Native American Studies department at SOU, will deliver the opening prayer and Ed Little Crow (Lakota and Dakota) will offer a traditional meal blessing. SOU Provost Susan Walsh will read a Land Acknowledgement, and SOU President Rick Bailey and Jonathan Chavez-Baez,  the interim assistant vice president for the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, will share remarks during the formal flag dedication.

The celebration will continue with remarks from revered Tribal Elders; Oregon State Rep. Tawna Sanchez, D-Portland (Shoshone-Bannock, Ute, and Carrizo); Terry Cross, member of the Seneca Nation and founder and senior advisor of the National Indian Child Welfare Association; and Shane Lopez-Johnston, member of the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, who will represent Native American Rehabilitation Association Northwest. The speakers will address continued stewardship of voices for equality within – and in support of – Indigenous communities.

SOU student-driven initiatives during the event will include a formal dedication of Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribes, to be led by David West and Ed Little Crow, with appointed Tribal Council and/or Tribal community member dignitaries from each of the nine Tribes.

The Klamath Tribes Youth Council will share a cultural presentation and community round dance, and stand in support of the Tribal youth presenting from the Ashland School District’s Native American Student Unions. Children’s cultural activities will also be available in the Stevenson Union ASSOU center.

The student-led projects represent progress SOU has made in the past six years toward honoring the stewardship of the protection of Indigenous cultural sovereignty.

Everyone is welcome and will have the opportunity to gather in community, and stand in solidarity, with Indian country and Native/AI/LatinX Indigenous peoples. This is a drug-and alcohol-free event. Contact coordinator Lupe Sims at (541) 264-9408 for more information.

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SOULA and partners work on Tragedy at Tunnel 13 commemoration

Collaborative events to commemorate historic “Tragedy at Tunnel 13”

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(Ashland, Ore.) — The Southern Oregon University Laboratory of Anthropology (SOULA) and Jefferson Public Radio (JPR) are part of a nationwide consortium commemorating the 100th anniversary of the “Tragedy at Tunnel 13” and its legacy. The project includes a variety of live and virtual events that memorialize what may be southern Oregon’s most infamous true crime, its victims and the far-reaching efforts to solve it.

Oct. 11, 2023, marks the 100th anniversary of the attempted robbery of Train 13 at Tunnel 13 in the Siskiyou Mountains. The crime led to the brutal murders of postal clerk Elvyn Dougherty, brakeman Coyl O. Johnson, engineer Sydney Bates and fireman Marvin Seng. The holdup led to a global manhunt, with more than 2.5 million wanted posters and a cost of more than $6 million in today’s money to catch the three DeAutremont brothers who were responsible for the crime.

The case is considered to represent the birth of American criminal forensics. The DeAutremont brothers – Ray, Roy and Hugh – were identified following a painstaking investigation, then captured after a four-year manhunt, convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

SOULA and its partners in the commemoration been working for months to plan and create resources, podcasts, exhibits and live events that will focus on a variety of aspects of the historical crime and its legacy. SOULA has used archaeological tools and public outreach to revisit and reframe the case and its relevancy today.

“While to many this case evokes romantic images of the old timey train robberies and elaborate chases, the story is actually more about innovation, collaboration and the modernization of the world around them,” said SOULA research archaeologist Chelsea Rose. “On that fateful day in 1923, the DeAutremont brothers entered Tunnel 13 in one era, and came out in another.”

SOULA, which has played a central role in the Tunnel 13 commemoration, has collaborated with agencies including the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, the Southern Oregon Historical Society (SOHS), the Black Butte Center for Railroad Culture (BBRC), the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Oregon Historical Society (OHS), Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), the Southern Oregon Railway Historical Society, and the United States Fish & Wildlife Forensics Laboratory.

The U.S. Postal Service will make a commemorative pictorial cancellation – the postal marking that prevents a stamp from being reused – featuring original art by retired Postal Inspector, Dan Mihalko.

“As a Postal Inspector, a history buff and an artist, I was always intrigued by the DeAutremont case,” Mihalko said.

“In 1998, I did a painting of the robbery entitled, ‘The Last Great American Train Robbery,’” he said. “So, I was thrilled when offered the opportunity to design the pictorial cancellation for the 100th anniversary.”

The cancellation will be available on the anniversary at the Ashland post office and at an Underground History Live event at the Ashland Hills Hotel.

A commemoration of the Tragedy at Tunnel 13 was first suggested by Bruce Shoemaker, board member of the BBRC, which preserves and promotes railroad culture.

“The Tunnel 13 tragedy is a true story worthy of a major motion picture and the single most dramatic incident in the history of railroading in our region,” Shoemaker said. “The murder of the three Southern Pacific trainmen is also a reminder that railroad work has traditionally been – and remains – a dangerous occupation.”

View the full list of Tunnel 13 commemorative events.

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