Lewis & Clark College

William “Bill” James enrolled in Lewis & Clark College in 1970, as a biology major. As his spring semester of his sophomore year approached, he was offered the opportunity to join the school’s study abroad trip to Afghanistan. The program lasted from that spring to the summer leading up to his junior year, in 1972. After Bill concluded his time at Lewis & Clark College, he
went on to study at Oregon State University. It was there that he studied genetics, and received his masters degree, which led him to work for various poultry operations across the Western United States. In 2010, Bill retired, and now resides in California’s Bay Area.

20221107

After finishing his Portland-area service in the armed forces, Sam Macon toured colleges around Oregon before eventually settling on Lewis & Clark. He based his decision on the beauty of the campus, enthusiasm expressed by the school’s football coach, and a negative experience while taking the SAT at University of South Carolina. Macon lived on campus for a total of three and a half years on the third floor of Platt Hall. He is a four year letterman and an avid fan of the Pioneer athletic program. Macon studied Health and Physical education with a minor in Speech. During his time at Lewis & Clark he met his wife, to whom he has remained married. As one of the few African-American students at the time, Macon fondly remembers Lewis & Clark as a prejudice-free haven.

Oral history interview of Lewis & Clark alumnus Sam Macon, conducted by Lucas Trimble on April 14, 2014. History Department, Spring Semester, 2014.