CORVALLIS - The Oregon Legislature today passed a resolution honoring Oregon State University alumnus L.L "Stub" Stewart, a former state representative and pioneer in the timber business, who died this January.
Rep. Bruce Hanna, R-Roseburg, will present a framed copy of the resolution that lists Stewart's many contributions to Oregon to his sons LaSells "Bud" Stewart and Steven Stewart, and his sister, Dorothy Chapman Stewart, at a special event at OSU on Sunday, May 22, at 2:30 p.m. in the LaSells Stewart Center.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will recognize Stewart's contributions to OSU and to the state. The Stewart Center is located at 26th Street and Western Boulevard in Corvallis.
The Corvallis-OSU Symphony will perform Tchaikovsky's overture to "Romeo and Juliet," and speakers will include OSU President Ed Ray; Hal Salwasser, dean of the College of Forestry; Bruce Mate, a professor of marine biology and an internationally-known whale researcher; and John Byrne, president emeritus of OSU. A multi-media presentation about Stewart's life will conclude the program.
In a statement commemorating Stewart, Gov. Ted Kulongski said, "I have known Stub and his family for over 30 years, and I am convinced that Oregon is a better place because Stub shared his life with us. Stub was the personification of the Oregon spirit. He embodied all of the values Oregonians hold dear: independence, self-reliance, hard work and the unshakable belief that every individual has the power and the responsibility to make the world a better place."
Stub Stewart graduated from Oregon State in 1932 with a degree in logging engineering. He became president of Bohemia Lumber Co. near Cottage Grove, and he and his brother, Faye, helped expand the timber industry by pioneering helium balloon logging as well as creating a market for laminated wood beams.
Stewart served in the Oregon Legislature for three terms and served on the State Parks and Recreation Service Commission for 30 years. He was a board member of many civic and community organizations, including the State Board of Higher Education; the OSU Foundation, Corvallis; the Sacred Heart Medical Center Foundation, Eugene; The World Forestry Center, Portland; and the Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport.
A great philanthropist, Stewart made many financial contributions to charities and community organizations around the state.
He gave more than $2 million to OSU, supporting a broad variety of activities, including forestry, gene research, marine mammal research, and special faculty awards to spur innovative thinking.
He, along with his brother, Faye Stewart, and sister, Dorothy Chapman Stewart, provided substantial funding for the LaSells Stewart Center, a performing arts facility on the OSU campus named to honor their parents, LaSells and Jessie Hills Stewart.
Rep. Bruce Hanna, 505-986-1407
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