Pacific University President Miller Ritchie Records

Dr. Miller A.F. Ritchie (1909-2000) was president of Pacific University from 1959-1970. Ritchie grew up in Churchville VA. He attended Roanoke College where he graduated with honors in English in 1932. He went on to earn his masters from the College of William and Mary and his Doctor of Education from New York University. Ritchie started his career teaching high school English prior to returning to Roanoke College to work in the administrative offices. There he met and married Josephine Barnett. The Ritchies eventually had three children, Jon, Jo Ann, and Elizabeth (Betsy). During World War II, Ritchie joined the Navy. After the war and his completion of service, Ritchie accepted a teaching position at the University of Florida. In 1953, Ritchie became president of Hartwick College in Oneota New York. When his youngest daughter, Betsy, developed a respiratory condition, the Ritchies were forced to look for an alternative, which they found at Pacific.

At first Ritchie was unsure if Pacific would be the right option for him and his family. When considering the Pacific offer, he took a careful look both at the campus and at the annual reports, concluding that “Pacific’s institutional illness chronic, not acute” and that the financial state of the college was one of “lethargy and defeatism.” He summarized that “the almost continuous deficits for many years past, the lamentable condition of the buildings, the obvious inadequacy of the faculty and administrative staff, numerically and otherwise, were eloquently persuasive in the negative direction.” Despite this assessment, Ritchie ultimately decided to take the job. In doing so, he made it his mission to upgrade and modernize Pacific University.

Under President Ritchie’s tenure, more construction occurred on campus in 10 years than the previous 100 years. Included in the additions and renovations were: Washburne Hall (aka the University Center), 1963; Clark Hall (a coed residence hall), 1966; Jefferson Hall, Bromback Wing (College of Optometry), 1967; Harvey W. Scott Memorial Library, 1967; Aquatic Center (jointly with the city of Forest Grove), 1968; Adult Student Housing (100 apartments), 1969; Pacific Athletic Center, 1970. Enrollment, tuition cost, operating budgets, and faculty salary all increased, helping to bring Pacific up to date and competitive as a desirable university.

Ritchie was not only known for campus development but for his effective leadership. This leadership helped him to navigate the turbulent ‘60s on a college campus. When the inevitable cries of a communication gap between students and faculty went up, Ritchie resisted the temptation to be confrontational and adopted a radical stance for university presidents of the time: he listened. Ritchie’s presidency also saw the increase of African American enrollment as well as participation in university life.

Ritchie dealt with internal unrest in the same way, by listening. While not always able to meet student demands, he did take them seriously. This resulted in some changes to Pacific’s academic system. The ‘60s saw the initiation of course credit examination, a pass/fail grading system, and Black Studies. When, in 1969, the students demanded open dormitories, the administration responded by allowing students over 21 to live off-campus and by establishing less restrictive hours for those living on campus. Even the rules for smoking were relaxed, though drinking on campus remained forbidden.

After seeing the college through the most active period in the university’s history, Miller Ritchie left in 1970 to accept a position at the University of Miami, Florida, returning to Oregon in 1975. He and his wife, Josephine, remained active in campus affairs and activities, serving on various committees and volunteering time and expertise to support such campus groups as Friends of the Library, Friends of Music, and Friends of Old College Hall. Ritchie remained an active alumnus until his death in 2000 at the age of 91.

Most of the biographical information above has been adapted from Splendid Audacity: The Story of Pacific University (Gary Miranda and Rick Read, 2000).